Members Present
Dr. Archer
Mrs. Austin
Mr. Babikian
Mr. Baxter
Mrs. DeForest
Mr. Gross
Mrs. James Murad (attended remotely)
Ms. McKenney
Mr. Zogbhy
Mr. Al-Mudamgha (Student Board Member)
Administration Present
Dr. Smith. Superintendent
Mr. Reyes, Assistant Superintendent
Mr. Franz, Assistant Superintendent
Mr. Bartlett, Business Administrator
Others in attendance: Red Langley, Jane Beigel, Gavi Beigel, Rabbi Beigel, Margery Haber, Emeka Okereke, Amber Bates, Joshua Marino, Amanda Schleicher, Sylvia Min, Evie Keefe, Eden Shirilian-Howlett, AshQuinn Brown, Caleb Randazzo, Anthony Virag, AJ Sikora, Daniel Gao, Noah Ransier, Autmn Keefe, Daksh Maini, Celia Kemmis, and Mike Fitzpatrick
Mr. Gross called the Board Meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. in the board room of the District Office.
Red Ram Recognition
During Red Ram Recognition, Mr. Gross recognized and congratulated HS students Stefanie Cervantes and Rashelle Torres-Mendoza who were selected to the Syracuse Delegation of the Puerto Rican-Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute. Mr. Gross recognized the following two new clubs at the High School which were created as a result of the Senior Capstone Courses: Cooking for a Cause and Mending Melodies. Mr. Gross expressed gratitude to the transportation department for delivering the students home safety during the most recent snow storm. He reminded all to review the District’s Emergency Closing Procedures.
Lastly, Mr. Gross recognized the Boys Varsity Volleyball team who won the New York State Title in Albany. He congratulated the team and Coach Cline.
(See Supplemental Minutes)
Community Comment Time
Mr. Gross asked for a motion to allow non-agenda items to be commented on during the first Community Comment Time.
Mr. Zoghby moved and Dr. Archer seconded the motion to allow non-agenda items to be commented on during the first Community Comment Time.
Motion carried. (9-0-0)
Jane Beigel commented on the October 7 terrorist attack. She said that the J-D Board and Superintendent are capable of speaking with moral clarity and it is time for the Board to say something condemning the attack on Israel.
Rachel Wagner commented on school safety and is opposed to the addition of SRO’s at J-D. She said school data shows more harm happens when police are in schools and encourages members to do research on the history at J-D.
Amanda Schleicher commented on school safety in support of adding SRO’s to the elementary schools and Middle School. She asked why J-D is the only district without SRO’s in each building. She wants to know why a decision has not been made after the audit clearly recommends SROs in each building.
Tiffany Gratien commented on school safety in support of adding SRO’s to the buildings. She shared conversations which happened between middle school students where they played out what they would do in an active shooter situation. She said she is tired of excuses and asked the Board to make the right choice and put SROs in all J-D schools.
Motion to Amend the Agenda
Mr. Gross asked for a motion to amend the agenda to remove the Treasurer’s Report.
Mr. Zoghby moved and Dr. Archer seconded the motion to amend the agenda to remove the Treasurer’s Report
Motion carried. (9-0-0)
Approve Consent Agenda
Mr. Babikian moved and Mr. Zoghby seconded the motion to approve the Consent Agenda as follows:
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- Approve Superintendent’s Personnel recommendations and Substitute Appointments
- Minutes of the November 13, 2023 Meeting
Motion carried. (9-0-0).
