Watervliet City School District
Watervliet, New York
Board of Education
Regular Meeting
Date: March 11, 2021
Type of Meeting: Regular Meeting
Meeting Opened: 6:03 PM
Where: Livestream
Board Members Present:
President Amanda Cavanaugh
Heather Soroka
Mary Beth Whited
Timothy Delisle
Board Members Absent: Vice President, Sheri Senecal
Superintendent: Dr. Lori S. Caplan
The meeting was opened at 6:03 p.m., with President Cavanaugh officiating.
Public Comment
There were no public comments.
Reports/Comments
A. Superintendent’s Report
Dr. Caplan shared the following;
- Tonight is senior night for the girls’ basketball team. Each senior can bring two spectators with them.
- Boys are away at Cohoes, as well as the wrestlers.
- Football practice has started.
- There are not enough boys or girls for soccer, so both of those teams will fold for this year.
Mr. Stevens shared the following:
- On the 26th, the district worked with Whitney Young to host a vaccination clinic for staff members. On the 27th, one was held for the community. Thank you to Amanda Duff for her guidance and support. .
- New Executive Orders came out. If you are fully vaccinated, for a duration of 90 days, there is the ability not to have to quarantine if you are exposed. You also do not need to quarantine for travel.
- As numbers have begun to decrease, the County Department of Health has become more active in contact tracing. This will avoid the need to quarantine large groups of people, such as a whole class or bus, out of precaution. The Albany County Department of Health has been a great asset, as we navigate these waters.
- We are looking ahead to plans for next year. No guidance will come out until late June or July.
Mr. Wareing shared the following:
- We are in the last three days of winter season. We are one of the very few schools in the area that have made it through without any quarantines, issues or exposures.
- We had our senior night for wrestling last Friday.
- Senior night for girls’ basketball is tonight.
- Senior night for boys’ basketball is Saturday.
- We are crossing our fingers that we can get through Saturday so the boys will have the same event that the wrestlers and girls’ basketball players had.
- Our Fall II season has begun. There was a week overlap. It has been a little hectic. There are not enough numbers to maintain boys’ and girls’ soccer. They will be put on hold until the fall. Volleyball and Football are up and running.
- The entire focus has been on maintaining a healthy environment and keeping everything clean and the kids safe in the best way we can.
Dr. Caplan gave Mr. Wareing kudos for jumping in with both feet, stating that we did not have a lot of notice that we could play high-risk sports. He has been working long hours to get athletics going. She thanked the coaches, as well, for abiding by the guidelines. She asked if she could turn it over to Mrs. Cavanaugh and then be able to say a few words at the end.
Amanda Cavanaugh thanked Mr. Wareing, as well, for all the hard work he and the coaches are doing.
B. Student Council Report
There was no student council report.
C. Committee Reports
i. Audit Committee
There was no Audit Committee report.
ii. Policy Committee
Mrs. Soroka noted that the committee met last week and an e-mail summary was sent to the Board. They are scheduled to meet again at the end of the month
Second Reading of New Policies:
Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment in the District
Procurement: Uniform Grant Guidance for Federal Awards
Second Reading of Revised Policies:
Administration of the Budget
School Safety Plans
Registration and Professional Development
Employment of Retired Persons
iii. SAVE Committee
There was no SAVE Committee report.
Board of Education Discussion
There was no Board of Education Discussion.
