Watervliet City School District
Watervliet, New York
Board of Education
Regular Meeting
Date: February 13, 2024
Type of Meeting: Regular Meeting
Meeting Opened: 6 p.m.
Where: Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School
Board Members Present:
President Sheri Senecal
Vice President Mary Beth Whited
Heather Soroka
Brian White
Victoria Donnelly
Superintendent: Dr. Donald Stevens Jr.
The meeting opened at 6:00 p.m., with Vice President Whited officiating.
Executive Session
On a motion by Heather Soroka, seconded by Brian White and unanimously accepted, the Board entered into Executive Session at 6:01 p.m. to discuss matters related to the employment history of a particular person.
Reconvene
On a motion by Victoria Donnelly, seconded by Heather Soroka and unanimously accepted, the Board adjourned Executive Session and reconvened the meeting at 6:21 p.m.
Public Comment
Angela Wareing, 1247 7th Avenue, Watervliet, NY – started to comment on a particular personnel matter, but was advised that her comments were in violation of policy number 1510, which prohibits public discussion of specific individuals.
Presentations/Reports/Comments
- State Budget Overview Assembly Member John McDonald
- Yondr Video Communications Team
- Family Opportunity Center Grant Update Danielle McKee
- 2023 – 2024 ESSA Accountability Status Dr. Donald Stevens Jr. and Kelly Webster
A. Superintendent’s Report
Dr. Stevens shared the following:
- Thank you to Assembly Member John McDonald . We are in a good spot with the state budget. We hope it improves for neighboring districts as well.
- Shared a copy of the Comptroller’s fiscal and environmental stress report, noting that we have no designation for fiscal stress and a susceptible designation for environmental stress. When it comes to economically disadvantaged and English language learning students, we don’t have a lot of control, as they are community factors.
- Shared a Snapshot of Services that we receive through the Capital Region BOCES.
- Congratulated Mrs. Conley on receiving tenure this evening.
- International Night is scheduled for March 7 at 5 –7 p.m. in the WJSHS cafeteria.
- March 8, 9 and 10, we will have the production of Mean Girls, Jr. Students are working hard on it.
- Our first Budget Workshop will be March 6 at 6:30 p.m. the PTA Meeting; the second will be March 12 during our Board meeting; and the third will be March 26 at 6:00 p.m. in the WJSHS conference room. Our budget will be presented at the April Board meeting.
- Wished everyone a happy February break next week.
C. Committee Reports
Audit Committee
There was no report.
Policy Committee
Second Reading of Revised Policy:
- Use of Service Animals
First Reading of New Policy:
- Workplace Violence Prevention Statement
First Reading of Revised Policies:
- Entitlement to Attend – Age and Residency
- Transition Services
- Identification and Register of Children with Disabilities (Child Find)
- Children with Disabilities
- Timeout and Physical Restraint
Board of Education Discussion
Mrs. Senecal noted that she heard that the Wellness Fair went well and it was well-attended.
Items Requiring Board Action
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the agreement between the Watervliet City School District and the Watervliet Administrators’ Association and authorize the Superintendent to take all necessary action to carry out the terms of the settlement.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the resignation of David Wareing from the position of Assistant Principal, at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, effective June 30, 2024, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the resignation of Jeremy Boyd from the position of Hall Monitor, at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, effective January 22, 2024, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the resignation of Kevin Reiss from the position of Building Substitute, at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, effective January 19, 2024, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the emergency probationary appointment of York Bush to the position of Chemistry Teacher, in the tenure area of Chemistry, at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, beginning January 22, 2024, at a Step 1 salary, plus master’s degree and credit hours, as per contract. The probationary period shall expire on January 22, 2028, contingent upon achievement of effective or highly effective APPR ratings necessary to receive tenure throughout his/her probationary period, consistent with the requirements of Education Law Sections 2509, 3012-c, and/or 3012-d.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the emergency probationary appointment of Rosemary Rodriguez-Sharpe to the position of Home School Coordinator (aka Outreach Coordinator), for the Watervliet City School District, beginning January 29, 2024, at a pro-rated salary of $36,000.00 (ExTRA Grant), as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the emergency probationary appointment of Sean McGovern to the position of Teaching Assistant, in the tenure area of Teaching Assistant, at the Watervliet Elementary School, beginning January 29, 2024, at a Step 2 salary, plus Associate or Bachelor degree stipends, as per contract. The probationary period shall expire on January 29, 2028, contingent upon positive evaluations from his/her direct supervisor throughout his/her probationary period, consistent with the requirements of Education Law Sections 2509, 3012-c, and/or 3012-d. Sean McGovern holds a Students with Disabilities certification (certificate #1778114241).
