Jamesville-Dewitt Central School District > Board of Education > Board Meetings > Minutes of March 27, 2023 Board of Education Meeting

Minutes of March 27, 2023 Board of Education Meeting

Members Present

Dr. Archer
Mrs. Austin (attended remote)
Mrs. DeForest
Mr. Gross
Mrs. James Murad 
Mr. Leach
Ms. McKenney
Mrs. Souser
Mr. Zoghby
Ms. Aljerari (Student Board Member)

Members Absent

None

Administration Present

Dr. Smith. Superintendent
Mr. Reyes, Assistant Superintendent
Mr. Franz, Assistant Superintendent
Mr. Furlong, Interim Business Administrator

Others in attendance: Catherine DeForest, Cieru Patterson, Saide Withers, Jimmy Wickham, Adelaide Anello, Ryan Wolfanger, Dante Santos, Emily Bulone, Theresa Bulone, Will Cooper, Jake Ogata, and Luca Daino

Mrs. DeForest called the Board Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the District Office and via Zoom.

Dr. Smith introduced Mr. Jason Douglass the district’s new Director of Technology who shared his background and said he was excited to be working on the upcoming projects.

Mrs. DeForest changed the order of the agenda to move the Student Board Member Report before the Athletics presentation.  

Student Board Member Report, Ms. Aljerari

Ms. Aljerari provided the Board with a report which highlighted the club achievements for Science Olympiad and a successful Amnesty International fundraiser.  Ms. Aljerari also shared information on the Student constitutional convention, recruitment for the school mascot and the upcoming climate survey.   (See Supplemental Minutes).

Athletics Presentation, Mr. Goodson, Athletic Director

Mr. Goodson introduced a number of student athletes present who would help with the presentation.  The students passed out appreciation pins as a thank you for the Board’s tireless efforts for students of J-D.  Mr. Goodson’s presentation covered student engagement topics such as leadership, student accomplishments and data on student participation pre and post-covid.  Dante Santos, a student athlete who represents J-D on the NYSPHSAA Student Athlete Advisory Committee spoke about how the committee promotes safety, sportsmanship and leadership on and off the field through Team Up for Community, which is a community service project.  Sadie Withers, who is on the Section 3 Student Athlete Advisory Committee, explained that she takes the initiatives put forth by the NYSPHSAA Committee back to J-D through the J-D Lead On program and makes sure the initiatives are used throughout Section III as well.  Mark Bratslavsky shared information on J-D Lead On and their efforts. Will Cooper shared information on his experience being a student athlete and writing for the Rampage.  Mr. Goodson spoke about Cat DeForest and her role promoting athletics on social media.  Emily Bulone spoke about the community service projects that student athletes are involved in including volunteering at a local nursing home.  Mr. Goodson shared information on how student athlete accomplishments are celebrated.  Brenda Ko, Booster Club President, shared information on what the Booster club is about and membership.  In addition, Mr. Goodson shared information on sports history, current NYSPHSAA classifications, schedule philosophy, seeding concepts, modified sports strategic plan and participation numbers.  The presentation also covered topics related to the employment of coaches such as hiring process, tiered pay levels, and the evaluation process.  (See Supplemental Minutes for presentation)

Red Ram Recognition

Mrs. DeForest began Red Ram Recognition by wishing a Ramadan Mubarak to those observing.   Mrs. DeForest also recognized and congratulated:

    • Krista Martin, Assistant Director of PPS for her expertise in training staff on IEP writing
    • Diane Rushford, English Teacher, as she was selected by the Class of 2023 NHS Officers as an honorary faculty inductee to the J-D National Honor Society
    • Junior students who were recently inducted into the National Honor Society
    • Cara Goldberg, coordinator of the J-D Prom Dress Drive
    • Caleigh Dadey, Scholastic Art & Writing National Gold Medal winner for two poems, “Silence” and “Loving on the Fly”
    • Eva Rodriguez, Scholastic Art & Writing National Gold Medal winner for her painting, “Our Friend Alz”
    • Daniel Skewes, for representing the Syracuse Region at the Annual Puerto Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute. Daniel was awarded $1,500 scholarship at the student recognition dinner.

