schools

Minutes from Batavia City School Board of Education meeting for Nov. 1:

New Board Member
The board received five applications for the Board of Education seat which became available Nov. 1, 2011, due to the resignation of Andrew Pedro. After reviewing applications and meeting with each applicant, the board voted to have Phil Ricci serve the remainder of Mr. Pedro’s term, through June 30, 2012. Mr. Ricci was sworn in at the beginning of the meeting.

Mr. Ricci brings his experience as a branch manager with Bank of America as well as a demonstrated commitment to community involvement. He is president of the city of Batavia Youth Board, a long-standing member of the City of Batavia School District State Audit Committee, and served on the Batavia School District Board of Education from 2005-2007. He and his wife, Laura, have three children - one infant and two who attend Robert Morris Elementary.

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New Evaluation Procedure for Teachers and Principals
Robert Morris Principal Diane Bonarigo and Batavia High School Principal Christopher Dailey presented a pilot proposal in response to the new legislation regarding the observations/evaluations of teachers.

Superintendent of Schools Margaret Puzio had reported on this legislation to the board last fall, after attending a regional workshop on the topic. Some of the information covered at that time included:
•       Chapter 103 of the Laws of 2010 added a new section (3012-c) to the Education Law regarding annual professional performance reviews of all classroom teachers and building principals.
•       The new law applies first to all evaluations conducted by school districts on or after July 1, 2011, of teachers of “common branch subjects” (any or all of the subjects usually included in the daily program of an elementary school classroom) or English language arts or mathematics in grades four to eight, and principals employing such teachers.
•       By July 1, 2012, the process will be phased in for all classroom teachers and principals conducted by school districts or BOCES.
•       The new section of the law builds on current performance reviews, as opposed to replacing them.
•       The evaluations are intended to be a significant factor for employment decisions including but not limited to promotion, retention, tenure determination and termination.
•       Performance reviews will yield a single-composite effectiveness score (1-100) that incorporates multiple measures of effectiveness.
•       The measures used for scoring include student growth data on state assessments (initially 20 percent of the score, then 25 percent); locally selected measures of student achievement (initially 20 percent of the score, then drop down to 15 percent); and locally developed and negotiated criteria (for 60 percent of the score).

Focusing on the locally determined 60-percent portion of the scoring measures, Mr. Dailey and Mrs. Bonarigo have been working in conjunction with the Batavia Teachers Association to outline the measuring points and effective methods of evaluation.

The committee has utilized ideas from the work two educational experts: Kim Marshall’s ideas as expressed in her book, "Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation: How to Work Smart, Build Collaboration, and Close the Achievement Gap"; and Charlotte Danielson’s work, "Framework for Teaching, that outlines Four Domains of effectiveness."

The resulting model presented by Mr. Dailey and Mrs. Bonarigo consists of “mini-observations” with timely feedback using evaluation points taken from Danielson’s Four Domains. In other words, rather than having a lengthy, planned, formal observation of a teacher by the principal, mini-observations would be unannounced visits lasting 5-10 minutes and occurring approximately five times per year.

During a mini-observation, the principal would observe a teacher in action spontaneously, looking for level of competency (“highly effective” to “ineffective”) in three of the Four Domains of effective practice: Planning and Preparation, Classroom Environment, Instruction, and Professional Responsibilities. Then, within 48 hours, the principal would either provide written feedback, and/or have a conversation with the teacher to discuss that particular “snapshot” of teaching as well as invite the teacher to reflect.

Mr. Dailey and Mrs. Bonarigo highlighted several benefits to this proposal: it motivates teachers to constantly do their best; it motivates principals to regularly visit a greater number of classrooms; it is more authentic than a pre-planned observation appointment; it provides for quicker feedback that the teacher can begin using immediately; and it invites a higher level of reflection on the teacher’s part, making it more collaborative.

School Board Recognition Week
In honor of School Board Recognition Week, which runs this year from Oct. 31- Nov. 4, the Superintendent of Schools read the NYS Proclamation signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo, which highlighted that “members of school boards are dedicated to children, learning and community, and devote many hours of service to elementary and secondary public education as they continually strive for improvement, excellence and progress in education. ... ”

In addition to the Governor’s general description of all school boards, Mrs. Puzio noted that she appreciates, in paricular, the time, cooperation, intelligence, enthusiasm, and dedication of the Batavia City School District Board of Education members.

During this week, a presentation about our board members can be viewed on the district’s website as well as on each school’s television monitors. Current Board of Education members include Mr. Patrick Burk, Ms. Amy Barone, Mr. Wayne Guenther (vice president), Mr. Steven Mountain, Mrs. Gail Stevens (president), Mr. Gary Stich, Mr. Phil Ricci, and Miss Taylor Harkness (student ex-officio member).

The Batavia Teachers Association, represented at the meeting by Mark Warren, made a $250 donation to the Salvation Army in the Board of Education’s name, in honor of School Board Recognition Week. The Batavia Clerical Association also made a $50 donation in the board’s name to the United Way/Salvation Army/Batavia City School District Backpack Program, which provides weekend packs of nutritious snack items for needy students.

Statewide Coalition for Mandate Relief
Superintendent Puzio presented information about Let NY Work, a coalition of nearly a dozen organizations operating in New York State which have outlined a “Common Agenda for the Common Good.” In this agenda, six mandates are targeted with specific and detailed recommendations for reform. Those six items are:
1.      Make the pension system predictable and affordable;
2.      Redefine compulsory arbitration;
3.      Reduce the costs of construction on public/private projects;
4.      When contracts expire, freeze step increases;
5.      Establish minimum health insurance contributions level for     employees and retirees;
6.      No new mandates.

Mrs. Puzio noted that mandate relief would lessen some financial burdens on school districts, allowing that money to be more effectively spent on maintaining quality education.

The diverse members of the coalition are: Associated General Contractors/New York State; The Business Council of NYS; the NYS Council of School Superintendents; New York Farm Bureau; National Federation of Independent Business; New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials (NYCOM); New York State Association of Realtors; NYS School Boards Association; Unshackle Upstate; Westchester County Association; and the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York.