On a motion by Heather Soroka, seconded by Brian White and accepted 4-0 (Mary Beth Whited abstained), the Board approved the appointment of Aaron Treacy to the position of Hall Monitor, at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, for a one-year probationary period beginning February 26, 2024, at a Step 5 Teacher Aide salary, per contract, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of Ann Hegney to the position of Long-Term Substitute School Counselor at the Watervliet Elementary School, effective April 8, 2024, at a Step 1 pro-rated rate per contract, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of Alexa Giardino to the position of Homeless Youth Counselor for the Watervliet City School District, effective February 14, 2024, for two hours per week, at a rate of $36.42 per hour, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of the following staff as Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School Advisors for the 2023 – 2024 school year, at a rate as per contract, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- ExTRA Drama Club Substitute: Allison Fried
- Extra Cooking Club: Heather Swinney and Rosie Sharpe (split stipend at a pro-rated rate of $1080, effective January 31, 2024)
- Afterschool AIS: Lauryn Lloyd and Daniel Ciaramella
- Class of 2027 Advisor: Andrea Morris
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of the following Coaches for the 2023– 2024 school year, pending fingerprint clearance and fulfillment of NYSED coaching requirements, at a rate as per contract, unless outlined below, as recommended by the Superintendent:
WATERVLIET JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
- Varsity Assistant Wrestling: Dennis Lane
Coaching Spring:
- E-Sports: Matthew Kellish
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board awarded the status of tenure to Kristin Conley, in the area of English Language Arts, effective February 26, 2024, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Substitute Registry submitted by BOCES, as recommended by the Superintendent (packet #9).
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the Internal Claims Auditor Report for the month of January 2024, submitted by Michaeleen Backus, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following Treasurer’s Reports for the month of December 2023, 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 Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following payment requests, submitted by Keith Heid, Business Manager, as recommended by the Superintendent:
WATERVLIET 2022 ARPA CAPITAL PROJECT – ADDITIONS & ALTERATIONS
- CSArch (A/E)
Invoice #6449
$ 1,411.03 - DLC Electric
Payment App. #10
$93,603.50
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the request to close out the following defunct extracurricular accounts at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School and transfer funds, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Ski Club
- Class of 2023
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Data Privacy Agreement with Common Sense, Inc., as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Agreement with the Capital Region Planning Commission, for a three-year school enrollment projection study, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board waived a second reading and adopted the following policy, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Workplace Violence Prevention Statement
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board adopted the following policy, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Service Animals
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Board of Education Minutes for the meeting held January 9, 2024, submitted by Bernadette L. Boardman, Clerk of the Board, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Committee on Special Education’s recommendations for the meetings held January 4, January 5, January 8, January 10, January 18, January 19, January 25, January 26, and January 31, 2024, submitted by Veronica Wilson and Daniele Tetrault, CSE Chairs, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Committee on Pre-School Special Education’s recommendations for the meetings held November 15, 2023 and January 17, 2024 submitted by Molly McGrath, CPSE Chair, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Sheri Senecal and accepted 4-0 (Brian White abstained), the Board approved the following Student Teacher/Observer/Intern requests at the Watervliet Elementary School, as outlined below, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Name: Kevin Walsh
Role: Student Observer
Cooperating Teacher(s): Samantha Walsh
Dates: Spring 2024 - Name: Hannah Brown
Role: Student Observer
Cooperating Teacher(s): Ena Minnick
Dates: Spring 2024 - Name: Alexia Cusack
Role: Student Intern
Cooperating Teacher(s): Allison Santiago
Dates: Spring 2024 - Name: Rianna Ferrara
Role: Student Teacher
Cooperating Teacher(s): Sharon Foglia
Dates: Spring 2024 - Name: Alyssa Makar
Role: Student Observer
Cooperating Teacher(s): Tina Shufelt
Dates: Spring 2024 - Name: Joshua White
Role: Student Observer
Cooperating Teacher(s): Courtney Ricci
Dates: Spring 2024 - Name: Grace Wayland-Smith
Role: Student Teacher
Cooperating Teacher(s): Rachel Manning & Joelle Bird
Dates: Spring 2024 - Name: Whitney Thomas
Role: Student Teacher
Cooperating Teacher(s): Samantha Walsh
Dates: Spring 2024
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the home schooling request of the parents/guardians of the following students, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Student ID 900014824 – grade 7
- Student ID 900011882 – grade 7
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Victoria Donnelly and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the 2024 – 2025 School District Calendar, as recommended by the Superintendent.
Board of Education Discussion
Mrs. Senecal shared the following:
- Congratulations to all of our sports teams, coaching staff and athletic coordinator. They had a lot of success and it was great to see so many supporters in the stands.
- Wished all students and staff a wonderful break.
- The PTA and Environmental Club are looking for clear empty gallon milk jugs with lids. If you have any, please bring them in.
- The next Board meeting is on March 12.
Adjournment
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Heather Soroka and unanimously accepted, the Board adjourned the meeting at 7:13 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bernadette L. Boardman
Clerk of the Board