Watervliet City School District
Watervliet, New York
Board of Education
Organizational Meeting
Date: July 1, 2020
Type of Meeting: Organizational 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 Superintendent Caplan officiating.
Oath of Office
Superintendent Caplan administered the Oath of Office to Mr. Delisle and Mrs. Whited.
Public Comment
There were no public comments.
Election of Board Officers
Sheri Senecal nominated and the Board unanimously accepted the appointment of Amanda Cavanaugh as President of the Board of Education.
Amanda Cavanaugh nominated and the Board unanimously accepted the appointment of Sheri Senecal as Vice President of the Board of Education.
Old Business
There was no old business to be discussed.
Board, Staff and Student Reports
There were no reports provided.
Items Requiring Board Action
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Board of Education Minutes for the meetings held June 2, June 16 and June 22, 2020, submitted by Bernadette L. Boardman, Clerk of the Board, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Committee on Pre-School Special Education’s recommendations for the meeting held June 17, 2020, submitted by Janelle Yanni, CSE Chair, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Committee on Special Education’s recommendations for the meetings held May 27, May 28, June 4, June 8, June 9, June 10, June 11, June 15, June 16, and June 17, 2020, submitted by Janelle Yanni, CSE Chair, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following Treasurer’s Reports for the months of May 2020, submitted by Keith Heid, Business Manager, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Schedule of Warrants & Payrolls
- Revenue Status Report
- Cash & Investments
- Appropriation Status Report
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the contract for Health & Welfare Services at the rate of $856.39 for 66 students who reside within the Watervliet City School District and attend private and parochial schools in the Albany City School District beginning September 2019 through June 2020 for a total cost of $56,521.67, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the contract for Health & Welfare Services at the rate of $682.85 for 21 students who reside within the Watervliet City School District and attend private and parochial schools in the Troy City School District beginning September 2019 through June 2020 for a total cost of $14,339.85, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Memorandum of Agreement with the The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Capital Area, for the New York State Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program, effective July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the designation of Pupil Benefits Plan, Inc. as the Student Accident insurance carrier for the Watervliet City School District for the 2020 –2021 school year submitted by Keith Heid, Business Manager, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the designation of ONEGROUP Schenectady as the property & casualty insurance carrier for the Watervliet City School District for the 2020 – 2021 school year submitted by Keith Heid, Business Manager, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the designation of the following banks as Official Depository of Funds, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Bank of America
- JP Morgan Chase Bank
- Pioneer Savings Bank
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the establishment of mileage reimbursement for district employees authorized to travel in performing official school district business based upon the “IRS Standard Mileage Rates,” as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved a monthly stipend of $20.00 to be paid to David Capitula, Lead Bus Driver, for expenses associated with the use of his personal cellular phone for the purposes of conducting District transportation duties and responsibilities, effective July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the designation of The Troy Record as the official newspaper, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the establishment of the following Petty Cash Funds, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Business Office – $100
- Cafeteria WHS – $100
- Cafeteria WES – $100
- WHS Main Office – $40
- WES Main Office – $40
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following appointments, effective July 1, 2020, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Substitute District Treasurer, Part-Time – John Heid
- Assistant District Treasurer – Keith Heid
- Assistant Clerk of the Board – Keith Heid
- Financial Consultant – Capital Market Advisors, LLC
- Bond Counsel – Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP
- Independent Auditor, CPA – Teal, Becker and Chiaramonte
- Internal Claims Auditor – Roni O’Brien
- Attorney – Girvin & Ferlazzo, PC and Ferrara, Fiorenza, Barrett & Reitz
- Purchasing Agent – Dani Jones
- Pesticide Representative – David McFarland
- Asbestos LEA Designee – David McFarland
- FOIL Officer – Bernadette Boardman
- Residency Determination Officer – Dr. Lori S. Caplan
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following appointments, effective July 1, 2020, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Name: Bernadette L. Boardman
Position: Clerk of the Board
Stipend: $2,000 - Name : Keith Heid
Position: Tax Collector
Stipend: $1,500 - Name : Roni O’Brien
Position: Transportation Coordinator
Stipend: $1,500 - Name : Danielle Jones
Position: Activity Treasurer WES
Stipend: $750 - Name : Danielle Mele
Position: Activity Treasurer WHS
Stipend: $750
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the bonding of District employees, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- District Treasurer – $1,100,000
- Tax Collector – $1,100,000
- Internal Claims Auditor – $1,100,000
- Assistant District Treasurer – $100,000
- Central Treasurer – $100,000
- Other Staff – $100,000
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board authorized the signature on checks issued against all accounts of the school district to be that of the District Treasurer or, in his/her absence, the Assistant District Treasurer, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board authorized the District Treasurer or his/her designee to invest and/or deposit funds according to the District’s investment policy, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board authorize the Superintendent of Schools to:
- Sign all applications for Federal Grants and Programs;
- Transfer funds within the budget, up to $5,000, upon the recommendation of the Business Manager;
- Certify Payrolls;
- Sign all contracts pertaining to disabled students; and
- Approve attendance at educational meetings, conferences, graduate courses for administrative, instructional and support staff.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following Committee on Pre-School and Special Education (CPSE) appointments, as recommended by the Superintendent:
Committee on Pre-School Special Education (CPSE)
Janelle Yanni, Chairperson
Albany County Rep., as designated by the County
Student’s Regular Ed. Teacher
Student’s Special Ed. Teacher
Parents of Student
Related-Services Personnel If appropriate
Committee on Special Education (CSE)
Janelle Yanni, Chairperson
Veronica Bedard, School Psychologist (Watervliet High School)
Daniele Tetrault, School Psychologist (Watervliet Elementary School)
Kelly Bariteau, Guidance Counselor – Elementary School
Chelsea Clickner, Guidance Counselor – Jr. High School
Dave Olszewski, Guidance Counselor – High School
Katelyn McAvoy, Guidance Counselor – High School
Beth Lipson, Louisa Vaughan, Counselors
Student’s Regular Ed. Teacher
Student’s Special Ed. Teacher
Parents of Student
School Physician (If requested)
Related-Service Personnel (If appropriate)
Student (If appropriate)
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Veronica Bedard, Chairperson (Watervliet High School)
Daniele Tetrault, Chairperson (Watervliet Elementary School)
Student’s Regular Ed. Teacher
Guidance Counselor
Other persons having knowledge or special expertise regarding student
(ex: related-services personnel)
Student (If appropriate)
Parents of Student
Sub-Committee on Special Education*
Watervliet Elementary School
Daniele Tetrault, Chairperson
Kelly Bariteau, Guidance Counselor
Student’s Special Ed. Teacher
Student’s Regular Ed. Teacher
Other persons having knowledge or special expertise regarding student
(ex: related-services personnel)
Student (If appropriate)
Parents of Student
Sub-Committee on Special Education*
Watervliet High School
Veronica Bedard, School Psychologist
Student’s Special Ed. Teacher
One Regular Ed. Teacher
Other persons having knowledge or special expertise regarding student
(ex: related-services personnel)
Student (If appropriate)
*Sub-Committee may perform the functions of the Committee on Special Education except when a student is a:
- New referral
- Transfer
- Special Class
- BOCES Placement
- Private School Placement
Impartial Hearing Officers
To be selected from a rotational selection list. Pursuant to section 200.1(x) of the Regulations of the Commissioner, these individuals are certified by New York State. This list, provided by the New York State Education Department, is in alphabetical order and the officers are listed by county. An IHO must be selected from the school district’s list of IHO’s beginning with the first name appearing on the list. After an IHO has been selected by the district, the district continues down the list in alphabetical order upon request of any further impartial hearings.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of Jim Palmer as the surrogate parent for the 2020–2021 school year, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the modification of the Clerk Typist position in the Assistant Principal’s office to a 10-month position, to follow the WSSA contract for 10-month employees, effective July 1, 2020, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board awarded the status of tenure to Dennis Lane, in the area of Health, effective September, 2020, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved an additional three (3) work days during the summer for Kelly Bariteau, Watervliet Elementary School Guidance Counselor, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved an additional six (6) work days each during the summer for David Olszewski, Kate McAvoy and Chelsea Clickner, Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School Guidance Counselors, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following ExTRA Summer Academy 2020 appointments at a salary as per contract:
Teachers
- Michaeleen Backus, Kindergarten & Grade 1
- Adrienne Todd, Grade 2
- Samantha Walsh, Grade 3
- Jeanne Lance, Grade 4
- Joelle Bird, Grade 5
- Nikki LaBoissiere, Grade 6
- Lisa Suders, Grade 7
- Nick Yatrakis, Grades 7-8 Math
- Tami Karbowski, Grades 7-8 ELA
- Christa Farruggio, Grades 9-12 ELA
- Jessica Willson, Grades 9-12 Math
- Stephanie Sutton, Grades 9-12 Social Studies
- Ashleigh Fraley, Grades 9-12 Science
- Louisa Boehlert Vaughan, Social Worker
- David Olszewski, School Counselor
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following appointments for the 2020 Summer Lunch Program:
WES: Mary Schoonmaker, Paige Jensen, Patricia King, Tina DeFrain, Jennifer Delsignore, Tina Ploof
WHS: Maria Whited, Christine DeMento, Heather Swinney, Rebecca Sutherland, Katerina Derocher
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of the following staff to the positions outlined below for the 2020 – 2021 school year, at a rate as per contract, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Chemical Hygiene Officer: Ashleigh Fraley
- Computer Coordinator WES (0.5)/WHS (0.5): Allison Novotarski
- Computer Coordinator WHS (0.5): Ashleigh Fraley
- Computer Coordinator WES (0.5): Meaghan Castle
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of Dave McFarland to the position of Night Cleaner for the Watervliet City School District for a period beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021, at a salary of $12,470.00, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of John Szkopiec to the position of Night Cleaning Supervisor for the Watervliet City School District for a period beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021, at a salary of $12,470, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Heather Soroka and accepted 4-0 (Mary Beth Whited abstained), the Board approved the Employee Benefits Document for Cook Manager of the Watervliet City School District, effective July 1, 2020, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following paid holidays for Full-Time, 12-Month Administrators (WAA) and Full-Time, 12-Month Central Office Clerical Staff of the Watervliet City School District, effective July 1, 2020, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Independence Day (7/3)