Overnight Fieldtrip and Fundraising Committee Report
Community committee member Cheryl Kowalik addressed the board, noting her appreciation for the committee being formed and that members have met and made some useful suggestions for the board to consider. She also stated, however, that some committee members were confused as to the guidelines the board used to determine that the hockey team should not be permitted to take an overnight trip for a tournament.

Board member Amy Barone reported on the committee’s progress, noting that they have met several times to review the current official board policies for field trips and fund raising, to review the concerns about both, as well as to brainstorm ideas for how to create new policies that are responsive to the concerns.

Committee discussions about fund raising included such topics as students carrying student identification, selling door-to-door, putting limitations on fundraisers, lessening stress for parents and students, creating a centralized calendar of fundraisers, voluntary vs. mandatory participation, methods of participation, and providing parents with a standardized form that would detail the necessary information for each fund raiser. The topic of overnight trips focused on the procedure for approval and the fund-raising process.

With the ensuing discussion by board members, it was determined that there are a myriad of issues surrounding these two topics and, as one issue gets addressed, others emerge. Mrs. Puzio suggested and board members agreed that all board members will submit their concerns about both topics to board President Gail Stevens who will compile the topics and forward them to Amy Barone for the next committee meeting.

School Boards Convention
Board Member Pat Burk, who is also a Resolutions Committee member for the NYS School Boards Association (NYSSBA), attended the New York State School Boards Association’s 92nd Annual Convention and Education Expo in late October, as did Superintendent Puzio and board members Gail Stevens and Amy Barone -- along with approximately 3,000 other school board members, superintendents, and educators from across the state. In addition to informative sessions, there was much opportunity for networking as well as visiting the tradeshow that highlights various programs and projects.

Mr. Burk also stated that the top priority arising out of the State Education Department is to seek a federal waiver for No Child Left Behind, citing unrealistic expectations, and that impressive data has been collected to support a waiver for NYS. (Compliance with No Child Left Behind is tied to receiving federal funds; non-compliance is penalized by withholding of some of those funds. The waiver application process was recently introduced in recognition of the need for more flexibility in how to effectively educate all students.)

Financial Summary Report for September 2011
Business Administrator Scott Rozanski reported on the September 2011 revenue and expenses for the district, reviewing them in comparison to the September 2010 figures.

Revenues were up by $245,800, or 6.9 percent, primarily in the Non-property Tax Items category (utility tax), the Miscellaneous category, and the State and Federal Aid category. The utility tax, which had been in decline for several years including the 2010-2011 school year, increased by a very encouraging $49,000, or more than 42 percent.

The $70,300 increase in Miscellaneous revenue reflected a reimbursement from 2010-2011 expenditures that were chargeable to 2010-2011 grants and, because of the timing of the processing of the transactions, are recorded as revenue for the 2011-2012 school year.

State and federal aid were up $150,800 from last year at this time, largely because last year’s aid had been adjusted down by .67 percent as a contingency plan to offset possible losses due to reconfigured FMAP (Federal Medical Assistance Percentages).

Recorded expenses were up by nearly $1.7 million or 40.50 percent due to the timing of transactions, as several bills that were paid last year in October, this year came due in September. For example, September 2011 had three payroll dates whereas last year, there were only two in the month. This was similarly true for the BOCES and health insurance payments, which came due in September this year, whereas in 2010, they were recorded during the month of October.

Jackson Elementary Tour
Jackson Elementary Principal Shawn Clark and Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds Jim Jacobs provided a tour of the Jackson facility. Some features of the tour included the separated parking and parent drop-offs from the bus loop that allows for safe and smooth transportation of students; the remodeled main entranceway which provides the main office staff with a clear view of who is approaching the front doors; the cafeteria and gym which were both part of recent renovations to the building; large classroom sizes; and multiple access doors to the playground.

A Le Roy elementary school principal is among the three finalists vying to become superintendent of the Byron-Bergen Central School District.

The school district announced the three finalists -- from a field of eight candidates -- who will go through a series of meetings, tours and interviews at the school this week.

The finalists are Edmund "Casey" Kosiorek, elementary principal in Le Roy; David J. Glover, superintendent, Morristown Central School District; and, Michael J. Davis, elementary principal, Webster Central School District.

In all, 27 people applied for the job.

The school board anticipates making an appointment by mid-November.

Released by the school district:

Highlights from the BCSD Board of Education meeting on Oct. 17, 2011, include the following:

One Vote Each Day Can Yield $50,000 for Music Department

Student Ex-officio Board Member Taylor Harkness reported on an opportunity for the district’s music department to win up to $50,000 by having people vote at least once each day through early November for a quartet from the district’s student ensemble, The Batavia Blue Belles.

Citing drastic cuts to education, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC, Ryan Murphy (the creator of GLEE), and the National Association for Music Education teamed up to create a music-celebrating contest to support music education to the tune of $1 million. The Blue Belles -- including members Melzie Case, Sarah DiBacco, Catherine McAllister, and Catherine Taylor, working under the direction of district vocal teacher Daniel Grillo -- entered the nationwide contest to compete for one of three Grand Prizes for $50,000 each. There are also 10 First Prizes for $25,000 each and 60 Second Prizes for $10,000 each.

Winning is based on public vote, and all community members (as well as other family and friends who would like to support the music department) can vote for The Blue Belles once per day per computer IP address until Nov. 7. To vote, go to www.gleegiveanote.com, click on “VOTE NOW”, type in “BATAVIA HIGH SCHOOL” in the box for entering school name, click on the video clip of the Batavia Blue Belles, and click “VOTE”. Winners will be announced Dec. 15.

Parent Shares Concern Regarding Consolidation

While acknowledging that the Board of Education and administrators have been responsive to hearing parents' and residents' concerns about consolidation proposals and thanking them for their consideration, as well as the decision to postpone a vote on the proposal until March 2012, one parent attended the meeting to urge board members not to vote for any proposal that would include moving fifth-grade students to the middle school. Stating that she had spoken to various individuals who work with youth and with troubled youth, she believes, overall, it is not beneficial to the fifth-graders to be moved to the middle school.