Superintendent’s Personnel Recommendations – December 4, 2023
INSTRUCTIONAL
Appointments
Name and position: Rachel Giannone, School Nurse, Part-time (.6 FTE), replacing S. Piscitell
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- Location: High School
- Salary: $17,746.08 (B5), prorated
- Certification: NYS Registered Nurse
- Effective: December 6, 2023
Extra Duty Assignment – Extended Teaching – High School – 2023-2024
Name, assignment and stipend:
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- Melissa Moore, Cafeteria Supervision, $1,839.00
Extra Duty Assignment – Extended Teaching – Winter Coaching – 2023-2024
Name, assignment and stipend:
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- Margaret McBurney, Boys Modified Swim Coach, $3,361.00
Extra Duty Assignment – Extended Season Pay – Fall Season – 2023-2024 School Year
Name, assignment and stipend:
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- John Barlow, Varsity Head Football Coach, $861.00
- Elyssa Becker, Varsity Gymnastics Assistant Coach, $503.00
- Robert Bewley, Girls Varsity Swimming Head Coach, $2,718.00
- Jeff Cantor, Boys Varsity Assistant Soccer Coach, $782.00
- Jake Cline, Boys Varsity Volleyball Head Coach, $1,680.00
- Joe Corridori, Varsity Football Assistant Coach, $655.00
- Tracey Fishkin, Varsity Gymnastics Head Coach, $792.00
- Pat Gillette, Varsity Football Assistant Coach, $621.00
- Andrea Heil, Girls Varsity Volleyball Head Coach, $1,680.00
- Jeffrey Ike, Varsity Football Assistant Coach, $635.00
- Alanna Jones, Varsity Cheerleading Head Coach, $498.00
- Daniel Law, Boys Varsity Soccer Head Coach, $1,292.00
- Matt Murphy, Girls Varsity Soccer Head Coach, $1,118.00
- Melanie Quinn, JV Cheerleading Head Coach, $345.00
- Nancy Raicht, Varsity Cross-Country Head Coach, $1,130.00
- Katherine Richey, Girls Varsity Swimming Assistant Coach, $1,389.00
- Emily Rowles, Varsity Cross-Country Head Coach, $1,914.00
- Gina Santoro, Girls Varsity Soccer Assistant Coach, $735.00
- Eugene Sul, Girls Varsity Tennis Head Coach, $2,445.00
- Paul Valentino, Boys Varsity Golf Head Coach, $545.00
Name, position, location, reason and effective date:
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- Sarah Levesque, Science Teacher, Middle School, Extension of FMLA from December 20, 2023 to January 16, 2024
- Colleen Paige, Occupational Therapist, District, Paid Parental Leave, May 17, 2024 through June 26, 2024
Resignation
Name, assignment, location, and effective date:
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- Veronica Penoyer, School Nurse, Middle School, November 27, 2023
NONINSTRUCTIONAL
Appointments
Name, position, location, salary and effective date:
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- Mary Kay Brownson, Seasonal Grounds Keeper, Maintenance Department, $16.00/hr., December 5, 2023
- Martin Roth, Substitute Bus Attendant, Transportation Department, December 6, 2023
Request for Leave of Absence
Name, position, location, reason and effective date:
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- Gregory Zacholl, Custodial Worker I, Custodial Department, FMLA from February 12, 2024 through May 6, 2024
Involuntary Reduction
Name, location, change and effective date:
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- Henry Burhans, District, Telecommunications Network Technician, December 31, 2023
Resignation
Name, assignment, location, and effective date:
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- Patrick Bianchi, Custodian II, Custodial Department, November 29, 2023
- Martin Roth, Bus Attendant, Transportation Department, December 5, 2023
Approve 2024-2025 Budget Calendar
Mrs. DeForest moved and Mr. Baxter seconded the motion to approve the 2024-2025 Budget Calendar which will be posted on the website. (See Supplemental Minutes).
Motion carried. (9-0-0)
Board Policy – First Reading
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- 5530 Petty Cash Funds and Cash in School Buildings
Mrs. James Murad explained the change which increased the amount of petty cash in the buildings from $100 to $200. This policy will come back next meeting for a second reading.
Potential Consideration for Future Meetings
There was none.
Discussion: District Security Audit and Recommendations, Dr. Smith
Mr. Gross read the following statement to the community, which was prepared by himself and members of the Facilities Committee:
The Jamesville DeWitt Board of Education and Administration has continuously looked for ways to improve the safety of our schools. And, in our discussions, we have explored the many facets of what the word “safety” can mean. For many, one of the first associations with the word safety is physical safety. We recognize that we live in a world where, very unfortunately, we cannot consider any location exempt from the threat of physical violence. So we must consider that our schools can be targets of violence. While we know we cannot anticipate every challenge to safety that may arise, we want to take every reasonable step possible to address these challenges.
