Welcome to Board Briefs, in which we summarize key agenda items from prior Board of Education meetings and address topics that were brought to the Board’s attention. Full meeting minutes are typically not available until reviewed and approved by the Board at a subsequent meeting, but we hope that this summary of key items from the previous meeting will ‘keep you in touch’ with the notable actions of the Board. As always, our community is encouraged to attend our meetings. We welcome your questions and comments.
March 12, 2015 Board of Education Meeting (Rescheduled from March 5, 2015 due to snow)
Recognitions
The Board of Education recognized Mr. Harold Zabitz, a former Croton teacher who passed away last month. Mr. Zabitz was an art teacher in the school district for 42 years. His two daughters were present at the meeting as the Board honored their father.
The Board also recognized its Vice President, Neal Haber, with a Board Achievement award from the New York State School Boards Asssociation’s School Board U for his tireless efforts on behalf of the school community.
Resolution to Reform Governor Cuomo’s 2015 Opportunity Agenda for Education
The Board of Education approved a resolution to reform Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2015 Opportunity Agenda for Education. Ivelaw Carrington and Jennifer Moore, officers of the Croton Teachers Association, provided their input to the Board and demonstrated a united front as the school board passed this resolution.
In summary, the resolution states that while the district agrees with Governor Cuomo in that "access to education, from pre-kindergarten through college, can pave the way to economic and social opportunities - to better jobs and more successful lives," many of the proposals in his Opportunity Agenda are untenable and will have significant negative consequences. The resolution then lists examples of these consequences.
This resolution passed unanimously. It will be available in full on the district’s website.
Resolution for Release of 2015-2016 State Aid Runs
The Board of Education also adopted a resolution calling on Governor Cuomo to immediately release a 2015-2016 State aid proposal and corresponding school aid runs, allocating approximately $1.1 billion in additional school aid for districts, as cited in his recent State of the State Address.
In summary, on behalf of the students and taxpayers of the Croton Harmon School District, the Board of Education wants the Governor to cease his blatant use of educational funding as fodder for his legislative goals. There is no precedent for his holding the state aid runs "hostage."
This resolution also passed unanimously and will be available in full on the district’s website.
Annual Budget Vote and Trustee Election – Important Dates
The Board of Education will host its Budget Hearing at Croton Harmon High School on Thursday, May 7, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.
The annual budget vote and trustee election will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Croton Harmon High School.
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