(See Supplemental Minutes)

Community Comment Time #1

Tiffany Gratien commented on the recent school shooting in Nashville and asked the Board and District to consider adding an SRO to each building.

Approve Consent Agenda

Ms. McKenney made a motion to remove the Superintendent’s Personnel Recommendations and Substitute Appointments, CPSE and CSE Recommendations and Internal Claims Auditor’s Report from the Consent Agenda, and Mr. Gross seconded the motion.

Motion carried. 9-0-0

Mr. Leach moved and Ms. McKenney seconded the motion to approve the Consent Agenda as amended. 

    1. Tenure Recommendations
    2. Approve Memorandum of Agreement with Jamesville-DeWitt Clerical/Aide Association for a stipend related to extra duties and responsibilities for the administrative aide in the PPS Office
    3. Approve Standard Work Day Resolution for Employees
    4. Approve Agreement for Cooperative Educational Services Comprehensive Alcohol-Drug Abuse Prevention and Education Program

Motion carried. (9-0-0) (See Supplemental Minutes)

Superintendent’s Tenure Recommendations – March 27, 2023

Name: Sabrina Scott

    • Tenure Area: Teaching Assistant
    • Location: High School
    • Effective Date: March 25, 2023

Name: Margaret McBurney

    • Tenure Area: Teaching Assistant
    • Location: High School
    • Effective Date: March 27, 2023

Approve Superintendent’s Personnel Recommendations and Substitute Appointments

Mrs. James Murad moved and Mr. Gross seconded the approval of the Superintendent’s Personnel Recommendations and Substitute Appointments.

Ms. McKenney asked for the recommendations to be pulled out of the Consent Agenda for an explanation of a conflict of a family member on the substitute appointments.  Mrs. DeForest explained that a Board member with a conflict may disclose the conflict and may choose to vote.  In this instance, Mr. Zoghby declared that a relative was being appointed as a substitute.

Motion carried. (9-0-0)

Superintendent’s Personnel Recommendations – March 27, 2023

INSTRUCTIONAL

Appointments

Name and position: Emily Colasacco, Art Teacher, four year probationary appointment, replacing L. Wilson

    • Location: Tecumseh and Moses DeWitt
    • Prorated Salary: $21,063.78 (B6+2M-94)
    • Certification: Initial certification, Visual Arts
    • Effective: April 10, 2023

Name and position: Laramie Kennedy, ESL Teacher, three year probationary appointment, new position

    • Location: Moses DeWitt
    • Salary: $71,114* (B12+M-30)
    • Certification: Professional certification, English to Speakers of Other Languages
    • Effective: August 30, 2023

Name and position: William Sauve, Technology Teacher, three year probationary appointment, replacing: L. Krukowski

    • Location: High School
    • Salary: $76,360* (B16+M-40)
    • Certification: Professional certification, Technology Education
    • Effective: August 30, 2023

*To be finalized upon completion of the JDFA contract

Change in Status

Name, position, location, change and effective date:

    • Sophie Leo, Special Education Teacher, Middle School, additional class, every other day, March 27, 2023 through June 30, 2023, prorated salary $3,098.94
Extra Duty Assignment – Spring Coaching – 2022-2023 School Year

Name, assignment and stipend:

    • Joseph Bulone, JV/Varsity Asst. Softball Coach, volunteer
Resignations:

Name, position, location, and effective date:

    • Nicole Piontkowski, Second Language Teacher, Middle School, August 31, 2023

NONINSTRUCTIONAL

Appointments

Name, position, location, salary and effective date:

    • Heather Welling, Teacher Aide, High School, $14.20/hr., 52 week probationary appointment, March 28, 2023, replacing K. Baron 
Request for Retirement

Name, assignment, location, and effective date:

    • Richard Lewis, Custodian I, Custodial Department, March 26, 2023
Resignation

Name, assignment, location, and effective date:

    • John Crump, Custodian II, Custodial Department, April 10, 2023
    • David Haag, Custodian I, Custodial Department, May 26, 2023

Approve CPSE and CSE Recommendations

Mrs. James Murad moved and Dr. Archer seconded the motion to approve the CPSE and CSE recommendations. 

Mrs. McKenney asked for an explanation of what the Board is approving every time recommendations are brought forward.  Dr. Smith explained the process.