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Board Vacancy Applications Received

Superintendent of Schools Margaret Puzio publicly thanked Andy Pedro for his years of work for the students and community through his service on the Board of Education, which will end on Nov. 1. The ensuing vacancy to finish out his term (through June 30, 2012) has been announced, with five individuals expressing interest in the position.

Those applicants are: Phil Ricci, Alfred McGinnis, Dennis Warner, Raymond Walker and Rodney Brinkman. The board plans on reviewing each application and interviewing all five individuals on or about Monday, Oct. 24 so that a timely decision can be made.

Changes to Budget Voting Procedure

In response to parents’ requests voiced at several public meetings, the board approved a plan presented by business administrator Scott Rozanski to change polling hours for the district’s annual vote on proposed budgets and board member elections. Rather than being open from noon to 9 p.m., polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Parents had said that earlier polling hours would help accommodate work schedules.

In addition, Mr. Rozanski proposed that the number of polling places for the budget vote also be revised for greater cost efficiency. Instead of three polling places (Robert Morris Elementary, Batavia Middle School, and Jackson Elementary), he proposed that there be two, and that those locations would be Batavia High School and John Kennedy Elementary. Both BHS and JK, he noted, have better parking and ease of access, and redrawing voting districts to assign a voting location should be a simple process. Once done, the proposal can be brought back to the board for a vote. Board Member Pat Burk suggested that all Town of Batavia residents vote at one location, as he has observed much confusion through the years as to how their proper voting site is determined.

External Audit Report

David Mancuso of Freed Maxick & Battaglia, CPXs, PC, presented a summary of their audit of the basic financial statements of the district for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2011, indicating that there were no significant, unusual, or controversial transactions or accounting practices.

Some specific points from the report and presentation follow.

The district currently maintains an A1 credit rating from Moody’s Credit Corporation, which is among the highest in Genesee County.

Amid uncertain economic times, the district has been successful in efforts to spend and budget conservatively, as well as to plan for the long term by setting funds aside in reserve for specific areas of concern: unemployment insurance, NYS employees retirement, repairs, and employee benefit liability. In an economic climate where the future is likely to see reduced state aid as well as increased expenses, continued economic conservatism is to be encouraged.

The district has been able to have a minor tax levy over the past five years, averaging .5 percent, while at the same time maintaining most of the educational program offerings.

The district finished the year with an unexpected general fund surplus of approximately $730,000. This was primarily due to conservative budget estimates in difficult-to-predict categories such as to special education services, foster care tuition, and utilities; being able to cover some budgeted payroll costs with money from grants; savings in transportation that were achieved by bidding out and consolidating routes. The district was able to put this money into unemployment reserves to help with current and future staff reductions.

The audit also noted that the approval for the transfer of the above-mentioned surplus to the reserve fund was secured after the official state deadline of June 30 (when the fiscal year ended). The recommendation for the future was to have to obtain the necessary open-ended authorization before the deadline.

The unassigned fund balance (formerly referred to as undesignated fund balance) of the district’s general fund was $1,443,354 and this amount was within the state’s limit of 4 percent of the ensuing year’s budget, excluding of the amount designated for the subsequent year’s budget.

Two items related to the fundraising for extracurricular activities which pose difficulty for most school districts are (1) there being no irrefutable accountability for student fundraising activities from the time a student collects the donation or payment from a donor/customer until the money gets delivered to the dstrict; and (2) a recommendation that student organizations be treated as small businesses and have members prepare a program outline similar to a business plan at the beginning of the school year for approval. The outline would include projected expenses for and profits from events, and plans for the accumulated funds. Then, as each event is completed, a profit/loss analysis should be filed.

The complete report will be available on the district’s website (www.bataviacsd.org) : go to the “District” tab for a drop-down menu, scroll down and click on “Business Office”, click on “Financial Reports,” then scroll down to the appropriate report.

Legislative Items to be Addressed at School Boards Convention

Board Member Pat Burk, who is also a Resolutions Committee member for the NYS School Boards Association (NYSSBA), presented the 2011 Proposed Resolutions and Voting Delegate’s Guide for the Annual Business Meeting of the NYSSBA. He asked board members to review all of the proposals and respond to him with their comments and recommendations before he votes at the NYSSBA meeting in late October.

While much greater detail is available on the NYSSBA website (www.nyssba.org), the proposed resolutions listed below provide a quick guide to the scope of concerns and challenges facing NYS boards of education:

Tuition Tax Credit and Educational Vouchers -- to oppose legislation at the state and/or federal level that would provide tuition tax credits or educational vouchers for private or parochial schools.

Standards for Education Funding Reform -- to demand that the New York State Legislature act now to reform the state education funding system in a manner that provides for:
•       Adequacy – to provide sufficient resources to assure the opportunity for a sound basic education for all students.
•       Equity – to distribute a foundation level of state aid for every student that is based on the actual cost of providing a sound basic education that fairly compensates for differences in community costs, needs and resources. The legislature should preclude municipalities from using state aid to replace local education resources.
•       Flexibility – to increase the percentage of operating aid so that boards of education retain the discretion to determine what educational programs best address local needs. Local communities should not be restrained from determining the level of funding they will expend to support educational programs.
•       Predictability – to provide timely passage of the state budget and stable funding distributed through a consistent, uniformly applied formula that would not require annual manipulation by the legislature and that would facilitate long-term planning by school districts.
•       Clarity – to establish a funding formula that is easily explained and understood.

Principles of 21st Century Retirement Benefits -- to seek legislation based on the following Principles of 21st Century Retirement Benefits: Portability, Predictability, Affordability, Flexibility, and Acceptable Risk.

Pension Contribution Reserve Funds -- to support legislation amending Chapter 260 of the Laws of 2004 to permit boards of education and boards of cooperative educational services to establish pension contribution reserve funds for all employees and to authorize such boards to deposit surplus monies into such funds.

State Share of District Superintendent Salary -- to support the continued appropriation of the state share of the district superintendent’s salary.

Reserve Fund for Other Post-Employment Benefits -- to seek legislation authorizing school districts to create a new reserve fund to finance Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) as envisioned under Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement 45.

District Superintendent Salary Cap -- to seek legislation amending Education Law Section 1950(4)(a) to repeal the limitation on the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) district superintendents’ salaries.