Items Requiring Board Action
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the resignation of Betty Lyon, from the position of Cafeteria Worker at the Watervliet Elementary School, effective February 21, 2021, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the resignation of Brielle Majewski, from the position of Long-Term Substitute Encore Wellness Teacher at the Watervliet Elementary School, effective February 22, 2021, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the retirement request of Mary Grace Hoffman, from the position of Teaching Assistant at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, effective February 26, 2021, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the retirement request of Jeffrey Roberts, from the position of Music Teacher at the Watervliet Elementary School, effective June 30, 2021, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the retirement request of Theresa Bradway, from the position of Music Teacher at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, effective June 30, 2021, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the leave request for Jessica Desmond, effective September 1, 2021 through the 2021 – 2022 School Year, to return to work at the start of the 2022–2023 school year, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of the following Coaches for the 2020–2021 school year, pending fingerprint clearance and fulfillment of NYSED coaching requirements, at a pro-rated rate for a shortened season, as recommended by the Superintendent:
WATERVLIET JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Varsity Girls’ Soccer: Dan Carpenter
Varsity Boys’ Soccer: Paul Travers
Varsity Girls’ Volleyball: Daniel Short and Michelle Deguire
Cheerleading: Danielle Mele and Chelsie Clickner
Volunteer Cheerleading: Hannah O’Neill
Varsity Boys’ Basketball: Orlando DiBacco
Volunteer Varsity Boys’ Basketball: Matt Plew
Varsity Girls’ Basketball: Kelsey Logan
Varsity Wrestling: Dennis Lane
Volunteer Varsity Wrestling: Dan Pomerer
Assistant Varsity Wrestling: Dan Gibson
Varsity Football: Pete Porcelli
Varsity Assistant Football: Carmine Casale III
Varsity Assistant Football: Nick Baker
Volunteer Track: Angela Wareing
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the emergency probationary appointment of David Fortuin to the position of Lunch Monitor, at the Watervliet Elementary School, for a probationary period beginning February 22, 2021 and ending February 22, 2022, at an hourly rate of $12.50, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the emergency appointment of Christine Hunter to the position of Long-Term Substitute Encore Wellness Teacher, at the Watervliet Elementary School, effective March 3, 2021, at a rate of $125.00 per diem, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the emergency probationary appointment of Adrian Orozeo to the position of Cafeteria Worker, at the Watervliet Elementary School, for a probationary period beginning March 8, 2021 and ending March 8, 2022, at an hourly rate of $12.50, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited seconded by Timothy Delisle and unanimously accepted, the Board postponed indefinitely the appointment of Tatiana Johnson to the position of Long-Term Substitute Social Studies Teacher, at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, effective April 1, 2021, at a rate of $125.00 per diem, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Substitute Registry submitted by BOCES, as recommended by the Superintendent (packet #6).
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following Treasurer’s Reports for the month of January 2021, 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 Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the Internal Claims Auditor Report for the month of February 2021, submitted by Michaeleen Backus, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Payment for Unused Sick & Vacation Leave in the amount of $88,228.77 for Janelle Yanni, upon her retirement from the Watervliet City School District, effective February 28, 2021, per Article XIII of the Watervliet Administrators’ Association (WAA) Agreement, submitted by Keith Heid, Business Manager, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Payment for Unused Sick Leave in the amount of $3,280.48 for Mary Grace Hoffman, upon her retirement from the Watervliet City School District, effective February 26, 2021, per Article X of the Watervliet Support Staff Association (WSSA) Agreement, submitted by Keith Heid, Business Manager, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Memorandum of Understanding between the Watervliet Teachers Association and the Watervliet City School District, regarding the Letter of Intent to Retire and Unused Sick Days, as outlined in the attached, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Data Privacy Agreement with Beneficent Technology, Inc., as outlined in the attached, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Data Privacy Agreement with Blooket LLC, as outlined in the attached, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved and adopted the revised District-Level Safety Plan 2020 – 2021 for the Watervliet City School District, as outlined in the attached, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following Standardization Resolution:
WHEREAS, the Board of Education of the Watervliet City School District, pursuant to General Municipal Law Section 103(5), believes there is need for standardization for a particular type or kind of equipment, material or supplies based on reasons of efficiency and economy; and,
WHEREAS, the Board of Education wishes to standardize a building management control system manufactured by Johnson Controls for the following reasons:
1. The Watervliet City School District has an existing Johnson Controls FX (Facilities Explorer) building management control system that is installed and in operation at the District’s Junior/Senior High School and the District’s Elementary School;
2. Any modifications, expansions, or upgrades to the District’s building control management system should be with, and maintained as, a Johnson Controls FX system to ensure a consistent and compatible building management control system throughout the District;
3. Reliable and consistent performance of the building management control system is of a critical nature given the inherent health and safety requirement to immediately provide effective and efficient building management controls to a school building that may be occupied by students, staff, and visitors;
4. The integration of a different manufacturer’s building management control system with the Johnson Controls building management control system already in place at the District would involve overcoming system-specific communication protocol hurdles that, even if they could be overcome, would lead to a more complex and costly system that would be prone to errors, have compromised functionality and would ineffectively deploy the building management control system;
5. By standardizing the Johnson Controls FX building management control system, the District will maintain the benefit of a single communication protocol, which increases the systems efficiency and functionality, all at a lower cost of net ownership to the District; and
6. District personnel also are trained and familiar with the existing Johnson Controls FX building management control system in place at the District. The use of a standardized product will facilitate training of staff and the transfer of staff between buildings within the District. In addition, common training on a single system will facilitate the use of in-District training of any newly hired buildings and grounds staff so as to minimize the cost of external training.
