Review of contract with school district’s brokerage firm scheduled for January

Updated Saturday, January 13, 2024, 9:58am: At the regularly scheduled board of education meeting on Thursday, January 11, the board directed administration to approach Newmark Realty about restructuring its contract with the district. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dave Moyer and Assistant Superintendent of Business Bob Howard will be asking Newmark officials to 1. remove the option of a sale of any of the three available buildings from the contract and 2. allow lease exclusions for other school districts, BOCES or public entities. If Newmark agrees to restructuring the contract, a revised contract will be brought forward for board approval at a future meeting, district officials told the Journal.

Until further notice, Newmark Realty, a brokerage firm hired to represent the Northport-East Northport school district in the potential sale or lease of three school buildings, is continuing to carry out the parameters of its contract, including showing properties, district officials told the Journal last week. 

“To date, there are no new offers that Newmark has received or has presented to the district,” officials said. Newark has received an updated offer from Whole Child Academy though, officials confirmed, a lease offer first presented to the public in October. 

At the December 14 board of education meeting, Northport-East Northport School Board President Larry Licopoli asked the board to include on its January 11 board meeting agenda a “definitive discussion on the continuation and review of our contract with Newmark.”

Licopoli announced in a statement at an October board of education meeting that, in light of recent public meetings regarding the three properties (the Brosnan building in Northport Village and Dickinson and Bellerose Avenue elementary schools in East Northport), a “pause” on all information and offers received by the district would take place in order to allow time to assess, with community input, the options in relation to the use of the properties. A resolution to create a Financial Planning Board Committee was also approved unanimously by the board at that meeting. 

The resolution as passed states that “All information and proposals that the district received shall be suspended until such time that the financial impact has been identified and reviewed with the public for their input.”

The Financial Planning Board Committee, along with administration, was tasked with analyzing the effects of the LIPA revenue shortfall, then assessing, with community input, all options relative to the use of district properties. The committee has met twice so far and plans to meet again in the new year to complete its objectives. 

“Embedded in this work are plans for reviewing expenses, opportunities to increase revenue, and engaging the community,” district officials said. “The culmination of this effort will produce a report to the community outlining a range of considerations for the board and community to ponder.”

The January 11 meeting will be the first time the board publicly discusses Newmark’s role since the board established the Financial Planning Board Committee; a handful of residents have called for the Newmark contract to be terminated at recent board meetings. It will also be the first board meeting with the district’s new superintendent, Dr. Dave Moyer.

This past Thursday, Trustee David Badanes said that, while he supports the review of the Newmark contract on the agenda, the board should be prepared with the necessary information to deliberate. “We have to make sure that we have all the information we need in terms of whatever legal ramifications, financial ramifications, etc.... I just want to make sure we have the information way in advance [of the meeting]. As long as we can do that, then absolutely I am in favor,” Badanes said. 

According to their official contract, the agreement between the district and Newmark is set to expire on June 30, 2024. 

This article will be updated with information about the January 11 meeting board of education meeting, including location, when available.