Motion carried. (9-0-0)

 Accept Internal Claims Auditor Report

Mr. Gross moved and Mr. Zoghby seconded the acceptance of the Internal Claims Auditor Report. 

Ms. McKenney asked why it appears there are warrants skipped/out of sequential numbering.  Mr. Furlong explained that the skipped warrant is a payroll warrant and is not brought to the Board.

Motion carried. (9-0-0)

Approve the Security Audit Services Contract 

Ms. McKenney moved and Mr. Zoghby seconded the approval of the contract for Security Audit Services to Armoured One.  Dr. Smith indicated that he is anticipating a report to be provided by late June or early July.

Motion carried. (9-0-0)

Adopt Resolution to Establish a Budget Hearing in Lieu of Annual Meeting

Mrs. Souser moved and Mr. Leach seconded the adoption of the following resolution:

RESOLUTION TO REPLACE ANNUAL MEETING WITH A BUDGET HEARING

            RESOLVED by the Board of Education of Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District, as follows:

            Section 1.        A public hearing on the budget in lieu of the annual school district meeting of said School District shall be held in person and via Zoom on Monday, May 8, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.

            Section 2.        The notice of said public hearing on the budget in lieu of the annual school district meeting shall be in the following form; to wit:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET IN
LIEU OF THE ANNUAL SCHOOL DISTRICT MEETING
JAMESVILLE-DEWITT CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

            The Board of Education of Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District hereby gives notice that a public hearing on the budget in lieu of the annual meeting of said School District will be held in person and via Zoom, on Monday, May 8, 2023 at 7:00 p.m., at which time the proposed budget for the School District for 2023-2024 will be presented for review and discussion in anticipation of the subsequent vote thereon by the qualified voters of said District to be held on May 16, 2023.

            Notice is hereby given that a copy of the statement of the amount of money which will be required for the ensuing year for school purposes, may be obtained by any taxpayer in the School District at each school house in the District in which school is maintained between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on each day other than a Saturday, Sunday or holiday during the fourteen days immediately preceding such public hearing.

            Section 3.        The School District Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to cause notice to be given of said public hearing on the budget in lieu of the annual school district meeting in the form hereinabove prescribed by publishing the same in “The Post Standard” and “The Eagle Newspapers,” said newspapers having a general circulation within the said School District, four times within the seven weeks preceding such hearing, the first publication to be at least forty-five days before such hearing.

            Section 4.        This resolution shall take effect immediately.

Motion carried (9-0-0)  

Identify Propositions for Annual Vote

Mrs. Souser moved and Ms. McKenney seconded the motion to identify the following propositions for the annual vote:

JAMESVILLE-DEWITT CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
2023-2024 BUDGET PROPOSITIONS 

2023-2024 Budget Proposition

Shall the Board of Education of the Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District be authorized to expend the sum as adopted by the Board of Education at their April 17, 2023 regular board meeting as a general fund appropriation for the 2023-2024 school year and to levy the necessary tax therefore?                    

Proposition No. 1- School Bus Proposition

Shall the Board of Education (the “Board”) of the Jamesville-DeWitt Central District (the “District”) be authorized to purchase three (3) school buses at a maximum estimated cost of $142,055 each; one (1) school bus at a maximum estimated cost of $167,367 and one (1) Chevy Suburban at a maximum estimate cost of $70,000, for a total combined maximum estimated expenditure of $663,532, and shall the Board be authorized to raise the specified sum for these purposes, or so much thereof as may be necessary, by levying a tax upon the taxable property of the District, to be collected in annual installments as provided in Section 416 of the Education Law; and in anticipation of such tax, to issue obligations of the District?

Proposition No. 2 – Establishing a New Capital Reserve Fund

Shall the Board of Education (the “Board”) of the Jamesville-DeWitt School District (the “District”) be authorized and directed to establish a new Capital Reserve Fund, in accordance with the provisions of Section 3651 of the New York Education Law, to be known as the “2023 Capital Reserve Fund”; to be funded in a maximum amount not to

exceed $4,000,000; with a term of 10 years; which shall be used to pay the cost of the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, improvement, rehabilitation, repair, furnishing or equipping of District buildings and facilities and related improvements, and the acquisition of original furnishings, equipment, machinery and apparatus required for the purposes for which such improvements are to be used, with the Capital Reserve Fund amount to be raised by appropriations from the District’s undesignated fund balance, in such amounts as determined annually by the Board?