IT IS THEREFORE RESOLVED, that pursuant to General Municipal Law Section 103(5), the Watervliet City School District determines, based on the reasons set forth above, that for reasons of efficiency and economy there should be standardization on the type of building management control system used in the District to the Johnson Controls FX building management control system.
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED, that all future bid specifications which address District buildings and include a building management control system shall provide for the exclusive use of a Johnson Controls FX building management control system.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Board of Education Minutes for the meeting held February 11, 2021, submitted by Bernadette L. Boardman, Clerk of the Board, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board adopted the following policies, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment in the District
- Procurement: Uniform Grant Guidance for Federal Awards
- Administration of the Budget
- School Safety Plans
- Registration and Professional Development
- Employment of Retired Persons
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Committee on Special Education’s recommendations for the meetings held February 11, February 23, February 24 and February 25, 2021, submitted by Janelle Yanni, CPSE Chair, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Committee on Pre-School Special Education’s recommendations for the meeting held February 10, 2021, submitted by Janelle Yanni, CPSE Chair, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following Student Teacher requests at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, as outlined below, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Name: Todd Neuhaus
Role: Student Teacher
Cooperating Teacher: Dennis Lane
Dates: Spring 2021 Semester - Name: Emily Moro
Role: Student Teacher
Cooperating Teacher: Dennis Lane
Dates: Spring 2021 Semester - Name: Humaira Amin
Role: Student Teacher
Cooperating Teacher: Rachel Thomas
Dates: Spring 2021 Semester
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved and adopted the following resolution:
WHEREAS, on January 22, 2021, the Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that as part of New York State school’s reopening, school-sponsored high-risk winter sports may begin to practice and play effective February 1, 2021 pending approval of local county Departments of Health and,
WHEREAS, New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) and Section 2, Colonial Council have issued revised guidelines for Return to Interscholastic Athletics for the 2020-21 season under certain circumstances including the creation of sport specific preparedness plans for each high-risk sport, obtaining informed consent from parents/guardians, medical clearance from the student-athletes’ healthcare provider, and approval by district Boards of Education for each high-risk sport; and
WHEREAS, the Public Health Department of Albany County identified community COVID-19 metrics that must be met in order for interscholastic high-risk sports to resume, including a rolling seven day positivity rate for COVID-19 under 4% within the county and hospital bed capacity in excess of 15% in the capital region,
WHEREAS, the Superintendent of Schools has been authorized to share the plan w/ the medical director for sport specific approval of each plan prior to high risk athletics resuming and to play if approved,
IT IS THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools, the Board of Education of the Watervliet City School District hereby authorizes the resumption of Varsity Football, Girls’ Varsity Soccer, Boys’ Varsity Soccer and Girls’ Varsity Volleyball. (continued on next page)
1. The Board delegates to and authorizes the Superintendent to take any action she deems necessary and appropriate to ensure that such sports are implemented in a safe manner consistent with all guidelines (NYS, County, and Section). This includes the authority to temporarily suspend District participation in any of the above sports if the Superintendent deems such action necessary.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the 2021 – 2022 School District Calendar, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Heather Soroka seconded by Timothy Delisle and unanimously accepted, the Board recognized and thanked Chris and Samantha McCabe, on behalf of Team McCabe, for donating $500.00 worth of water and Gatorade to be provided to student athletes at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Timothy Delisle seconded by Heather Soroka and unanimously accepted, the Board recognized and thanked Staples, for donating $3,680.00 worth of School Supplies and Hand Sanitizers to be given to students in the Watervliet City School District, as recommended by the Superintendent.
A. Superintendent’s Report (continued)
Dr. Caplan asked Ms. DeMento to share information about UPK and EPK registration.
Ms. DeMento noted that the sign-up process for EPK started yesterday and applications will be accepted for the UPK next Wednesday. We will take applications for both rooms for 30 days. After that time, if they are over subscribed, they will hold a lottery and let people know if they got in. Applications will then be accepted on a continuous basis, as enrollment changes throughout the year.