One thing we can do is to ask the question of what safety looks like. Safety means that a child walks into a classroom with a teacher invested in their success. It means a student has an adult, and hopefully multiple adults, in their lives to whom they can turn to in their worst moments, who wants to make sure that child succeeds. It means a curriculum that is engaging, culturally responsive and reflects the diversity of our shared community. It means building confidence, as well as humility. And it means that every child that comes to school in the morning deserves to be welcomed back at home at the end of the school day.
Embedded in our discussion of safety has been the recognition that there is literally no one single measure that can ensure safety, in all its facets. Over the last few years, we have sought to enhance many different aspects of safety, with the ultimate goal of providing the best possible environment for our students – and with that, the best environment for our staff and faculty as well. We enhanced our staffing with resources from Onondaga County in the form of our Promise Zone specialists and others. We opened on-site mental health clinics at our Middle School and High School. We conduct screenings through the BIMAS to identify students who need our support. We completed physical renovations to buildings to ensure that we control our entrances and exits. We are in the midst of projects that will enhance communication within and between buildings, enhance the ways doors, both internal and external, are controlled and monitored. We invested in professional development for our faculty and staff to better serve our students.
Last spring, the District proposed changes to our District Safely Plan that included enhancements, some of which I just mentioned. Another of the proposals was an expansion of our School Resource Officer program. In the spring, rather than proceed with changes that may or may not have been part of an expert assessment, this board chose to table some security enhancements to seek the advice of experts in the area of school safety. We engaged ArmoredOne to conduct a Safety Audit, which was completed toward the end of last school year. Their report was shared with the district administration and others, over the course of the summer and early this school year.
This board asked our Facilities Committee to take the lead in further examination of Safety Audit, and to bring recommendations to the full board for further action. Tonight, we will hear those recommendations, and hear the proposal for the timeline of when further enhancements to our Safety Plan will be made. Our work to increase safety in our schools will continue to be a topic of discussion, not just tonight, next month, and later this year, and every year to come. We know this work must continually evolve so that we address new challenges that emerge, and leverage new resources that become available. It is important to recognize that each component of our plan is important, and each component works in concert with the other components to achieve that increased safety. In particular, as we propose changes to our district safety plan, this will include a period for public comment. We look forward to a robust discussion here at the board table, as well as from the public. We appreciate everyone’s efforts in this endeavor, with great respect for all of our different perspectives on this issue.
Dr. Smith shared a presentation on the District Security Audit which was completed by Armoured One. The presentation included areas of focus and recommendations, review of information and prioritizing recommendations, work in progress and next steps. The areas of focus included securing access to our facilities, use of surveillance equipment, communications equipment and devices for use in emergency situations, and protocols and procedures used during emergency situations. Dr. Smith said the report was viewed by the administrative team and the Board of Education’s Facilities Committee and the recommendations were prioritized into three tiers. He shared the items assigned to each tier. Dr. Smith shared the work that is already in progress including the IP Paging and Access Controls Project, Threat Assessment Training and a review of protocols for access to buildings as well as a timeline of the next steps. He said the 30-day public comment period on these proposed changes would commence on or around December 8 and that a Public Hearing on the changes is scheduled for December 18. The Board may vote on the Revised Safety Plan at the January 8 meeting. Dr. Smith presented the proposed changes to the District Safety Plan, which include the hiring of a full-time SRO in each building, protocols for visitors-specifically deliveries, planned upgrades to facilities to enhance security and threat assessment training for key personnel.
Dr. Archer stated that she would like to add the “Raptor” visitor system or another security system to screen for predators to the Tier 1 Recommendations. Dr. Smith said he will go back and see what that change would entail and what the implementation would look like and report back.