Proposition No. 3 – Library

Shall the Board of Education of the Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District (“District”) levy and collect a tax in the amount of $1,575,857 Dollars for the support of the Community Library of Dewitt & Jamesville, pursuant to Section 259 of the Education Law?

Motion carried. (9-0-0)

Approve Minutes of the March 13, 2023 Board Meeting

Mr. Gross moved and Mrs. Souser seconded the motion to approve the minutes of the March 13, 2023 Board meeting.   

Motion carried. (7-0-2) Dr. Archer and Ms. McKenney abstained

Board Policies – Second Readings

The following policies were brought to the Board for a second reading with no changes or issues: 

    • 6130 – Evaluation of Personnel
    • 6550 – Leaves of Absence
    • 7512 – Student Physicals
    • 7670 – Due Process Complaints – Appointment of IHO
    • 8450 – Home Hospital or Institutional Instruction

Mrs. Souser moved and Mr. Gross seconded the motion to approve Board Policies 6130, 6550, 7512, 7670 and 8450. 

Motion carried. (9-0-0)

Board Handbook: Roles and Responsibilities

Mrs. DeForest will make amendments to the Roles and Responsibilities section and will bring them back to the next meeting for approval.

Potential Consideration for Future Meetings

Mrs. McKenney asked about how the company for the safety audit was chosen and Dr. Smith explained that a rubric was used to evaluate the proposals. 

Budget Discussion: Revenue

Mr. Furlong presented the Revenue portion of the budget including information on State Aid, Tax Levy, Other Revenue and Fund Balance.  The proposed budget for the 2023-2024 school year is $69,434,445 (See Supplemental Minutes)

Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Smith

Dr. Smith shared an overview of the recent ThoughtExchange which was used to gauge public opinion on how increased state aid should be used to support students.  He said the most highly rated themes were: addressing student social-emotional health, providing support for at risk students, reducing class sizes, providing resources to ELL students and students with disabilities, increasing graduation rates and eliminating the achievement gap, and safety and security.  Dr. Smith shared the ways many of these themes are being addressed in the current budget including moving elementary ELL students to their home schools, increasing curriculum and professional development funding, creating a process for determining class size and continued social-emotional health supports and safety related upgrades.

Dr. Smith shared upcoming events, as well as provided information on the OCM BOCES Annual meeting.

Committee Reports

Mrs. Archer reported for the Finance Committee and said the next important date is the Budget Hearing on May 8.

Board President’s Report, Mrs. DeForest

Mrs. DeForest shared information on petitions for Board membership and read the qualifications. She shared information on the Budget Hearing on May 8, where the budget will be presented with propositions and candidates for the board of education will be introduced.  Mrs. DeForest reminded the Board of the retreat scheduled for Wednesday night. She thanked Dr. Smith and the High School staff for working together to bring in representatives from four different student groups.  The groups that will speak are: Student Government, JEDI Council, Dialogue Circles and Building Leadership Team.  She reminded the Board to read the first section of their book study.  Mrs. DeForest explained that May 4th is the only option left for a Public Forum. She reviewed some of the topics that were suggested as well as the option to wait for a public forum until the security audit was completed.  The board agreed that the forum should occur after the security audit is complete.

Community Comment Time #2

There were no comments

Unfinished and Continuing Business

The following topics were suggested: class size and fiscal resource analysis and exit surveys.

At 10:11 p.m., Mr. Leach moved and Mr. Zoghby seconded the adjournment to Executive Session for the purpose of discussing current litigation.

At 11:08 p.m., Mrs. Souser moved and Mr. Gross seconded the motion to adjourn from Executive Session.

Motion carried.  (9-0-0).

At 11:09 p.m., Mr. Leach moved and Dr. Archer seconded the adjournment of the meeting.

Motion carried. (9-0-0).

Respectfully submitted,

William Furlong
Interim Clerk of the Board

BOARD APPROVED:   April 17, 2023