Watervliet City School District
Watervliet, New York
Board of Education
Date: August 13, 2020
Type of Meeting: Regular Meeting
Meeting Opened: 6:05 PM
Where: Livestream
Board Members Present:
President Amanda Cavanaugh
Vice President Sheri Senecal
Heather Soroka
Mary Beth Whited
Timothy Delisle
Superintendent: Dr. Lori S. Caplan
The meeting was opened at 6:05 p.m., with President Cavanaugh officiating.
Public Comment
There were no public comments.
Reports/Comments
Superintendent’s Report
Dr. Caplan deferred to Mr. Stevens, who shared the following:
The calendar has been revised, moving a March Superintendent’s Conference Day to September 8, to allow for professional development prior to the start of school.
The UPK–Grade 6 and Grades 6–12 community forums both had a great turnout.
A Q&A is being developed as a companion to the re-opening plan.
Dr. Caplan shared the following:
Students will be allowed to bring disposable bottles of water to school. Reusable bottles of water are not allowed, as no personal items from home are allowed in the school.
Amanda Cavanaugh asked about temperature checks and if Dr. Caplan could explain the rationale.
Dr. Caplan noted that temperature checks will not be done by the district because they would have walked and/or taken the bus up to the school and been in the community prior to them arriving for the temperature check. In addition, it is an added responsibility, it is a liability, and places an undue burden on the teachers. She added that we are educators, not in the medical field.
Mary Beth Whited asked how the bus drivers will assure that students did their attestation prior to boarding the bus.
Dr. Caplan responded that we need to trust parents and have faith that they did it. Parents will be called if they fail to complete it. Consistent failure will result in the child being moved to remote learning. Ideally, kids can show it on their phones.
Sheri Senecal added that it’s a fair way to handle it.
Dr. Caplan added that the DOH states that temperatures have to be taken, it doesn’t state that the district has to do it. In addition, there is no way to get all students here, allow for social distancing, AND take all temperatures.
Mr. Stevens added the following:
6th grade is moving to the WJSHS. Because they are elementary-age children, transportation will be provided for students. All 6th, 7th and 8th graders will be receiving letters with bus stop locations and times.
We met with the Civic Center today. We were asked last night about aftercare for 6th grade students. Transportation to WES will be provided for those 6th graders enrolled in the aftercare program at WES.
Dr. Caplan added that the aftercare program will only allow for 60 students this year, which cuts their numbers way down. There is not enough space to allow for more students to attend due to the staggered times, which does not allow enough time to clean and sanitize spaces.
Amanda Cavanaugh asked if they will be doing before and after care.
Mr. Stevens responded that they will be doing before and after care in the cafeteria only. The space will be sanitized after the before care program uses it so that it can be used for faculty lunch and planning, which would allow for social distancing, and will be sanitized again prior to the start of the after care program.
Dr. Caplan added that no parents are allowed in the buildings. Parents will have to wait outside for their children during pickup.
Mary Beth Whited asked if Kindergarten and UPK students will be kept separate in the before and after school program.
Mr. Stevens noted that Kindergarten students can be grouped with the 1st through 6th grade students, but UPK is up in the air right now, not only due to questionable funding, but because there isn’t a space to offer them.
Dr. Caplan added that the UPK program grant provides $500,000.00 and if the funding does not come through, it is not something the district could pay for. If we do not hear soon, a lot of districts may fold their UPK programs.
Amanda Cavanaugh thanked everyone for their hard work on the opening plan.
Dr. Caplan thanked the Board members who answered questions on the forum and for their support through everything we’ve been through.
Mr. Stevens echoed Dr. Caplan’s sentiments.
Heather Soroka noted that she and Mrs. Cavanaugh were on the committee and thanked everyone for working tirelessly on the reopening plan. She also noted that she is happy with the information that has been shared and it is nice to see that there is total transparency here.
Dr. Caplan stated that she and Mr. Stevens are just figureheads and it has been a team effort. She added that many of the schools that were put on the Governor’s list of districts who had not submitted a plan had, in fact, submitted their plans and had proof of their submissions.
