Amityville school board president, Dr. Gina Talbert and trustee Chris Nehring listen to comments following the vote to renew Talbert’s contract for two years, with a raise. Photo: Carolyn James/Herald
The Amityville Board of Education voted 4-2 Wednesday night to extend the contract of Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gina Talbert for two years, approving salary increases that will bring her pay to $251,125 in the first year and $257,430 in the second.
The decision came through a walk-on motion — meaning it was added to the agenda during the meeting — and amounts to a raise of about $11,000 over the life of the contract.
Trustees Lisa Johnson, Leslie Kretz, Chris Nehring and Carol Seehof voted in favor of the extension, while trustees Juan Leon and Megan Messmann voted against it.
Talbert was hired by the district in July 2023, replacing former superintendent Edward Fale. She previously served in the Wyandanch School District, which at the time faced scrutiny over student performance and testing practices.
She said at the time that her vision for Amityville schools is to “bring the past, present and future together, and use the successes of today to empower us for the challenges of tomorrow.”
Board President Lisa Johnson said Talbert was the right person for the job.
“Dr. Talbert is the right choice to lead Amityville,” she said. “Her experience, coupled with her vision for our district, will be a great asset to the district.”
Since then, some board members and community members have raised concerns about her leadership, saying she has failed to be responsive to board members and staff in a timely manner and has done little to address student performance.
The district has an 80 percent graduation rate, with 24 percent of students proficient in reading and 21 percent proficient in math based on standardized tests, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Source: Massapequa Post