Technological Consolidation -- in support of the use of video conferencing, online learning and other digital technologies to achieve greater efficiency in school district organization. These efforts will include, but not be limited to: a) the use of State Education Department (SED) reorganization feasibility study grants for use by school districts wishing to compare “cyber-consolidation” to physical consolidation; and b) the use of reorganization aid to help offset the costs of the technology infrastructure necessary for districts to consolidate educational services in this manner.

School District Retirement Contributions -- to seek legislation to create new pension tiers of the state Employees’ Retirement System and Teachers’ Retirement System that would provide the predictability and affordability that would limit school district contributions.

Performance Pay for Teachers -- to seek legislation to change the current system of teacher compensation in favor of a system where teachers are compensated for meeting local performance benchmarks.

Change in Tax Collection Schedule -- to support legislation which would permit school tax collection schedule(s) to be adjusted to minimize the need for school district borrowing so as to permit tax collections to coincide with encumbrances that are incurred by such school districts.

Cooperative Purchasing for School Districts -- to seek legislation to authorize school districts and other local municipalities the ability to purchase through national purchasing cooperatives.

Teacher Layoff Rules -- to seek legislation that would limit teacher seniority in determining the process of teacher layoffs.

Civil Service Law Reform -- to seek and support legislation amending the New York State Civil Service Law so that it is more responsive to the current needs of school districts and the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), including, but not limited to: increasing disciplinary options; updating tests and specification books; creating more flexibility in hiring lists; providing lists in electronic form; and increasing probationary periods.

Employee and Retiree Health Care Contributions -- to seek legislation requiring current and retired school employees to contribute at least 15 percent of the cost of individual health care coverage and at least 25 percent of the cost of family health care coverage.

Conforming Special Education to Federal Requirements -- to seek legislation to limit state special education mandates to those required by the federal government.

Placement of Students with a Disability -- to support efforts, and recommend legislation and/or regulations, to ensure that the New York State Education Department (SED) facilitates the ability of school districts to locate out-of-state placements for the appropriate placement of students with a disability when no SED-approved residential school may be determined as appropriate from the list of SED-approved schools.

Teacher Retirement and Health Care Reserve Funds -- to seek legislation to authorize school districts to create dedicated reserve funds to help offset the costs of teacher pensions and retiree healthcare costs.

Core Principles of Education Policy -- in support of state proposals affecting public education be evaluated according to the following core principles: provide access to programs that prepare students to be college and career ready; achieve equity and adequacy in funding; promote efficiency and cost-effectiveness; advance high expectations for all students; embrace innovative approaches; and foster community engagement and regional cooperation.

A group of about 12 parents concerned about proposed changes to elementary schools in Batavia gathered at the Richmond Memorial Library on Monday evening to start organizing an effort to offer alternatives to the school board.

The hour-long meeting ended on a message of "let's show the board we want to work with them," after some in the group expressed concern that if parents are willing to cooperate, negotiate and listen, school board members won't take them seriously.

"This is not about us versus them," said Jennifer Burke, one of the organizers of the meeting. "It's not a game. It's about our kids. If we all have that as our focus then we should be able to accomplish something."

The school district is looking for a way to save as much as $1 million in annual expenses and has publicly discussed closing the current administration building on Washington Avenue and moving the district administration into one of the current elementary schools -- such as Robert Morris -- leaving the school district with only two elementary schools.

Hardly a parent in Batavia can be found who supports the idea. Primarily, they are concerned about losing their neighborhood schools, having children in the same household attending three or four different schools and how frequent school changes will affect the chance for children to succeed in school.

The meeting on Monday included a break-out session with parents making a list of concerns and ideas.

A universally shared concern was moving fifth-grade students into the middle school.

"The age difference is just too much," said one parent.

Burke expressed optimism that board members have been willing to discuss concerns with parents. Superintendent Margaret Puzio called her earlier to provide some updates in advance of the Monday meeting, which Burke considered to be a sign of administration officials' willingness to work with parents.

Among the updates is that the decision about consolidation that was supposed to be made in November has been pushed back until March.

"That's another step in the direction that they're offering parents a voice," Burke said.

But the parents still want even more time. They're passing a petition to ask for the decision to be put off until after another school year passes, dipping into the district's reserves, if necessary, to balance the budget.

"When they do make a decision, they need to make an informed decision," Burke said. "They need to make the best decision, the best decision for the whole community."

Burke noted that in opposing consolidation, it opens up a wide array of options for the district to cut, from teachers (bigger class sizes), music and arts, teacher aides, sports and elective courses.

"If we move forward with certain recommendations, we may see ramifications on the other side," Burke said. "We do realize that we may need to sacrifice some, but our children come first."

The next group meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Oct. 13. 

The next meeting the district will host to discuss consolidation is Wednesday at Batavia HS.

Earlier this week, Batavia City Schools sent a letter to parents of students at Batavia Middle School notifying them that school has been placed on a "School in Need of Improvement" list by U.S. Department of Education.

This morning, Superintendent Margeret Puzio explained to The Batavian what the letter meant.

As part of "No Child Left Behind," passed in 2001, schools that receive federal aid must ensure certain "subgroups" perform adequately on standardized tests.

Subgroups are groups of students considered disadvantaged, such as students with disabilities, minority students, students who speak English as a second language. 

If a school has 30 or more students qualifying for a subgroup, then the school must meet the standardized test requirements for that subgroup in order to receive continued federal aid.

None of the elementary schools, with only about 300 students each, are large enough that any of the so-called disadvantaged groups have 30 or more students, but the middle school, with 500 students, does.

One such subgroup is students with disabilities.

Within the past year, the state stopped giving schools 34 bonus points on standardized tests for students with disabilities, also the raw score to pass the test has been raised, and the test has been made longer.

Puzio called this a "Bermuda Triangle" for school districts and Batavia isn't alone in falling into the trap.

Because the middle school's students with disabilities subgroup didn't meet the requirements of the standardized tests the last two rounds, the district was required to notify all parents of middle school students that the school is now considered a "School in Need of Improvement."

Also, in order to continue receiving federal aid, called Title I funds, the district must divert some of its Title I money into a program to help disadvantaged students, and in this case help students who are economically disadvantaged.

