Board of Education

Board President
Current Term:  2024-2027

Board Vice President
Current Term:  2024-2027

Board Member
Current Term:  2022-2025

Board Member
Current Term:  2022-2025

Board Member
Current Term:  2023-2026

Board Member
Current Term:  2023-2026

Board Member
Current Term:  2024-2027

2024-2025 MEETINGS

The 2024-2025 meetings for the Longwood Board of Education will take place as follows:  

• July 2, 2024 (Reorganization Meeting)
• August 29, 2024
• September 12, 2024
• September 26, 2024
• October 10, 2024
• October 24, 2024 (School Community Forum)
• November 7, 2024
• November 21, 2024
• December 17, 2024 (rescheduled from December 12, 2024)
• January 16, 2025
• January 30, 2025
• February 13, 2025
• March 6, 2025
• March 20, 2025 (School Community Forum)
• April 3, 2025
• April 24, 2025
• May 8, 2025 (Public Hearing)
• May 20, 2025 (Budget Vote and Board Election)
• May 22, 2025
• June 5, 2025
• June 18, 2025 

Meetings begin at 7:00 pm and will held in the Board Room at Longwood High School, 100 Longwood Road, Middle Island, NY11953, unless otherwise noted.  The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.  Meeting are also available via livestream.

The Board of Education is the official policy-making body of the school district. It is the board's responsibility to:

• Establish policies for the operation of the district.
• Set goals and develop a vision for the district.
• Build community support and promote understanding of public education.
• Develop academic standards based on high expectations.
• Hire a superintendent of schools.
• Take action on matters only after consulting with the superintendent.
• Attract and retain excellent staff members.
• Work to ensure that there are necessary funds for the district, maintaining a balance between needs and resources.

How to Publicly Address the Board of Education
The Board of Education has set aside an opportunity for members of the community to share comments or ask questions at Board of Education meetings. The information below is provided to answers your questions.

Who may speak to the Board of Education?
Residents of the district may speak at Board meetings. Non-residents may address the Board with their consent.

What is the procedure?

If you are speaking on an agenda item, fill out a green card, indicating your area of concern and the agenda item. You must submit the card to the District Clerk, prior to the item being discussed by the Board.  Your comment will be heard prior to any board discussion on the item.  Once the discussion has begun, additional green cards will not be accepted. The Board president will recognize you when they reach the item on the agenda.  If you are addressing a concern that is not on the agenda, fill out a yellow card. List your topic on the bottom of the card and submit it to the District Clerk prior to Citizens Speak.  

Is there a limit on how long I may speak?

Yes. Limit your comments to a maximum of three (3)minutes due to the heavy schedule of the Board. Comments will be timed on the screen and a bell will sound once the three (3) minute mark is reached.

Are there any limitations on the topics I may address?

Yes, there will be no complaints or charges against an individual employee of the district, or challenge instructional materials used in our schools. You will be interrupted if you use a student's name or the name of any employee in your complaints.  While we understand that some issues may be emotional, defamatory or abusive remarks will not be tolerated.

Will I receive a response from the Board on my concern?

Yes, if a response is required, however, not at the meeting. Your concern will be researched and you will receive a response from the administration or the Board.

Daniel Tomaszewski, Chairperson
Matthew Gropper, Representative

PHILOSOPHY:

The Legislative Committee carries out the Board of Education’s (BOE) lobbying effort with all branches of government at the local, state, and federal levels. Through diligent review of proposed new legislation and careful monitoring of existing laws, the committee endeavors to keep the Board and the community informed about the impact on the Longwood Central School District. In addition to this review process, contacts with elected officials allow the committee to make the needs of the school district known, and to promulgate the school board’s official position on matters of public policy.

The Board has the sole power to dissolve this committee and shall reserve the right to exercise this power at any time during the life of this committee.

ROLE: Advisory

The Board will give consideration to all recommendations, although final action and responsibility shall remain with the Board.

FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE:

1. To examine and monitor current, pending and proposed legislation to determine its positive or negative impact on the school district.
2. To lobby for passage or defeat of specific bills based on the official position of the BOE.
3. To cultivate and maintain contacts and relationships with legislators.
4. To educate legislators on issues of importance to the Longwood CSD.
5. To initiate legislation at the request of the BOE.
6. To identify specific meeting dates for the 2018-19 school year at the first meeting in the fall and provide a schedule to the BOE.
7. To make the minutes of each meeting available to the public at official BOE meetings.
8. To provide monthly reports to the BOE on legislative alerts, proposed new laws or modifications, affecting education, together with recommendations, if any, about whether the BOE should take any steps, or modify or create any policies.

MEMBERSHIP:

The committee membership will be comprised of those individuals appointed prior to the second meeting and open-ended with no restrictions on the number of participants. The composition of the committee shall be broadly representative and shall take into consideration the specific functions assigned to the committee. The committee shall include a cross section of community, employee bargaining units, parent-teacher organizations, and high school government representation in order to present a variety of viewpoints. All members, except bargaining unit representatives, must be residents of the district. In filling committee positions, the following points should be considered:

1. Knowledge of and interest in public education.
2. Particular skills or talents which may be useful.
3. Previous experience or background for such work.
4. Community participation.
5. Ability to encompass sentiments or ideas held by the community.

Length of Service: The committee members will serve from the time of their appointment until the end of the school year.

Appointment: Committee members will be appointed by the BOE at a public meeting. The appointments will be made on an annual basis.

Central Office Resource: Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, a central office administrator will serve as a resource person to the committee and assist in obtaining information.

Attendance: Committee member attendance will be taken at every meeting and recorded in the minutes. All members will receive a letter of appreciation from the BOE at the end of the school year. Those members who have attended more than 50% of the meetings during the year will also be awarded a certificate of recognition at a public meeting of the Longwood BOE.

Committee Chair: The Board Representative shall serve as Chair for any meeting where the Board appointed Committee Chair is unavailable. Should there be a scheduled meeting when neither the Board Chair nor Board Representative are available, the Board Chair shall contact the Board President to determine availability to act as Committee Chairperson for that session.

Rhonda Stitham, Ed.D., Chairperson
Christina Jackson, Representative

PHILOSOPHY:

The Policy Committee has as its primary function the task of assisting the Board of Education (BOE) with the development of policies to guide the overall operations of the district. These policies represent the district’s position pertaining to the structure and role of community relations (Series 1000), administration (Series 2000), fiscal management (Series 3000), personnel (Series 4000), students (Series 5000), instruction (Series 6000), leasing and construction (Series 7000) and the Board of Education (Series 8000).

Nothing herein prohibits the BOE from action on its own to adopt, modify or abolish any policy. The Board has the sole power to dissolve this committee and shall reserve the right to exercise this power at any time during the life of this committee.

ROLE: Advisory

The Board will give consideration to all recommendations, although final action and responsibility shall remain with the Board.

FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE:

1. To examine and update current policies.
2. To determine new areas for policy development.
3. To research the legality of issues surrounding policy development.
4. To ascertain resources and references which support the development of new policies.
5. To identify specific meeting dates for the 2018-19 school year at the first meeting in the fall and provide a schedule to the BOE.

MEMBERSHIP:

In an effort to elicit points of view from varied segments of the Longwood community, the composition of the committee shall consist of the following members:

Chairperson: BOE Member MITA: (1) representative
Board of Education: (1) representative CSEA: (1) representative
MIAA: (1) representative PTA: (1) representative
Community: (4) representatives students: (1) Senior – voting (1)Junior – non-voting

All members, except bargaining unit representatives, must be residents of the district. If more than four community residents apply, selection shall be made by a random draw. If any appointed member cannot complete their service on the Committee, the Chairperson may draw another prospective member from the original drawing and submit that name for Board appointment to complete the term. In addition, the Chairperson has the option to choose one additional community member from the prior year.

