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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. Commentary with the Super Developer by John F. Bailey. September 29, 2005:  Louis Cappelli, the Super Developer, partner with Donald Trump in the Trump Tower at City Center, said today that the apartments in Trump Tower have appreciated in price from $500 a square foot to $700 a square foot, explaining the appearance of  “approximately 30 units” on the real estate market the last week, as speculators attempting to make money on their investment.  

Louis Cappelli, left, and Donald Trump at the Official Opening of Trump Tower at City Center last week. Photo by WPCNR News

“Of the 241 Units (between Trump Tower and The Lofts at City Center,” Cappelli told WPCNR by phone today, “Approximately 30 units were bought by investors and speculators . One individual purchased eight units. He’s going to live in one and sell the others. It’s part of the game of speculation. About 15% of the apartments were bought on speculation and in a building this size, I’m O.K. with that.”

Cappelli pointed out that of the 34 condominiums now being offered privately at Trump Tower that the speculators would not able to sell or “flip”  the apartments until after they closed with him on them.

“The units in Trump Tower,” Cappelli said, “have appreciated substantially from their opening prices. The speculators have serious upside here.”

Cappelli said he was not dismayed at the surge in Trump Tower apartments placed on the market. “It’s no big deal. The units have gone from $500 a square foot to $700 a square foot.”

Plans to Prohibit “Flip Advertising” at 221. Limit Units You Can Buy.

In response to this speculative fever, Cappelli said he is going to change the policy of how condominium units in his new dual tower hotel and condominium complex at 221 Main Street would be sold. He said he would  limit the number of condominiums any one investor could purchase in his new Hotel and Condominium complex to two,  and if they wanted to buy more than two, they would have to put down a 20% down payment.

Mr. Cappelli also announced that purchasers of units in the new hotel-condoplex would not be allowed to advertise their apartments for resale until after they closed.

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. September 13 & 28, 2005: The City School District Director of  Research, Testing and Evaluation, Larry Kilian, giving a report September 12 to the Board of Education on how White Plains is using its Federal No Child Left Behind money, announced New York State will be administering new English Language Arts  and Math State Achievement Tests to elementary and middle school grades previously not tested by the state in January and March. He also noted that approximately 30% of White Plains students are receiving some form of Academic Intervention Services in the last year for which figures were available.

Larry Kilian, Director of Research, Testing, and Evaluation for White Plains City School District, addressing the Board of Education, September 12. Photo by WPCNR News.

Kilian reported the District will be spending a total of $12,675,853 to uplift academically challenged students not achieving state academic standards (Levels 3 and 4 on state achievement tests) in school year 2005-2006. $1.6 Million of these funds come from the federal government. The balance of $11.1 Million is paid for directly by White Plains taxpayers.

29% Received Academic Intervention Services in 2003-04.

WPCNR  in the last week asked Kilian how many students were receiving Academic Intervention Services. Kilian reported Monday,  that in the most recent academic year in which  figures on the number of students receiving Academic Intervention Services were available, 2003-2004, 1,930 students (29%)  out of 6, 618 students in the City School District, were receiving some form of Academic Intervention Services.  Kilian said that disabled students are included in that figure, but did not have a percentage of how many made up the total, or what the overall figure was for this year.

In 2003-2004, the last year where figures are available,  of the 1,930 White Plains students receiving intervention services, 1,442 were in Grades K through 8, and 488 were enrolled in grades 9 through 12.  The projected enrollment for the 2005-2006 year in the White Plains Schools is 6, 935 students.

He told WPCNR the figures for 2004-2005 had not been determined yet, and was in process.

ELA – Math Tests to test new grades in Jan/March

Kilian reminded the District that the State Board of Regents is preparing ELA and Math tests to measure the year-to-year progress of elementary schoolers in 3^rd, 5^th, 6^th and 7^th grades.  Up until this year, elementary school students were tested for Math and English achievement only in 4^th Grade, and Middle School Students were tested for Math and English in 8^th Grade, with results posted statewide by district, to provide the School District Report Cards measuring how good a job each district statewide is doing.

The district has not seen the tests for these grades yet,  Kilian added. The new Math and ELA tests were being developed for those four new grades by CTB/McGraw-Hill, conceivers of the Math and ELA 4^th and 8^th grade tests. According to Kilian the new ELA tests would be administered in January to the five grades, 3,4,5,6,7,8, and the Math tests in March. Previously they had been administered later in the year, now Killian said the state is moving them up.

Though  the tests have not yet been created, sample test questions for the new grades to be tested could be found on the New York State Education Department website.

Using Federal Monies on Academic Intervention Services in White Plains

Kilian’s written report presented at the Board of Education detailed how the City School District is spending the $1,575,853 the district is receiving for the 2004-2005 School Year under the terms of the No Child Left Behind Act. Kilian told me that not all of the monies are spent exclusively on teaching students who receive Academic Intervention Services, that some is spent on teaching clinics and other services dedicated to improving overall instruction and curriculum.

Title I Funds totaling $1,050,419 are being used to hire 7 full-time teachers to provide direct instructional support to students identified as needed Academic Intervention Services. The funds also support extended day and summer programs and Project Early Read. $10,000 is reserved for services to homeless children. $60,000 is devoted to professional development through university programs and consultants.

Title IIA funds coming to $273,292 have hired 4 additional teachers to reduce class size in early grades.

Title IID funds of $19,047 are being used to purchase technology to support staff development efforts in technology.

Title III funds totaling $180,959 will be spent to deliver instruction for Limited English Proficient students, allowing  assignment of a teacher parttime in the Newcomer Center plus after-school tutoring, bilingual testing, parent involvement programs, summer school, summer screening , Regrents prep courses, and additional use of a Bilingual Social Worker and teaching assistants and professional development. A portion is also used to support the PACE Centro Hispano Outreach Program where college students tutor Limited English Proficient Students at the high school during the school day.

Title IV Funds in the amount of  $43,161 support programs to promote safe schools and prevent drug and alcohol abuse. Title V monies totaling $8,975 support the Arts-In-General-Education programs, allowing professional artists to work with classroom teachers to enrich instruction.

Killian’s report said the District uses local funding of an additional $3.4 Million in direct teaching support in literacy; $3.1 Million more for instructional support for Limited English Proficient Students; $900,000 for the Summer School program, and $3.7 Million more dollars for “implementation of our instructional technology plan this year.”

The local funds, his report said, “support the backbone of our professional development efforts – 7 instructional specialists who provide direct assistance to the classroom teachers.” No figure was given for the expense of those 7 instructional specialists.

In his preamble paragraph, Killian wrote:

 “The White Plains City School  District will use the funds allocated under the No Child Left Behind Act to provide direct instructional support to students who are not yet achieving State academic standards, and high quality professional development to their teachers and administrators. Our efforts are guided by the (federal) required needs assessment process that involves reviewing the achievement data for racial/ethnic groups, economically disadvantaged, disabled and limited English Proficient students. Instructional strategies and programs are selected considering scientifically-based research. Our elementary and middle schools prepare school-wide plans to coordinate all activities (regardless of funding source) to improve achievement.