School Board Postpones Capital Project; Budget Process To Begin Next Month
February Mindfulness Conference Will Explore Social-Emotional Education
by Deb Alter
After the January 21 HF School Board meeting was called to order, members of the Hoosick Falls Senior Chorus performed two songs for the Board and the audience that they had sung at Carnegie Hall, “Ave Maria” and “O Holy Night.” [private]
Superintendent Ken Facin told the singers, ”You have made us so proud and you represent us so well. I know how demanding your teacher [Ambigay Yudkoff] is, and how high your standards are.” Board President Greg Laurin read from a certificate that each of the singers would be receiving from County Reps Stan Brownell and Lester Goodermote. A short celebration with punch and cookies followed. Sarah Martin, one of the chorus members said “standing on the stage at Carnegie Hall was shocking and overwhelming. “I was in awe, ” she said, “It felt really different than standing on the HFCS Auditorium stage!”
Superintendent’s Report
Facin was pleased with the PFOA public meeting that took place at the school last Thursday. About 700 people attended. “The program was about science, not politics,” he said, which he said is as it should be. He also said that the PFOA system “is not a death sentence, it can be fixed,” and added that he thought the Superfund designation is crucial to solving the problem, as it will provide resources and more. The EPA will come back and visit science classes.
Facin and the Board of Education were all in agreement that it would be prudent to postpone the proposed Capital Project while the community deals with the PFOA blow. They feel that adding another major issue on top of that would be too much. They will take care of the any necessary upgrades and safety issues within the regular budget. He noted that there is asbestos in the building and that there are other physical plant issues that need attention, but he said none of them are dire enough to require a capital project for next year.
Mindfulness Conference
A special program is planned for teachers and staff on February 1 (there is no school for students that day), with more than eighty educators from other area schools attending as well. The conference is entitled “Academic Mindfulness: Merging Social-Emotional Development and Learning.” Featured presenters are Dr. Gil Noam, Ed.D., Ph.D of Harvard University who will speak about “Developing a Social-Emotional Learning Climate in the 21st Century,” and Dr. Roberta Bennett, who is board certified in neurology and psychiatry and will talk about the neurobiology of mindful practices. The roundtable discussion, which includes additional experts in the field, will be moderated by Facin. He said that he is very excited that Hoosick Falls Central School is a leader in this area, and about hosting the conference. “Social-emotional fortitude is as important as academics,” he said.
Budget Process Beginning
Since the Governor’s State of the State Address earlier this month, the District now has some preliminary numbers to work with and Facin, Pam Hatfield, and their team will begin working on the 2016-2017 School Budget in earnest next month.
Business Administrator Pamela Hatfield said that although the Governor said in the SOTS speech that he is finally getting rid of the Gap Elimination cuts which date back to the administration of former Governor David Patterson, the new formulation still does not make up for the amount of money that the Hoosick Falls District lost when those cuts were implemented. $370,428 was lost when the Gap Elimination program was put in place, and now the District will see $160,000 restored. The District receives about $11 million in state aid, and there will be a 2% increase ($236,000) for next year. According to state formulas, HFCSD has a tax levy limitation of just .39%. Hatfield said that if income is short, they will have to make adjustments in expenditures. Facin pledged to fight for “all the aid we can get.” He pointed out that the District received more State aid in 2008-2009 than it did this year.
The preliminary Grade 7-12 Curriculum Guide was presented by Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, Patrick Dailey and High School Principal Stacy Vadney. They called the document, which took many, many hours to compile, a “living document” that will be constantly evolving as new initiative and requirements come from the State Education Department and from within the District. Basically, they said, it codifies everything that’s done in the Junior/Senior High School including graduation requirements, academic pathways and depth of offerings, and more. They also presented a preliminary Course Catalog with new course titles and descriptions that encourage students and teachers to go deeper, rather than faster in their learning and teaching practices. Dailey explained that HF is “a small school juggling so many [academic] options because we like to give our kids as many opportunities as possible.” “Other districts have simply cut back,” he added, “but we went the other way.” They also introduced some new programs that they are making available to students, counselors, and teachers that will help students identify and focus on their interests and improve the college and employment application process. They also discussed some of the technology upgrades that allow students and teachers more flexibility and access to equipment.
The pellet boiler is up and running, but still needs adjustments. It needs a new pump for water and heat exchange so that it can run at a higher capacity.
The Board approved fourteen motions involving various personnel and financial items and CSE recommendations.
The next regular meeting is February 25 at 7 pm in the high school library.[/private]