The district will be required to hire a contractor -- perhaps Sylvan Learning Centers -- to come in and offer tutoring and other help to economically disadvantaged students.

Participation by economically disadvantaged students is optional and entirely up to the parents of the students as to whether their children will participate.

To whatever degree a proposal to reduce city elementery schools from three to two is a trial balloon, in a meeting with parents at Robert Morris School on Tuesday night, it went down like a lead Zeppelin.

If Batavia City Schools Superintendent Margeret Puzio (top photo) hoped to woo some of the 70 parents in attendance, she would have been hard-pressed to find one fan of the idea by the end of the meeting.

Even parents who saw the need -- such as Phil Ricci, a budget ambassador for the school district -- said they hated the idea.

A consolidation of school districts -- one proposal shutters the current administration building and converts Robert Morris into new district headquarters -- would save as much as $1 million annually.

In an era of declining state aid combined with a property tax cap, the district board is forced to find ways to reduce spending that is "thinking outside the box," Puzio said.

She said if the 2-percent property tax cap had passed a year earlier, it would have led to a budget shortfall of $426,064. The cap would have limited the recent property tax increase to $280,106, instead of the $706,170 actually raised.

Plus, the district relied on a one-time federal grant of $567,584 to help balance the budget in 2011-12.

But on Monday night, there were times when parents seemed to simply oppose consolidation of the district's elementary schools regardless of budgetary constraints.

"It doesn’t seem we have a chance for honest input," Caroline Richardson said (first insert photo). "It seems like the decision is already made. It seems like there are no other options other than cutting down our programs again."

The consolidation proposals all involve the district selling its current administration building and then locating those offices to one of the elementary schools.

In each case, students are shuffled in a way that all grades would be at one school or another, such as all K-2 students at John Kennedy or all fifth-grade students at Batavia Middle School.

Cost savings would be achieved primarily through the elimination of some school-level administration and possibily some teaching positions.

The plans all end the idea of community schools serving K-5 students in their own neighborhood.

And that seemed to be the biggest sticking point for parents.

Some parents noted that under the proposals, instead of having their three children at one school, such as Robert Morris, they would end up with a kindergartner at one school, a third-grader at another school and their fifth-grader in the middle school.

Bonnie Vickery pointed out that schools rely on a lot of parent involvement both for educational support and fund raising.

If students are at more distant schools, and in some cases students will only be at a particular school for a couple of years, parents will be less likely to get involved, Lisa Macdonough (second inset photo).

"It's going to hurt schools way more than you realize," Vickery said. "I know the board is doing the best that it can and I know you want to do the best for the students, but there is a sense of community that is going to be lost."

While Puzio pointed to educational advantages of putting, say, all the second graders in one school instead of three, many parents weren't buying it.

A couple of parents cited reports they said showed that students who attended community schools achieved higher test scores, and students who made fewer transfers from school to school are more likely to graduate from high school.

"There are other options you need to be looking at that don't effect the children," Richardson said. "This is a community that has a lot of children in it who are disadvantaged to begin with and now we're going to disadvantage them again by taking them out of their neighborhoods."

Another person said many parents bought their homes where they did to be close to a community-based school, which brought a round of applause from other parents.

Puzio explained that part of the school district's goal was to preserve class size, which in Batavia is traditionally 20 students per class.

But when Macdonough said she would accept more students per class if it meant preserving community schools, nearly every parent applauded.

Another parent picked up the theme.

"Studies have shown that with a quality teacher who wants to be there, class size has little effect," Janelle Marble said. "We need to cultivate good teachers who want to be in their classrooms, who love teaching."

Near the end of the meeting, Ricci spoke up and said when he heard the consolidation plan, he became frustrated. He likes having his children attend Robert Morris, but he also knows the school district is facing a difficult budget situation and the board is doing the best it can on behalf of the children.

"I know all of these guys and know they are not trying to screw over the kids," Ricci said. "If this doesn't work, and it might not work, we as a community need to come together and come up with other options."

A group of parents are organizing a communitywide meeting to discuss consolidation at 7 p.m., Sept. 26, at Richmond Memorial Library. (Location TBD)

It's a big leap from middle school to high school and for the past four years, to help freshmen students make the transition, Batavia High School has conducted a special orientation day the day before classes officially begin.

For the class of 2015 that was today.

Of the 198 students in the frosh class, all but three students showed up for the orientation that began at 8 a.m. with a dramatic welcome by faculty and administration in the gym -- lights turned down, spotlights turned on and music playing loud, the students are welcomed into the gym like a championship team.

"We tell them up front that there will be some corny stuff," said Joe Hussar, one of the faculty organizers. "It's a little over the top sometimes."

The goal is give the students an introduction to BHS without 800 other students around. 

"It gives them at least one day where they can take their time and figure things out," Hussar said.

Like where their locker is and how to open it, and how to get from history class to English class.

The students also meet some of the upperclassmen who act as mentors during the school year.

More than 100 upperclassmen applied for the program and the 53 selected went through three days of training over the summer. Today, after the initial gym meeting, they led small groups of students in exercises to help them learn each other's names, how to communicate better and just get to know each other so at least on the first day of school there will be a few familiar faces.

Tomorrow, all the mentors will wear bright pink T-shirts so they can be easily identified by any freshmen who can't find a class, have a question or otherwise need help.

"It's awesome that so many of our upperclassmen are taking the lead," Hussar said.

To further assist the freshmen, the upperclassmen leaders have lockers strategically positioned among a group of freshmen lockers -- for about every seven or eight frosh lockers are two mentor lockers. The arrangement will last throughout the year.

After the small group exercises, the freshmen were given a tour of the school, had a break for lunch and then did a modified version of their class schedule -- 10 minutes for each class so they can learn how to get from room to room with less confusion tomorrow.

A reader sent this link saying that a group of students "worked really hard" on this video to promote their school. We don't have any other details.

New students for the 2011-12 academic year at Genesee Community College started arriving at College Village this morning.

Some 387 new and returning students will occupy 95 apartments by the end of the day Saturday.

For new students, coming in today and tomorrow, College Village has set up orientation classes, events and trips to help out-of-town students learn about Genesee County.

