Blog: Huntington School Board Meeting

Live blog of Monday's Huntington Board of Education meeting:

8:35 p.m.: Board agrees to proceed with budget projections based on a 2 percent tax cap.

8:18 p.m.: Board vice president John Paci says board needs to negotiate givebacks in union contracts.

8:12 p.m.:  Brown says, "So we have not saved a dime by closing the school and overcrowding the primaries." Dwyer replies: "Right. We didn't do it to save money."

8:08 p.m.: Grackin lays out some scenarios if a state property tax cap is imposed, estimating the cuts in teacher staff or equivalent positions from 43 to 68.

8 p.m.: Retirement system and health care costs are driving increase in budgets, Grackin says.

7:52 p.m.: No one from the audience takes up Dwyer's offer to speak about the budget, waiting, he notes, for more information from the board or Finello.

7:47 p.m.: School board member Kimberly Brown asks if lack of funds designated for use on Jack Abrams schools is a "death knell" for reopening the school. School budget boss David H. Grackin says no.

7:45 p.m.: School board president Bill Dwyer says an ad was posted in The New York Times yesterday for successor to Superintendent John J. Finello.

7:44 p.m.:  Students win kudos for math and Spirit of  Community Awards.

7:38 p.m.: Superintendent John J. Finello speaks about the passing of high school art teacher Robert Potter, who died Nov.22. Finello announces an evening of commemoration is planned for Jan.12.

7:31 p.m.: The Huntington Board of Education meeting is called to order.