In the first Scotia-Glenville Board of Education meeting of the 2008-2009 school, the board discussed building updates, as well as how the first day of school went for students and administrators. Superintendent Susan Swartz opened Monday, Sept. 8, meeting by noting the students were smiling and seemed ready to get back to work.
We were very pleased with the staff as well as the returning students. We only had one snag, with one kindergarten student ending up at the wrong school, which we quickly got to the right one, with everything back on target. The students seemed happy to be back. All in all it was a good safe opening, said Swartz.
Director of Curriculum Joe Kavanaugh said he visited each building on the first day with Swartz and was also pleased, especially with the custodial staff that had the buildings clean and ready to go. Kavanaugh also praised the technical staff, whom he said worked long summer hours to ensure everything was up and running for the first day.
`We had a lot of new software to install, and the tech people worked tirelessly to ensure it was ready,` said Kavanaugh.
The board also looked at when they will first be putting something tangible into the hands of voters regarding the building project to be voted on in December. The goal of the project is to install artificial turf, expand the high school library, install new roofs on the schools, improve the technology in the classrooms and enclose the middle school library. The district expects to receive about $925,000 in state EXCEL grant funding, which combined with state building aid, will allow about $4.2 million of the project to have no local cost.
District resident Jerry Moore questioned the need for the turf, asking the board why students need to play on `state of the art grounds` when academic improvements are still needed.
`You haven’t even done a cost effectiveness analysis. Show me a report, some research. We are facing foreclosures, rising gas prices, skyrocketing costs everywhere, and you want residents to fork out more so that our students can have posh surfaces. Show me the economic analysis,` said Moore.
Swartz said the board will meet with fiscal advisors Friday, Sept. 19, to break down costs in terms of state aid and EXCEL funding. She said she also believes it is important to have information about the building proposal available at school functions such as open houses and back-to-school events, where people can approach the board with questions. The district will hold formal informational sessions, but some board members believe having an informal format is also important.
`Some people may be more comfortable asking questions one-on-one, such as at an event like open house,` said board member Gary Normington.
Swartz and Communications Director Bob Hanlon have put together a flier that has general information on what the building project will entail. While the board does not yet have specifics on the finances involved or finalized drawings, parents can look for the flier to be in students’ backpacks as early as next week.
The board meets again at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 22, at the middle school.“