"We have fun programs and we have educational programs to help prepare students for residential life," said John Sisson, director of College Village.

On the educational front, students -- many of whom are living with non-family members for the first time --  attend sessions on how to get along with others and fire safety, for example.

The village has scheduled events Thursday through Sunday, starting with a shopping trip to Walmart, an ice cream social, a pizza dinner, a trip to Darien Lake and an afternoon Muckdogs game Sunday at Dwyer Stadium.

The Batavia Music and Arts Advocacy Group (BMAA) held its premiere meeting Wednesday evening at the GoArt! building in Downtown Batavia. Cheri Kolb, seated, and Lauren Picarro-Hoerbelt formed this organization in response to the cuts that the Batavia City School District's arts and music programs have endured as a result of current economic woes. 

Kolb and Picarro-Hoerbelt both have children in the Batavia schools who are involved in music programs. They started this group out of: 1) concern for where they see the district going, and 2) a desire to maintain programs, teachers and the quality of arts/music activities for the kids.

Picarro-Hoerbelt said her hope is for this group to have a presence in both good times and bad.

"(We want) to help out in the bad times, and to remind everyone why these programs are important in the good times."

Kolb envisions BMAA as a "forum for parents (and others) to express their concerns and be a voice for their children."

Five parents were in attendance -- a scant turnout, but understandable, since it "fell in the middle of several vacations" (Kolb's words). A number of other people who were not able to attend the Wednesday meeting have expressed interest in joining.
 

The issue at hand

Over the past few years, art and music programs have taken some major hits, funding-wise. There has been particular concern about this at the elementary level, where art and music are not mandatory subjects.

For that reason, Kolb said, part of BMAA's mission is to "help create an understanding of how these subjects affect the ones that are mandated."

Part of the night's discussion centered around research showing that the more exposure kids get to these programs early on, the more they will contribute to brain development. Susan Dickenson, one of the parents at the meeting, noted that research has proven the beneficial effects of arts and music programs on reading, math and study skills.

Frank DeMare, another parent at the meeting, said part of the problem is that "it's all about test scores" in the education system right now.

"They want to get test scores up," he said, "and they think the way to solve the problem is to throw money at it. Well, if they're going to throw money at it, the place to throw it is music and the arts."

He noted that students from low income and minority populations are of special concern to the State Education Department in terms of test scores. Children from these populations could stand to gain a lot from the benefits of music programs, but don't have the money to purchase instruments. This is one area where additional funding resources could come in handy.

In spite of their zeal for the arts and music in the schools, Kolb and Picarro-Hoerbelt are not insensitive to taxpayers' concerns.

"People are worried about how their money is being spent," Kolb said. "But they need to know how (their decisions) affect the kids, who will be the next citizens of this community, and also to understand that trying to send a message by voting down budgets might not be the most productive message to this generation."

In the recent past, people have responded to this by arguing that it is the district employees who are "hurting the kids" by demanding unreasonable benefits, etc. Kolb addressed that concern.

"I think there was a time when New York State was in a period of prosperity," she said, "so they put into place a lot of benefits for teachers' unions. Now that the state is in greater economic need, they have had to accommodate the benefits that were in place before. But that's not the fault of the teachers."

She further noted that the teachers she knows "work an incredible amount of hours and contribute (a good amount of) their own money to purchase supplies they can't otherwise get because of budget cuts."

Teachers under pressure, students shortchanged

"The original spark (behind the idea of forming this group) stemmed from (the school board's discussions about) restructuring of the strings program," Kolb said. "That was our first public indicator that there was something going on, budget-wise, that could affect our kids."

Following this "original spark" was a major catalyst: A statement from one of the board members, quoted in The Daily News, about the need to look carefully at non-mandated programs in the wake of state budget cuts. At the elementary level, these include the arts and music.

"We knew they probably weren't going to be cut," Picarro-Hoerbelt said, "but they would be restructured to the point where the kids get less."

This "restructuring" has entailed staff cuts and increased workloads for remaining teachers. For example, the position of chorus instructor at Batavia High School has been eliminated, and the chorus teacher at Batavia Middle School must now pick up the slack by teaching grades six through 12.

Picarro-Hoerbelt's husband, Mark, who was also present at the meeting, has the exact same position (chorus teacher for grades six through 12) in Alexander, which is a smaller district with fewer students.

"I'm busy," he said. "I can't imagine what it's going to be like for him (the BMS chorus teacher)."

Meanwhile, recent retiree Cindy Baldwin's position as a districtwide strings instructor has also been eliminated. Students will now receive string lessons from staff at each of their respective elementary schools.

So at John Kennedy Elementary, for example, the music teacher is going to have to take on 55 string lessons per week. Keep in mind that this is in addition to his role as director of the school's vocal music programs and his regular classroom responsibilities.

Baldwin was also the music department chair for the district; that role will now be assumed by Jane Haggett. Haggett was hired as the high school band director several years ago and, since the band director position at Batavia Middle School was cut, has had to add grades seven and eight to her list as well.

DeMare expressed worry about the prospect of Haggett becoming department chair -- not because he doubts her capabilities, but because she is already overburdened with current responsibilities.

Fewer teachers available and more work for the teachers who remain in the district mean less time and energy to dedicate to the students.

"We're worried about our kids falling through the cracks," Picarro-Hoerbelt said.

Additionally, DeMare noted that the restructuring of programs leads to larger groups of students.

"Some kids get lost in big groups," he said. "They lose interest."

What about the cost?

Right now, the immediate goal of BMAA is to make sure nothing else gets cut. It's about maintaining programs rather than adding to them.

Kolb and Picarro-Hoerbelt stressed that parents and community members are going to have to assume responsibility and find creative ways to keep these programs going.

"There's a tendency to blame the state when things are so dire," Kolb said. "I think we're at a point where the state can't do any more. The districts have to take the initiative."

Dickenson presented the Royalton-Hartland School District in Niagara County (where she used to live) as proof that this can be done.

Royalton-Hartland has received media recognition for its sports programs in addition to having thriving arts/music programs.

"There's something for every student," Dickenson said. "(Royalton-Hartland) is a small district, just like we are. But they really make use of the resources they have available."

