Marion High Principal resigns
By Beth Hoad

Citing 'personal reasons,' Marion High School Principal Nick Prezioso submitted a letter of resignation, effective November 12, to the Marion Board of Education on November 1.

Superintendent Dr. J. Richard Boyes told board members he had been having discussions with Prezioso the last few weeks relevant to the probability of his leaving. According to Boyes, Prezioso will relocate to the Fort Lauderdale area to be nearer to his daughter with whom he has been developing a close relationship. Boyes added Prezioso owned some property here and was able to turn it over earlier than anticipated, making it possible for him to move sooner.

After the meeting, Boyes told the Courier-Gazette, 'Nick has been with us four years, and I like him personally. He brought a lot into the district especially with regards to troubled kids, or kids in difficult situations. ... When we first talked to him, he was looking at a Special Education position, but we found out he was also certified in Administration. Suddenly we found ourselves looking at him as a possible candidate for High School Principal, and he indicated he would be interested in the job. He said he could be considering finding a job in Florida with that same kind of population in mind.'

Presently the main concern is finding an Interim High School Principal as soon as possible. Following the open meeting, board members went into executive session to discuss possible candidates, both from within and outside the district. Boyes presented a list to the board of qualified district people, both administrators and teachers, as well as the names of some external people who are Certified Administrators not presently on staff. He indicated there is also a list of qualified administrators available from the BOCES Superintendent.

'Some of the district people being considered said they are interested in the interim position, while others are not. No final decision was made in Executive Session, but after last night's discussions, I think the Board is leaning toward an internal reassignment. If such an appointment is made, we'll need to consider any vacated positions and probable reassignment of duties,' Boyes said.

Board members asked him to get further information regarding reassignment implications. An announcement is probable later this week, with the Board voting on the appointment at the November 15 meeting. 'We want this done quickly and we want an experienced person who can step right into the job without extensive training,' he said.

Prezioso was not available for comment.

Also of concern were budget implications caused by rising costs in several areas.

Boyes reported diesel fuel, natural gas and mandated pension costs could seriously affect this and future budgets. He said during 2001-02, the cost of diesel fuel was $.72 per gallon. In the last two months since school opened, the price has increased to $1.69 per gallon. The district uses 70,000 - 75,000 gallons annually, which would mean a substantial increase for that budget item.

Likewise, natural gas costs have risen with the possibility of a 30 - 40% increase this year. The cost fluctuation in 2004 has been a low of $8.40 per decotherm with a high of $14.37 reported to date. 'We can only turn the thermostat down so far, and we'll need to take a serious look at the situation in the future,' he said.

Recently, state mandated pension costs have risen dramatically. The pension fund is based on the stock market, which has undergone poor performance. The district amount budgeted for non-teaching employee pension contributions, based on salary, was $5000 in 2000. The cost rose to $73,000 in 2003-04 and is expected to reach $197,000 for 2004-05. For the teachers fund, the cost rose to $70,000 in 2003-04 and will be $127,000 for 2004-05. Boyes said he expected that amount would double next year.

'Add in the double-digit medical/dental insurance cost increases, and that will put our fund balance under a great deal of pressure. We're not in a deficit situation now, and we certainly want to avoid it,' said Boyes.

Board members also discussed the need to raise community awareness of the capital project proposal to make sure everyone gets the information. Informational flyers will be available at concerts and the sports awards program before the public meeting slated for November 29.

A detailed project brochure including project site plans, cost information and tax impact will be sent to all district residents no later than November 22.

The public vote on the project is scheduled for December 14, 1-9 p.m. at the High School. Residents with questions should contact school board members or the district office.

Assistant Superintendent Kathryn Wegman discussed a reported bomb threat for Halloween. She said a thorough 'sweep' of the school was performed on Thursday and a 'bomb' dog also searched the school on Friday. All students were also subjected to quick visual inspections as they entered the building. Nothing was found during any inspection. Students present at the board meeting were asked if the situation bothered them.

'It's a non-issue. We didn't have anything to hide, so it wasn't a problem,' said one boy. Wegman also discussed a lock-down in the advent of a major emergency. A parent asked, 'If you want to take your own child out of school in such a situation, can you get them?' Wegman replied, 'In a Code Red, you'll get your kids. It would be a theory vs. common sense, and in a real emergency if we know you are the parent, you'll be able to get your kids.'

A student then asked in a situation if a student is 18 or over and drives to school, will he/she be allowed to drive their own cars away. Boyes said that in a real emergency, students who drive would board buses to go to Newark as per the emergency evacuation plan, such as with a Ginna emergency, or be locked down with the rest of the students.

Letter to county of initial tax report stated 93.46% of 2004 school taxes have been collected to date. $234,478 in unpaid taxes will be turned over to Wayne County for collection.

Next school board meeting is November 15, at 7 p.m. in the High School Library.

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