Mr. Stevens encouraged those who have not completed and submitted their teaching and learning waiver to do so. This will help with planning. It is due by next Wednesday and if it is not received, we will be making phone calls. Another reminder will be going out as well.
Dr. Caplan noted that there is one more forum, at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow and then there will be a faculty meeting at noon. She also noted that she has met with Carol Ratigan from BOCES, as she has helped us address some employee medical concerns. She added that she is grateful for the BOCES service.
Mrs. Senecal noted that she was on the forum and thought it was very helpful. She thanked Dr. Caplan for including the Board of Education. She thanked her for allowing water bottles and stated that it seems like there will be a virtual band, which she is very supportive of.
Dr. Caplan shared the following:
A huge thank you to the task force committee.
The maintenance staff are working hard behind the scenes. Thank you to them as well as the food service and transportation staff.
She also thanked Darryl Whited for feeding North Colonie students due to COVID and a fire in their building.
Congratulations to Heather on her nomination to Vice President on the BOCES Board. She stated that she is proud to have her on that board.
Dr. Caplan noted that Nancy and Kevin, from the BOCES Board, for their great job facilitating the Board of Education retreat.
Thank you and congratulations to Don Hogan on his retirement.
Student Council Report
There was no Student Council Report.
Committee Reports
Audit Committee
There was no Audit Committee Report.
Policy Committee
There was no Policy Committee Report.
Board of Education Discussion
There was no Board of Education discussion.
Items Requiring Board Action
Personnel Items
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the resignation of Doris Razzano, from the position of Cafeteria Worker, for the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, effective June 30, 2020, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the resignation of Misty Meacham, from the position of Food Service Worker, at the Watervliet Elementary School, effective June 30, 2020, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the resignation of Donald Hogan, from the position of Teaching Assistant, at the Watervliet Elementary School, effective July 31, 2020, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board rescinded the appointment of Jim Palmer as the Surrogate Parent for the 2020 – 2021 school year, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of Scott O’Brien as the Surrogate Parent for the 2020 – 2021 school year, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following appointments for the 2020 Summer Lunch Program:
- WES: Kathleen Smith
- WHS: Sharon Woodsinger
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of the following staff to the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School Department Chairs for the 2020 – 2021 school year, at a rate as per contract, as recommended by the Superintendent:
Department Chairs:
- Business Dept. Chair: Megan Matuszek
- English Dept. Chair: Tami Karbowski
- Fine Arts Dept. Chair: Terry Bradway
- Foreign Language: Meghan Fronczek
- Guidance Dept. Chair: David Olszewski
- Mathematics Dept. Chair: Camelia Sofrone
- Physical Education Dept. Chair: Peter Strand
- Science/Technology Dept. Chair: Walter Bowden
- Social Studies Dept. Chair: Scott Emerson
- Special Education Dept. Chair: Veronica Bedard
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board designated Anil Mulchandani, Pioneer Savings Bank – Watervliet Branch, as the Deputy Tax Collector, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Substitute Registry submitted by BOCES, as recommended by the Superintendent (packet #1).
Business Items
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the “Cooperative Bidding Cafeteria Commodities for Use in the Regional Food Service Management Program” resolution for the 2020-21 school year, submitted by Keith Heid, Business Manager, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Final 2019-2020 AS-7 Contract with Capital Region BOCES, submitted by Keith Heid, Business Manager, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Preliminary 2020-2021 AS-7 Contract with Capital Region BOCES, submitted by Keith Heid, Business Manager, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Tax Collection Agreement between the Watervliet City School District and Pioneer Savings Bank for the collection of 2020-21 school taxes, submitted by Keith Heid, Business Manager, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Instruction Contract, 2020 – 2021 School Year between the Watervliet City School District and the Menands Union Free School District, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Vacation Buy-Back Agreement between the Watervliet City School District and John Szkopiec, David McFarland and David Capitula, submitted by Keith Heid, Business Manager, as recommended by the Superintendent.