When she moved to Batavia, she found that there was "such a different mentality."

"There's almost an attitude in the community that, 'Oh, they're doing the best they can, so we'll leave it in their hands,'" Picarro-Hoerbelt said, "until things get really dire like this. Everyone has to step up."

Game plan

BMAA welcomes all community members with a passion for arts and a desire to see keep them kept alive and well in the schools. The only people who would not be accepted into the group are those who are currently teaching art and music in the Batavia schools, as this would create a conflict of interest.

People with various talents and skills are invited to join and to help out in whatever way they would like.

One way to help BMAA is to do research on various topics, such as:

• what music/arts programs are in school districts comparable in size to Batavia and how they are maintained;
• data and charts demonstrating the importance of music and the arts in relation to core subject areas and brain development;
• rules of conduct at school board meetings;
• and even something as simple as finding out which locations the school board will use for upcoming meetings and letting everybody else in the group know.

If you have a gift for public speaking, there is also room for people who would like to speak at board meetings or other events.

And that's another thing: BMAA is designed to foster a positive relationship with the school board, as opposed to the community vs. board mentality a lot of people seem to have.

"We are being reassured that they are looking at everything," Kolb said.

In other words, the board is examining options for making necessary cuts more equitable, keeping in mind that the arts and music have suffered disproportionately for a few years.

Other ideas

Another one of the key ideas presented at Wednesday's meeting was that of giving school arts and music programs more visibility in the wider community. Someone raised the question of how, for example, student art shows could be opened up so that it's not just the students and their parents who come, but also school board members, legislators, etc.

DeMare said that in many of the wealthier school districts, local businesses support arts and music programs. Batavia businesses already sponsor sports programs, and everyone agreed that this could be extended to the arts and music as well.

One of the most fundamental questions raised was this: "How can we get people out there to vote?"

A very small percentage of those eligible to vote in school board elections and budget votes actually vote. Picarro-Hoerbelt and Kolb feel it is important to encourage everyone to recognize their role in the lives of our community's children.

"Even if you no longer have a child in the district," Picarro-Hoerbelt said, "please come out and support the programs that meant a lot to your kids 20 years ago."

BMAA is drawing on information from the NAMM Foundation on how to effectively implement grassroots organizations in support of music in the schools. For more information, go to www.nammfoundation.org.

For more information on BMAA or to get involved, e-mail artsadvocacy14020@yahoo.com. The group's next meeting will be held at the GoArt! building, on the corner of Main and Bank streets, at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14.

The cafeteria at John Kennedy School was transported back in time today to the 1950s, when Beatniks ruled the poetry world.

The second grade class dressed in tie-die and berets for poetry readings and multi-media presentations for an audience of parents and teachers.

Not all of the poets represented in the readings were Beats, but the list included Shel Silverstein, Langston Hughes, John Gardner, Vachel Lindsay and Jeff Foxworthy.

Guest readers included Superintendent Margaret Puzio and school Principle Mr. Kesler.

The annual event was organized by second-grade teachers Ms. Mancuso, Mrs. Hallman and Mrs. Calandra. 

Pictured above are five of the students who participated, Juan Martinez, James Cooley, Ben Skalny, Haylee Thornley and Clair Griffith.

On Thursday, John Kennedy Elementary School's parent group proudly posed with their picture in PTO Today, a nationally recognized magazine covering school parent group activities. Pictured from left are Jill Halpin (treasurer), Jen Houseknecht (president), Paul Kesler (John Kennedy principal), Sherri Wahr (vice president) and Cheri Kolb (secretary).

A writer from PTO Today contacted Houseknecht in October after reading The Batavian's article, "John Kennedy School welcomed new families, highlighted community."

According to Wahr, it was the parent group's effort to "bring the community into the school" that piqued PTO's interest.

John Kennedy's Community Night started six years ago as a way to welcome new students and their families, and, at the same time, introduce families to Kesler, whose job as principal started that year.

Kesler called it the "brainchild" of former parent group members Shari Ange and Heather Parker.

"It started off real basic," Kolb said. "Each year we've elaborated more on it, added more activities for the kids and (invited) more organizations."

Local organizations that have attended include the City of Batavia police and fire departments. Detective Rich Schauf, Kesler says, makes it a point to be there every year. Other participants include Cain's Tae Kwon Do, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, YMCA, Images in Dance and many others.

People from these groups are very appreciative of this opportunity to showcase their services and connect with the school community. Kesler said that many of them often ask when the next Community Night is going to take place.

Beyond that, some of the vendors at Community Night have worked with the parent group on various school events throughout the year.

"Pauly's Pizzeria has helped us with just about every fundraiser," Wahr said, adding that the restaurant provided the sauce for the school's Pasta Night.

Additionally, Kolb said that the Boy Scouts gave the parent group a plaque this year in acknowledgement of their support of Community Night.

If you ask Kesler or any member of the parent group what has enabled their outreach to the community to be so successful, they will all likely say the same thing: the community spirit among parents, teachers, staff and students at John Kennedy.

"The amount of apprecation and gratitude shown by the principal and staff (has been important)," Kolb said. "Everyone from the secretaries to the custodial staff to the teachers, etc. They always do whatever they can to help."

Houseknecht pointed out that the parent group also has "a large number of parents we can count on for continued support."

"It's really a group effort," Kesler added. "Community night happens because a community of people make it happen."

This includes the students, who always ask what they can do for, and how they can help with, any school event or function. One of the goals the parent group has for next year is to get fifth-graders, who run the games at the school's Family Fun Night, to volunteer on Community Night.

"We'd love to have the fifth-graders kind of mentor the kindergarteners," Halpin said. "Since they're on their way out, they can share their experience and what they love about John Kennedy with the students who are just coming in."

As members of a thriving and supportive school community, the parent group members seem cautiously optimistic about the school district's current budget woes (see yesterday's article, "Public begs for city schools' Suzuki Strings programs to be saved," for coverage).

"I think we have such a supportive community that we'll get through it," Wahr said.

"Change will come," Kolb said. "Other school districts have been through the same thing and come out of it, reached the other side, and seen better times financially. I think it will be the same way with us. It's just a matter of keeping intact what we have in the meantime."

