More coverage of William Floyd schools

Report on Floyd chief

Former William Floyd Superintendent Richard Hawkins is the subject of a sealed grand jury report that was harshly critical of his leadership just weeks before his abrupt resignation on Monday, sources familiar with the situation say.

Schools head quits

Richard Hawkins, the embattled William Floyd schools chief who withstood a financial scandal in the district that led to the indictments of several of his top deputies, last night resigned from his $194,670 post.

SHIRLEY

School official sentenced to 2 1/2 years

Daniel Cifonelli, who had admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the William Floyd School District, was sentenced yesterday to 2 1/2 years in a federal prison for evading taxes on the ill-gotten money.

Hevesi: Where’s outrage?

The William Floyd School District is gripped by "a culture of secrecy, corruption and negligence" that led to $7.9 million in misspending and fraud, including no-bid projects, the vendors and key staff hired without contracts and the purchase of life insurance policies that were later cashed in by some top administrators, state Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi said yesterday.

Residents call for new start

The scathing audit of William Floyd School District released yesterday by the state comptroller's office came as no surprise to many residents in the communities the district serves, with many saying the report confirmed their belief that the school board is riddled with corruption.

Joye Brown: Only right step is to step down from district

Richard Hawkins ought to rethink his decision not to step down as superintendent of the William Floyd school district. And he ought to take some school board members with him.

Another guilty plea in Floyd schools mess

The top business official for William Floyd schools pleaded guilty yesterday to official misconduct for misspending federal grant money and faking credentials to help a colleague's relative get a job - the fourth district administrator to admit to malfeasance as part of a wide-ranging corruption probe.

DA: 'Just not acceptable'

Two former William Floyd school officials pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing from the district and two others were arraigned for faking credentials to hire a relative, as a widening corruption probe ensnares more of the district's top administrators.

State pols OK school anti-fraud bills

The State Legislature yesterday passed two measures aimed at preventing school fraud in the wake of the Roslyn embezzlement scandal, including an investment of $2.9 million so the state can regularly audit local school districts.

MIXING PRIDE WITH SHAME

In the communities served by the William Floyd district, parents feel angry, wronged, but still praise schools

Amid the jumble of candy bars, plastic dolls, sunblock and videotapes at Coney Island Variety in Mastic Beach, mention of the local school district embezzlement scandal elicited a snort of contempt Sunday afternoon.

ROSLYN DISTRICT

Prosecutors: Tassone stole more than $1M from schools

Former Roslyn schools chief Frank Tassone was charged yesterday with stealing more than $1 million from the affluent, academically elite district he ran for more than a decade, by spending school funds on casino and tropical vacations, jewelry and meals, prosecutors say.

MASTIC BEACH

Animosity, anger, not much shock

Just a month ago, they agreed to an 8.4 percent school tax hike so teachers could have raises and students could have new classrooms. So residents in the William Floyd School District were more than a little disheartened yesterday to hear that a former district treasurer had been arrested and charged with stealing more than $700,000 from the district.

WILLIAM FLOYD DISTRICT

Former William Floyd treasurer wrote checks to self, DA says

As treasurer of the William Floyd school district in Mastic Beach, James Wright had the freedom to write checks to himself, sign them, endorse them and cash them. And that is just what he did, according to the Suffolk County district attorney, who yesterday charged him with grand larceny for allegedly stealing at least $700,000 in school funds.

WILLIAM FLOYD SCANDAL

DA: School district kept quiet

Although William Floyd school officials have insisted they haven't hidden any financial irregularities, records show they discovered last year that treasurer James Wright improperly wrote $15,000 in checks to himself, let him pay it back quietly and never reported it to authorities.