A successful year


To the Editor:

As the ’21-’22 school year concludes with Sunday’s High School commencement, it is an appropriate time to reflect on my first year as a Trustee of the Jericho Board of Education.  The past 12 months have been by most measures very successful for our School District and its Board.

I recognize that some in our community, including a few fellow Trustees, bemoan the new “tone”, intensity and length of our public meetings.  However, I argue that these persons lack an appreciation for the benefits of debate and unfortunately possess an unhealthy discomfort with disagreement.  They refuse to acknowledge that while our interests are aligned, we have slightly different views on how to achieve our shared goal – making the Jericho School District the best it can be.

While our interactions and meetings might at times appear discordant or dysfunctional, we have been more productive, more informative and certainly more interesting than the monotonous Boards that preceded us.  As evidence, some of our key accomplishments include:

  • Successfully transitioned to full-time, in-school learning for ALL students while making tough decisions, when needed, about safety procedures
  • Introduced a Pre-K program for the upcoming school year
  • Installed our first Turf Field with Lighting (completed on time and on budget)
  • Hired 2 Assistant Principals at the High School
  • Hired a Principal and Assistant Principal at the Middle School
  • Hired 2 Curriculum Associates – Science and Music/Fine Arts
  • Grew the number of HS guidance counselors by >15%
  • Completed the first Superintendent review in three years
  • Authorized periodic residency reconfirmation procedures
  • Initiated the process of digitizing student enrollment records
  • Increased public presentations by all parts of the administration

As the saying goes, “you don’t want to see how the sausage gets made.”  However, the increased transparency, lively discussion and more regimented process introduced this year at the Board level have made us a meaningfully stronger District.  Those who speak against these improvements simply do not understand what is required to sustain a successful organization like the Jericho Schools.

Sam Perlman,
Jericho Board of Education Trustee

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