The Revisions to the District Safety Plan can be found on the website. (See Supplemental Minutes).
There was a question, answer and comment period for the board.
Student Board Member Report, Mr. Al-Mudamgha
Mr. Al-Mudamgha began by expressing support for the addition of school resource officers at all buildings. He has had a positive experience with the SRO. Then, he provided a report to the Board in which he congratulated the boys varsity volleyball team for their state championship and the boys varsity basketball team for their recent win over rival CBA. In academic news, he reported that sophomore Aarohi Rastogi was extended the opportunity to moderate the 2023 Girls Speak Out panel in NYC. In addition, junior, Stephanie Cervantes and senior Rashelle Torres-Mendoza were chosen as delegates at the 23-24 Puerto Rican-Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute. Mr. Al-Mudamgha congratulated the students who participated in the Junior High Area all State in band, chorus and orchestra. He said the student government has moved to a bi-monthly schedule and reviewed the last meeting. Lastly, he informed the board that the issue of the internet firewall at the High School has been resolved and he thanked the parents who spoke at the meeting tonight for their commitment to the safety of their children.
(See Supplemental Minutes)
Assistant Superintendent’s Report, Mr. Franz
Mr. Franz provided the Board with his 10-week Impact Report. His report explained the Crosswalk with Data Points that connect the Strategic Plan focus areas to the ESSA Indicators which schools are accountable for to the state. He explained the data points that are reviewed at the 10-week mark are BIMAS, Referrals and Suspensions, Attendance, STARS/DIBELS, and Marking Period Grades. Mr. Franz shared 10-week celebrations including improvements in attendance, academics, social emotional wellness and the reduction of disproportionality across racial groups in student conduct. Mr. Franz updated the board on strategic initiatives impacting data presented in the Impact Report including, efforts to spread and increase the use of de-escalation training, ongoing work around MTSS intervention, Cohort 8 of CR-SE training, CRSE in Action work, ENL program review and support, shared classroom visits and the use of professional development and Superintendent’s Conference Days. Lastly, Mr. Franz shared an update on Elementary Social Studies curriculum revisions that are in progress and informed by New York State Inquiries and supported by a partnership with the Onondaga Historical Association. (See Supplemental Minutes)
Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Smith
Dr. Smith reviewed the inclement weather cancellation process and reiterated that any cancellation and/or closings are announced through Parent Square and through local media. He said we do not use social media as we can’t guarantee when someone will receive the notice. Dr. Smith updated the board on the Moses DeWitt crossing guard position. He reminded the board how the funding was taken away for the position. He said he was happy to report that the Town of DeWitt Police Department has changed their mind and will be funding the position. Dr. Smith shared upcoming events with the board which included various holiday concerts and encouraged each board member pick a date and come to a concert or a sports event.
Committee Reports
Mrs. DeForest reported that the Finance Committee met on November 20 and reviewed the reserve funds file, upcoming treasurer’s report, budget calendar and updates on several capital projects. She said the district is looking at additional revenue as well as better cell phone reception.
Mr. Zoghby reported on the Facilities Committee which met via Zoom on November 29. He said that the committee reviewed the E-rate project, phases 1 and 2 of the capital project, the Smart School Bond Act, CRSSA, and the Capital Outlay Project to replace doors. He said the Emergency Project for the HS lift is with the architect and that the building conditions survey will be completed by February and then submitted to the State Education Department.
Board President’s Report
Mr. Gross said he sent out a survey to all board members. He said if you didn’t receive, please see him for a paper copy. He reviewed the upcoming board retreat on December 14 and said the board will be discussing the mid-year self-evaluation as well as talking about the book study. Mr. Gross asked to let him know if anyone had any other ideas for professional development.
Community Comment Time #2
There were none.
Unfinished and Continuing Business
There were none.
At 8:53 p.m., Dr. Archer moved and Mr. Baxter seconded the motion to the meeting.
Motion carried. (9-0-0)
Respectfully submitted,
Brian Bartlett
Clerk of the Board
BOARD APPROVED: December 18, 2023