Greenport BOE: Superintendent’s contract extended; building repairs approved
The Greenport Board of Education extended the contract of Superintendent Marlon Small to 2026 at a meeting last Tuesday night.
The board hired him last year, with a term set to last until 2023. Board president Daniel Creedon said Mr. Small’s contract required the board to decide on an extension by June 30. A copy of the contract, obtained by The Suffolk Times, states that a decision on such an extension is required should the superintendent request one.
“If we had not extended it would be an indication that the board was dissatisfied with his work,” Mr. Creedon said in an email. “That is not the case … By essentially agreeing to a new five-year deal with the same terms of employment, we are trying to create stability in the job.”
He pointed out that East End superintendents, teachers and principals are paid “considerably less” than educators on the rest of Long Island. “A lukewarm indication from the board, demonstrated by a shorter extension, would encourage the superintendent to start testing the waters when other districts are looking for new superintendents.”
Mr. Small was previously the assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and accountability for the South Country School District in Brookhaven.
The board also confirmed a contract for the clerk and confidential secretary, and standardized holidays in employee contracts.
The vote on Mr. Small’s contract extension took place after a discussion in executive session. It was not an item on the meeting agenda.
Repairs approved
The Greenport Board of Education approved $175,000 from district reserves to make repairs on school grounds.
The funds are intended to fix cracks in the school’s tennis courts, which have been closed for the past few months, add handrails to school bleachers so they meet code regulations, fix plumbing leaks and some electrical lighting issues, repair the well, fix a chain link fence on the property and repair the school HVAC system.
The board said the requested funds should cover repair expenses, although it’s possible costs may total more than expected. The district currently has a little more than $500,000 in reserves earmarked for repairs, according to Superintendent Marlon Small.
The district is still awaiting state approval to start construction on a new auxiliary gym. Although it’s uncertain when the start date may be, the project is expected to last around a year, Mr. Small said.
Mr. Small estimates that repair work on locker rooms and outside masonry, part of the district’s capital improvements project — separate from the requested reserve funds — will begin after the school year ends, perhaps in early July.