"The community and the schools are going to have to work together more closely," Halpin said. "The onus is going to be on the parents and community to provide activities for the kids that aren't covered in the budget."

Kolb said that efforts to do so will require persistance and the willingness to look for "creative ways to support these programs."

To read the PTO Today article, click here.

If you would like your organization to be featured at next year's Community Night, call the school at 343-2480, ext. 5000.

Kolb said that "as many organizations as are interested" are welcome to participate. They use the gym, the cafeteria, the hallways and the outside area for the event, so there's plenty of room.

Construction has begun on the new playground for Robert Morris School. The funds for the new playground were the result of the school applying for and winning a grant from Pepsi Co. Today, crews are taking care of heavy-constructions issues, such as stone bedding and grading. Next Saturday, teachers and parents will get involved in installing equipment.

It's Studio Day at Robert Morris School -- a day when community members come into the school to share what they know with students, whether it be about fire fighting, skating, mask making, tennis or just having fun.

Teacher Liz Mundell said the day exposes students to career options, different kinds of hobbies or a chance for a little extra play.

"It's a different way for them to learn rather than just what they would find in a book," Mundell said.

News release from Jason Smith:

The Elba Central School Class of 2011 was honored to welcome Lt. Col. Paul Birch and 1992 Elba graduate as their guest speaker for the Sixth Annual Top Ten Dinner on June 6.

The event is held annually for the top 10 graduating students from Elba and their families to recognize their academic achievements.

Lt. Col. Birch was the guest speaker and shared with the students the importance of staying true to their values and never forgetting their hometown roots in Elba.

In his speech, he encouraged the students to apply all they learned and use their small-town values as an advantage in life.

The Elba Student Council graciously sponsored the event.

Principal Jason Smith awarded each student an honor pin in recognition of their top 10 status.

Lt. Col. Birch is an evaluator pilot with more than 1,200 combined hours in the F-15SE and was promoted to the rank of Lt. Col. on March 1, 2010.

His military decorations include the Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Medal.

On June 1, Lt. Col Birch took command of the 4th Operation Support Squadron.

Past  speakers at the annual banquet have included Maureen Torrey-Marshall, Dorothy Coughlin, Samuel Giansante, Colleen Contant and Charles Zambito.

The top 10 students this year (second row, from left): Jarad Kogut, Phil Casper, Lt. Col. Paul Birch; (first row, from left) Elizabeth White, Jenna Bird, Kelsey Scott, Crosby Lamont, Molly Geissler, Jessica Pcionek, Ashley Crnkovich. Megan Schwartzmeyer was absent.

Below, with Paul Birch and Jason Smith, is Class of 2011 President Phil Casper.

Voters will be asked to go to the polls today to cast ballots in all eight school districts for or against proposed budgets.

In Batavia, three candidates are also on the ballot to fill two board seats.

The Batavia budget calls for $39.6 million in spending and would increase school taxes by 5.75 percent.

Polls for Batavia City Schools are open from noon until 9 p.m. at Batavia Middle School, Jackson Elementary and Robert Morris School.

In Elba, Oakfield-Alabama, Pavilion and Pembroke, polls are also open from noon until 9 p.m.

In Alexander, polls are open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Byron-Bergen, polls are currently open and will stay open until 9 p.m., same as Le Roy.

Betty Zaffram celebrated her 90th birthday this afternoon with the cafeteria staff of Oakfield-Alabama Central School.

After more than 50 years of service to the school district, Betty is retiring.

She returned to work today after recuperating from surgery, just in time to celebrate her birthday with her co-workers.

Photo submitted by Bernadette Easton.

March was Arts Month and it was a busy one. Here are some snapshots of Harvester Center activities, as well as arts-related activities elsewhere in Batavia.

The Batavia Players' production of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" (Friday, March 18)

Garrison Starr performance at the Harvester 56 Theater (Thursday, March 31)

Photos submitted by Loren Penman

Starr (pictured with a wool cap) socializes during the champagne reception.

OATKA School of Glass

Photos submitted by Amanda Taylor

People learn how to manipulate glass in a kiln with the help of instructor Lance Taylor (left).

A guest instructor shows people how it's done.

A sample of a student's work.

Leadership Genesee members try their hands at glass art.

For previous coverage, see OATKA School of Glass one of Batavia's best-kept secrets.

"Anything Goes: Books and More"

Proprietor Mary Holmes showed me the above space, which she acquired this past month and which will be used for auctions, craft shows, etc.

For previous coverage of "Anything Goes," click on the following links:

Batavia siblings make a good team selling 'books and more'

Local woman opens retail store in Harvester Center

Coming Soon -- The "Moon Java Café"

(Sorry about the glare.) This is the sign for "Moon Java Café," which will be opening soon in the Harvester Center.

Meanwhile...

Student artwork display -- Richmond Memorial Library Gallery Room

The following are samples of art from Batavia students in grades K-12.

'Music in Our Schools' concert at Batavia High School (Thursday, March 31)

These songs are arranged in the order presented on Thursday night. My apologies -- it was hard to get good pictures from where I was sitting at some points.

Pembroke and Batavia came out of the quarter finals of the regional mock trial competition and are among five teams moving on to semi-finals.

Both Pembroke and Batavia's teams finished the quarter finals with a record of 2-0. Pembroke had 110 points and Batavia, 107.

The semi-finals will be held March 28 in Geneseo.

Because Avon and Byron-Bergen tied for fourth, right down to the tiebreakers, both teams will move on to the semi-finals. Typically, only four teams compete in the semi finals.

Both teams were 1-1 with 106 points.

Warsaw came in third with a record of 1-1 and 107 points.

District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, who organizes and champions the mock trials locally, said schedules have been arranged so all five teams can compete.

In round one, it will be Pembroke vs. Avon, Batavia vs. Warsaw and Byron-Bergen vs. Batavia. Round two will pit Byron-Bergen against Avon, and Warsaw against Pembroke.

The final rounds will be in Warsaw on March 30.

Photo: Maura Chmielowiec, Evan Sutherland and Patrick Flynn of the Batavia team.

Previously:

• Students compete in mock trials at Genesee County Court House
• Photos: Mock trial, Notre Dame vs. Batavia