Other Items
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Board of Education Minutes for the meeting held July 1, 2020, submitted by Bernadette L. Boardman, Clerk of the Board, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Committee on Pre-School Special Education’s recommendations for the meetings held July 2, 2020 and July 15, 2020, submitted by Janelle Yanni, CPSE Chair, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited seconded by Sheri Senecal and unanimously accepted, the Board recognized and thanked, Peter and Liz Sutherland for donating two book bags full of supplies, to be provided to WES students in need, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal seconded by Timothy Delisle and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted, with thanks, a check from the BelleJar Foundation in the amount of $44,238.00, to fund the Pivot Program, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board recognized and thanked, Amanda Cavanaugh for procuring a donation of 500 Face Masks from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, to the Watervliet City School District, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal seconded by Timothy Delisle and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted, with thanks, the donation of a Game Buzzer System to the MasterMinds Team from former Teacher and MasterMinds Coach, Victoria Eddy-Helenek, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Sheri Senecal and unanimously accepted, the Board recognized and thanked, Meghan Dwyer and Kelsey Logan for their contributions to the regional Summer Adventure website, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Revised 2020 – 2021 School District Calendar, as outlined in the attached, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board took the matter from the table the District-Level Safety Plan 2020 – 2021 for the Watervliet City School District, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board adopted the District-Level Safety Plan 2020 – 2021 for the Watervliet City School District, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following resolution:
WHEREAS, on March 16, 2020, the New York State Governor declared, under Executive Order 202.4, all schools within New York State to be closed to students no later than March 18, 2020 for a period of two weeks, ending on April 1, 2020; and
WHEREAS, various subsequent executive orders were issued by the New York State Governor resulting in the closure of schools to students for the remainder of the 2019 – 2020 school year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, on or about July 13, 2020, the New York State Department of Health issued interim guidance for in-person instruction at Pre-K to Grade 12 schools during the COVID-19 public health emergency for the 2020-2021 school year; and
WHEREAS, on or about July 16, 2020, the New York State Education Department released reopening guidance for schools for the 2020-2021 school year.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Board of Education resolves as follows:
In an effort to comply with reopening requirements, the Board hereby temporarily suspends any Board policy or administrative regulation/procedure that conflicts with any current or future federal, state or county law, regulation, executive order, or guidance released for the purpose of reopening of schools during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Superintendent of Schools is authorized to follow the federal, state, or county laws, regulations, executive orders or guidance and to take such action as reasonable necessary and proper or the purpose of reopening schools.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the excision of old/broken LED projectors, as outlined in the attached, submitted by Kirsten DeMento, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following Student Teacher/Preceptor requests at the Watervliet Elementary School, as outlined below, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Name(s): Grace Folmsbee
Role: Student Teacher
Cooperating Teacher(s): Jennifer Williams
Dates: 2020 Fall Semester - Name(s): Autumn Davidson
Role: Student Teacher
Cooperating Teacher(s): Jeanne Lance
Dates: 2020 Fall Semester - Name(s): Emily Kaarstad
Role: Student Teacher
Cooperating Teacher(s): Ena Minnick
Dates: 2020 Fall Semester - Name(s): Kathleen Collins
Role: Preceptor
Cooperating Teacher(s): Sue Vogel
Dates: 2020 Fall Semester
Board Discussion
Amanda Cavanaugh shared the following:
- Thank you to Darryl Whited, not only for pizza last night, but for stepping up to help other districts as well.
- A group of students are doing a lemonade stand today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., on Third Avenue. It’s a group of young students and it would mean a lot to them if you stopped by for a glass of lemonade.
Meg Fronczek and I are doing an art supply drive. A former student made a list on Amazon, so it’s super easy to donate. Anyone who donates will be placed into a drawing for a Black Bear gift card.
Dr. Caplan thanked Mrs. Cavanaugh and Mrs. Fronczek for organizing the art supply drive.
Timothy Delisle offered to match the gift card with an additional card for the drawing.
Sheri Senecal thanked Amanda Cavanaugh for running an efficient meeting this evening.
Adjournment
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Sheri Senecal, and unanimously accepted, the Board adjourned the meeting at 6:37 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bernadette L. Boardman
Clerk of the Board