During the last few months, our newspapers have been filled with revelations concerning school districts and their employees mismanaging or allegedly stealing taxpayer resources. The size and scope of the alleged theft of public funds has resulted in a huge credibility crisis for all public schools. It is a simple truth that school boards are elected to articulate policies which eliminate conflicts of interest and ensure that all taxpayer dollars are used appropriately. Administration, hired by the board of education, is responsible for implementing the policies of the board as well as administrative procedures which provide for a system of adequate controls, checks and balances and accountability over all taxpayer resources and the employees who have access to these resources.

In an effort to reassure the public that theft and mismanagement of public funds is not the norm in school districts, the New York State Comptroller indicated that he would conduct in-depth audits of four Long Island school districts and more limited audits of approximately 15 additional Long Island school districts with a focus on administrative board expenses and reimbursements. He has indicated that after this initial audit effort the comptroller's office will commence audits of school districts on an ongoing basis. East Meadow Schools is one of the 15 districts to be audited. Our board and administration welcome the planned audit and endorse the efforts of the comptroller to audit school districts on a consistent basis.

East Meadow schools is proud of its effective management of the resources provided by the local and New York State taxpayer to fund our mission of providing for the educational needs of our children. The largest portion of the tax bill for most residents goes to support our schools. The board of education and administration recognize that the tax burden is high and has grown as New York State reduced its aid to East Meadow by approximately $1 million last year.

As there was no New York State budget adopted when the community approved our school budget for the 2004/2005 school year, the board of education pledged to commit additional state aid to reduce the tax levy. Preliminary projections indicate that we may receive approximately $500,000 in additional state aid. Based on assurances from Albany that this aid will actually be received by the district, the board of education has reduced the tax levy by $500,000.

We have an absolute obligation to the taxpayers to ensure honesty in our endeavors and to maximize the value of every taxpayer dollar. This is an ongoing goal which we pursue with conviction. The recently completed New York State in-depth audit of our school district resulted in recommendations which we have implemented in a continuing effort to strengthen our internal controls and management procedures. As we are a complex organization and are responsible for managing approximately $134 million of taxpayer money, the results of the completed in-depth audit reflect very favorably on our schools and its employees.

One of our strengths as a school community is the close relationship we have with our residents. We continue to urge you to participate in board of education meetings, the budget development process and other activities designed to increase understanding of the workings of our school.

Robert R. Dillon, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Charles L. Goldberg, President

Board of Education