Watervliet City School District
Watervliet , New York
Board of Education
Regular Meeting
Date: November 8, 2018
Type of Meeting: Regular Meeting
Meeting Opened: 6:01 P.M.
Where: Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School
Board Members Present:
President Sheri Senecal
Vice President Heather Soroka
Steven Hoffman
Mary Beth Whited
Board Members Absent: Amanda Cavanaugh
Superintendent: Dr. Lori S. Caplan
Student Council Rep: Miranda Luck
The meeting was opened at 6:01 P.M., with President Sheri Senecal officiating.
Comments from the Floor
There were no comments from the floor.
Old Business
There was no old business to be discussed.
Board , Staff and Student Reports
“Teched Out” in 227 Presentation Rebecca Sweeney and Ryan Groat
First Reading of Revised Policy:
- Extracurricular Activities Eligibility
- Wellness
- Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Second Reading of Revised Policy:
- Comprehensive Student Attendance
Items requiring Board Action
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board adopted the following policy, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- Comprehensive Student Attendance
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Board of Education Minutes for the meeting held October 11, 2018, submitted by Bernadette L. Boardman, Clerk of the Board, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Committee on Special Education’s recommendations for the meeting held October 26, 2018, submitted by Janelle Yanni, CSE Chair, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Committee on Pre-School Special Education’s recommendations for the meeting held October 17, 2018, submitted by Janelle Yanni, CPSE Chair, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the Substitute Registry submitted by BOCES, as recommended by the Superintendent (packets #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, and #11).
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the following Treasurer’s Reports for the month of September 2018, 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 Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the External Auditors’ Annual Report for the period July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018, submitted by Teal, Becker and Chiaramonte CPAs, P.C., as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the accept the following bids for labor, installation and/or equipment for kitchen at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, as recommended by the Superintendent:
- B&G Restaurant Equipment, $40,834.00
- J. McBain, Inc. ,$4,837.70
- Action Commercial Service, $427.00
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the settlement agreement dated October 12, 2018, and authorized the Superintendent of Schools to execute the same.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the resignation of Rebecca Brown from the position of Long-Term Substitute School Social Worker at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, effective October 17, 2018, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the resignation of James Johnston from the position of Hall Monitor at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, effective November 15, 2018, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the resignation of Matt Szkopiec from the position of Full-Time Cleaner at the Watervliet Elementary School, effective November 16, 2018, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the resignation of Matt Szkopiec from the position of Part-Time Night Cleaner for the Watervliet City School District, effective November 16, 2018, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the appointment of Matt Szkopiec to the position of Substitute Part-Time Cleaner for the Watervliet City School District, at a rate of $11.08 per hour, effective November 17, 2018, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the emergency appointment of William Tyler Ronan to the position of Substitute Teaching Assistant, PIVOT Program, at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, beginning October 16, 2018, at a rate per contract, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the emergency appointment of Stephanie Sutton to the position of Art Club Advisor, ExTRA Grant After School Program, at the Watervliet Elementary School, for the 2018 – 2019 school year, at a rate as per contract, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of Geraldine Ferris to the position of WES Garden Club Advisor, at the Watervliet Elementary School, for the 2018 – 2019 school year, at a $500.00 stipend, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of Tyler Ronan to the position of Girls’ Modified Basketball Coach at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, for the 2018-2019 school year, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the appointment of Joanna Beams to the position of APEX Social Studies Teacher at the Watervliet Jr. – Sr. High School, for the 2018-2019 school year, at a stipend per contract, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board approved the request to rescind the approval to home school Morgan Stockwell, Grade 7, submitted by Janelle Yanni, Director of Programs and Pupil Services, as recommended by the Superintendent.
On a motion by Steven Hoffman, seconded by Mary Beth Whited and unanimously accepted, the Board accepted the Internal Claims Auditor Report for the month of October 2018, submitted by Michaeleen Backus, as recommended by the Superintendent.
New Business
There was no new business to be discussed.
Comments from the Floor
Dr. Caplan shared the following:
Parent/Teacher conferences were held on Tuesday at WES, while professional development was held at WHS. Both went well and were well-attended.
I spoke to Chief Spain about the tragedy in California and the incident at Niskayuna High School. Once police arrive on the scene, it is no longer up to the district on how things will be carried out. Our drills are “real” when they are practiced because you never know when something could happen.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. If anyone wants to volunteer to help Equinox on Thanksgiving morning, reach out to me.
Heather Soroka noted that she recently attended the NYSSBA Convention in NYC. The best session on the subject of diversity. Meetings went from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and were very informative and valuable.
Miranda Luck, Student Council Representative, shared the following:
Several students registered to vote in the upcoming election. We will be registering more students in the spring. Thank you to the League of Women Voters for their assistance.
The selfie contest was very successful last year. Student Council will be holding it again this year. Entrants will pay a $10.00 donation to submit a humorous selfie.
The Student Council holiday food drive will be held December 3 through December 19.
Mrs. Whited thanked Mrs. Webster for the invitation to the Mix-It-Up lunch. She also congratulated Sterling Spoon and Carlos Maldonado, along with Coach Darryl Whited, for being selected to participate in the Section II Senior All Star Football Game.
Mr. Foust thanked Mr. Whited for his 20+ years of service to the football program. He wished him well, as Mr. Whited has decided not to coach again next year.
Mrs. Lewinter noted that an evacuation drill will be conducted next week at WES. Letters were sent home informing parents. Chief Spain will be broadcasting via Facebook Live to involve the community.
Mrs. Yanni noted that, because of a generous homeless grant, we were able to obtain 40 backpacks filled with winter supplies.
Mrs. Webster shared the following:
The P-Tech program is conducting a sock drive.
The cart for the school store is completely built and is being painted.
Ms. DeMento thanked the Board for approving the new equipment for the kitchen. It will allow for a new variety foods to be prepared and served.
Adjournment
On a motion by Mary Beth Whited, seconded by Steven Hoffman, and unanimously accepted, the Board adjourned the meeting at 6:58 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bernadette L. Boardman
Clerk of the Board