Length of Service: The committee members will serve from the time of their appointment until the end of the school year, or until the Committee is discharged.

Appointment: Committee members will be appointed by the BOE at a public meeting. The appointments will be made on an annual basis.

Central Office Resource: Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, a central office administrator will serve as a resource person to the committee and assist in obtaining information.

Attendance: Committee member attendance will be taken at every meeting and recorded in the minutes. All members will receive a letter of appreciation from the BOE at the end of the school year. Those members who have attended more than 65% of the meetings during the year will also be awarded a certificate of recognition by the Longwood BOE at the end of the school year.

Committee Chair: The Board Representative shall serve as Chair for any meeting where the Board appointed Committee Chair is unavailable. Should there be a scheduled meeting when neither the Board Chair nor Board Representative are available, the Board Chair shall contact the Board President to determine availability to act as Committee Chairperson for that session.

William Massian, Chairperson
Gina Gebbia , Representative


PHILOSOPHY:

The Safety Committee has, as its primary function, responsibility for reviewing current safety programs and procedures utilized by the district as well as those available from other sources in order to insure that the best possible approaches for safety are employed. Through an analysis of district data, as well as state and national trends, programs and procedures may be recommended that will respond to emerging student and community needs. Recognizing that the school, the home and the community at large are interdependent, this committee will strive to develop recommendations and share information that will strengthen this alliance. Each year, at least one recommendation will be developed and forwarded to the BOE and administration for possible implementation in the subsequent year.

The Board has the sole power to dissolve this committee and shall reserve the right to exercise this power at any time during the life of this committee.

ROLE: Advisory

The Board will give consideration to all recommendations, although final action and responsibility shall remain with the Board.

FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE:

1. To review and access the district’s current safety programs and practices.
2. To explore safety programs and practices from outside the district, as needed.
3. To recommend to the BOE ways to communicate with parents and community residents regarding school safety.
4. To develop recommendations designed to enhance the district’s school safety program.
5. To identify specific meeting dates for the school year at the first meeting in the fall and provide a schedule to the BOE.
6. To make recommendations about whether the BOE must create or modify any policies.
7. To report periodically to the BOE.

MEMBERSHIP:

The committee shall be comprised of those individuals appointed prior to the second meeting with no restrictions on the number of participants. However, the committee must be comprised of at least two (2) adults representing each school site for a minimum of 14 people on the committee. At least one (1) person representing each school site shall be a parent or guardian of a child enrolled at that school site, or community member, and shall not be an employee of the district. In addition, the committee may include two (2) student representatives from the Senior HS and two (2) student representatives from the Junior HS.

The composition of the committee shall be broadly representative and shall take into consideration the specific functions assigned to the committee. The committee shall include a cross section of community, employee bargaining units, parent-teacher organizations, high school and junior high school government representation in order to present a variety of viewpoints. All members, except bargaining unit representatives, must be residents of the district.

Length of Service: The committee members will serve from the time of their appointment until the end of the school year, or until the committee is discharged.

Appointment: Committee members will be appointed by the BOE at a public meeting. The appointments will be made on an annual basis.

Central Office Resource: Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, a central office administrator will serve as a resource person to the committee and assist in obtaining information.

Attendance: Committee member attendance will be taken at every meeting and recorded in the minutes. All members will receive a letter of appreciation from the BOE at the end of the school year. Those members who have attended more than 50% of the meetings during the year will also be awarded a certificate of recognition at a public meeting of the Longwood BOE.

Committee Chair: The Board Representative shall serve as Chair for any meeting where the Board appointed Committee Chair is unavailable. Should there be a scheduled meeting when neither the Board Chair nor Board Representative are available, the Board Chair shall contact the Board President to determine availability to act as Committee Chairperson for that session.