Dr. Caplan asked Mrs. Webster to share a few words about Mr. Roberts. She then asked Mr. Groat to share a few words about Mrs. Bradway and Mrs. Hoffman. After they spoke, she also offered kind words and thanks to all three retirees and wished them all well.
Dr. Caplan noted that people have been cleared to travel over spring break, noting that we still ask that people be safe, wear masks, etc. She added that anyone working in the district that wants a vaccine has either received one from the district’s clinic or through a clinic that they were provided information on.
Dr. Caplan stated that we have made it seven months with little interruption and we plan to continue to do so through the year, through the summer and into September. Administrators and staff have continued to do their part and nobody has ever said “we can’t do this.” I appreciate the trust people have put into our teachers, administrators and support staff.
Board Discussion
Mrs. Cavanaugh shared the following:
- Thank you to Mr. Roberts and Mrs. Bradway for everything they have done for my child and for the community. We are not just losing two teachers, we are losing two pillars who stand for everything it means to be a Cannoneer. I am thankful for all that they have done.
- Thank you to Whitney Young, Dr. Caplan and Mr. Stevens for the effort that went into vaccinating our teachers, administrators and community members. I am thankful that our teachers and staff have been afforded that option, should they want it.
Mary Beth Whited seconded what Amanda said about the retirees. She wished them all well, noting that it is a loss to the district.
Administrator Reports
Mr. Groat shared the following:
- The nice weather has brought a stir to the community. In the last few days, we’ve had a number of students returning to in-person learning. In a three-day period, we were able to pick up almost 50-60 students returning.
- Discussion about prom and graduation has begun. We are collecting information and trying to figure out what we can do to give the students everything we can. Students have until March 19 to let us know if they will be attending prom. It will be held at “The Venue” in Cohoes. We are trying to separate out what we can and cannot do.
- Last year’s graduation turned out awesome. We received a lot of great feedback. This year, students want to have something outdoors. We are putting a lot of thought into it. I will keep you in the loop.
Mrs. Webster noted the following:
- The next learning waiver to change to either in-person or remote, will be sent out via One Call Now on Monday. You will have a week to fill it out and return it. It will close on March 22. That will give us two weeks to prepare.
- Spring is in the air and many of our classes have been able to spend time outside. Classes are getting out as much as possible. We are making preparations to re-open the playground safely.
Dr. Caplan added that she and Mr. Heid do not have any budget updates, as they are in a holding pattern. She noted that, although we may be getting money from a stimulus package from the government, it is important that it is spread out over 3-4 years, as it could cause a fiscal cliff in the next few years.
Assembly Member John McDonald
Assembly Member McDonald joined to share budget information. He noted that tomorrow they will introduce a one-house budget, which, if it holds, will put more resources toward education. What has been proposed to date, is actually less funding. He stated that he is “cautiously optimistic,” and, if what is being promised comes through, schools will have to think about how they can reserve some of that money. Districts are not supposed to keep more than four percent, and if the money isn’t spent wisely, there will be a fiscal cliff in about 2-3 years. He added that they will be rejecting the governor’s usual consolidation of aid categories. Those consolidations are problematic for the district. There is a lot of pressure to make sure students are in the classroom, but that is a local decision and you know what you can and cannot do capacity-wise.
Dr. Caplan stated that our district has provided the option to be in-person since day one. We’ve had 2-3 weeks where we went virtual due to a lack of adults to supervise/instruct. We have done this since day one regardless of the 20% withholding, the PPE, etc. She gave a shout-out to the administrators, teachers and support of the BOE.
Mr. McDonald noted that the districts he represents, absent Albany, have all been doing the it one way or another and it’s testimony to commitment and to past investments.
Amanda Cavanaugh asked if there was any consideration of expanding the four percent tax cap.
Mr. McDonald responded that there is no consideration of that right now, but he is looking into allowing district to create a COVID Pandemic reserve that could be used toward future budgets. We will explore this further.
Mrs. Cavanaugh thanked Assembly Member McDonald for all of the work he is doing and his commitment to our district.
Adjournment
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited seconded by Timothy Delisle, and unanimously accepted, the Board adjourned the meeting at 6:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bernadette L. Boardman
Clerk of the Board