- Labor Day (9/7)
- Columbus Day (10/12)
- Veterans Day (11/11)
- Wednesday before Thanksgiving (11/25)
- Thanksgiving (11/26)
- Friday after Thanksgiving (11/27)
- December (12/24, 12/25, 12/30, 12/31)
- New Year’s Day (1/1)
- Martin Luther King Day (1/18)
- President’s Day (2/15)
- February (2/19)
- Good Friday (4/2)
- April (4/5, 4/9)
- Memorial Day (5/31)
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved and adopted the 2020 – 2023 Watervliet City School District Board of Education Goals, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved and adopted the Professional Development Plan 2020 – 2023 for the Watervliet City School District, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved and adopted the Building Level Emergency Response Plan 2020 – 2021 for the Watervliet Elementary School, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved and adopted the Building Level Emergency Response Plan 2020 – 2021 for the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board tabled the adoption of the District-Level Safety Plan 2020 – 2021 for the Watervliet City School District.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited seconded by Heather Soroka and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted, with thanks the donation of various books, games and puzzles, as outlined in the attached, from Dana Kowalchyk’s donorschoose.org fundraiser, to be given to ENL students to support learning at home, as recommended by the Superintendent
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Heather Soroka and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted, with thanks the grant award gift certificate in the amount of $450.00 from First Book Marketplace and Pizza Hut, to the Watervliet City School District, to be used to purchase items books and resources from First Book Marketplace, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the Internal Claims Auditor Report for the month of June 2020, submitted by Michaeleen Backus, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Sheri Senecal, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board set the following dates as Regular Board of Education Meetings for 2020 – 2021 (all meetings will be held in the Administrative Conference Room at the Watervliet Junior-Senior High School at 6:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted, or modified by executive order):
- August 13 (virtual meeting/will be livestreamed)
- September 10
- October 8
- November 12
- December 10
- January 14
- February 11
- March 11
- April 21 (BOCES Budget Vote – 7:30 a.m.)
- April 22 (Budget Adoption)
- May 11 (Regular Board of Education Meeting/Budget Hearing)
- May 18 School District Budget Vote & Election (Board meets to receive and accept results – 8:30 p.m.)
- June 10
Board Discussion
Mrs. Senecal shared the following:
I appreciate the support tonight. It was a pleasure to serve as President and I look forward to working with Amanda in her new role. Thank you to Heather for her time in her role as Vice President. I am looking forward to working with our new board and things to come.
Amanda Cavanaugh shared the following:
Thank you to the Board for supporting me and electing me to serve as board president. Congratulations to Mary Beth Whited and Tim Delisle. I look forward to working together as a board this year.
New Business
There was no new business discussed.
Superintendent’s Report/Administrator’s Comments
Mr. Stevens shared the following:
Protocols for training for all employees are being established, including a self-screening app that must be completed prior to entry. The app will be rolled out to employees on Monday.
A plan for re-opening schools is still in the works.
Dr. Caplan noted the following:
The district is using a shared service via BOCES for Safety Risk Management.
Thank you to Mr. Stevens for holding down the fort while I was away.
Extended School Year (ESY) will be virtual this summer.
We are working on guidelines for re-opening. It is evolving and uncertain. Once we have a better grip on expectations, we will release information.
There is a video on Twitter that includes all 24 component district superintendents.
Our moving up ceremony was as good as it could get. It was very bittersweet.
We are continuing to feed students throughout the summer. There will be five sites for anyone under the age of 18.
The senior dinner went very well. Thank you to Tim Delisle, Mary Beth Whited, Amanda Cavanaugh, and everyone else who helped.
A brief review of the Board of Education goals.
Bill Sheehy asked if the Civic Center’s summer program could be run in our facilities. We could not allow it.
Education will look very different next year.
Congratulations to Tim Delisle.
Thank you to Heather Soroka.
Congratulations to Sheri Senecal and Amanda Cavanaugh.
Amanda Cavanaugh added the following:
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on graduation. I heard great things from people about it.
Thank you to Tim Delisle and the Black Bear for the senior dinner.
Thank you to Meg Fronczek.
The Dome is open 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. every Thursday for food for those in need.
There is lots of cleanup going on in the city for anyone who wants to volunteer. It is part of the “Keep Vliet Neat” campaign.
Mr. Stevens added that Stan the Produce Man will be at WES on Wednesdays.
Mary Beth Whited offered congratulations to Mr. Groat and the seniors on their speeches.
Mr. Stevens noted that WVLT’s You Tube channel has a link to the graduation ceremony.
Adjournment
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Timothy Delisle, and unanimously accepted, the Board adjourned the meeting at 6:31 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bernadette L. Boardman
Clerk of the Board