Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Riverhead Central School District board approves contracts, accepts conservation grant and names Dr. Cottonen elementary director
Summary
At its July 22, 2024 special meeting the Riverhead Central School District Board of Education approved multiple contracts including a school resource officer agreement with the Town of Riverhead, accepted a Suffolk County Soil & Water Conservation District grant, approved a settlement and confirmed Dr. Gretchen Cottonen as executive director of elementary education.
The Riverhead Central School District Board of Education on July 22, 2024 approved several contracts, accepted a county conservation grant and announced Dr. Gretchen Cottonen as the district's new executive director of elementary education.
Board members moved through a cluster of routine and personnel items by voice vote during the special meeting. Key actions included approval of a contract with the Town of Riverhead for school resource officers, acceptance of a grant from the Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District, authorization of a stipulation of settlement with National Business Technologies, and approval of a contract with Dr. Hillary Gomes for neuropsychological evaluations for the 2024–25 school year. The board also added and approved agenda item "letter f," a contract to appoint the executive director of elementary education, and publicly named Dr. Gretchen Cottonen to that post.
Votes and actions at a glance: The board approved the consent agenda and then approved each new-business item listed on the special meeting agenda. Where the transcript records the mover and seconder, the meeting exchange identifies Ms. Healy, Mr. Wallace and Ms. Freeborn as the members who moved or seconded motions at various points; all motions were recorded as passing by voice vote with no roll-call tallies provided in the transcript. Specific motions included:
• Contract with the Town of Riverhead for school resource officers — motion moved by Mr. Wallace; second acknowledged to Ms. Freeborn; motion passed by voice vote.
• Agenda item described in the transcript as "Tans" — motion moved by Ms. Freeborn; second acknowledged to Ms. Healy; motion passed by voice vote. The transcript does not specify what "Tans" refers to; the item description is not specified in the record.
• Stipulation of settlement with National Business Technologies — motion moved by Mr. Wallace; second acknowledged to Ms. Freeborn; motion passed by voice vote.
• Contract with Dr. Hillary Gomes for neuropsychological evaluations for the 2024–25 school year — motion moved by Ms. Healy; second acknowledged to Ms. Freeborn; motion passed by voice vote.
• Acceptance of a Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District grant — motion moved by Mr. Wallace; second acknowledged to Ms. Freeborn; motion passed by voice vote.
• Addition of agenda item letter f (contract for executive director of elementary education) — motion moved by Mr. Wallace; second acknowledged to Ms. Healy; motion to add passed by voice vote.
• Approval of the contract for executive director of elementary education (letter f) — motion moved by Ms. Freeborn; second acknowledged to Ms. Healy; motion passed by voice vote. Following that vote the presiding officer announced: "So our new executive director for elementary education is Doctor Gretchen Cottonen." (Unidentified Presiding Speaker).
The meeting record shows no public commenters on agenda items and no recorded dissenting votes; all motions are reported as passing by voice vote. The transcript provides limited substantive debate or background documentation for the items; most votes were routine approvals. Several personnel welcomes followed the votes (Jessica Farmer to Pulaski; Jacqueline Kenny to AQUOBAG; Philip Cabrera noted as not present).
The meeting adjourned by voice vote. The district’s official YouTube channel was promoted at the close of the recording.
