Nearly A Million Dollars Available To Berlin CSD For Technology

by Thaddeus Flint
The May meeting of the Berlin School Board, the first after the budget and Board member elections, was a short one.
The outcome of the elections, which saw the budget and two consent agenda items easily pass, showed “true support” for the District, said Board President Frank Zwack. [private]That support translates to the building of “continuity and future goals,” added Zwack, who thanked residents (none of whom came to the Board meeting, the only non-member of staff in the room was an uncooperative robot) for taking the time to come out and vote.
The robot had come out, chaperoned by technology teacher Dawn Wetmore, to seek permission to attend EurekaFest at MIT this June, along with members of the High School’s InvenTeam. The permission was granted during consent agenda items without any discussion. The robot, funded in part by a grant from MIT to the InvenTeam, is designed to aid someone in a wheelchair in tossing and retrieving items. It usually works pretty well, but as it already had the permission it had come to get the device seemed to decide it didn’t have to cooperate any further. In that respect the robot seemed almost human.
Technological funding will also be coming to the District as a whole with New York’s Smart Schools Bond Act, which will provide $947,237 to BCS. The only thing the District needs to do to secure this money is to tell the State what they intend to do with it.
According to a Governor Andrew Cuomo press release, the funding can be used to invest “in technology such as computer servers, interactive whiteboards, tablets, desktop and laptop computers, and high-speed broadband and wireless connectivity. This technology will help students to learn at their own pace, expand access to advanced courses and interactive curriculum, and enhance communication between parents and teachers. Smart Schools funds will also facilitate necessary investments in prekindergarten classrooms, removal of classroom trailers and high-tech school security.”
That’s a big list of possibilities, which is why District Superintendent Dr. Stephen Young said he is looking to “get the public involved” in the process of determining which of these projects would best serve the Berlin District. To that end, Young is looking for a large turnout of residents at the upcoming June Round Table discussion to share their thoughts on what the District should include in its Smart Schools Investment Plan. The meeting will be held Thursday June 2 at the Berlin Middle School/ High School library starting at 7:15 pm.
Resident’s personal funding of the District, or more accurately, their possible exemptions from school taxes, was also discussed. According to the Board’s Legislative Liaison, Katie Snyder, residents should be aware that the STAR tax relief program is undergoing some changes.
New homeowners — or people who move — will receive a check for a portion of their school property taxes instead of receiving it as an upfront savings in their tax bill. If you are already enrolled in STAR and don’t move, nothing will change. You will still get the STAR exemption as an upfront exemption when you pay your school taxes in the fall.
Those who move or who are first-time homeowners will receive, starting this year, a check in September for the portion of their school taxes covered by STAR. New homeowners must register for STAR through the State Department of Taxation and Finance by July 1. Registration applications can be found online at https://www.tax.ny.gov.
The night ended with High School Principal Dr. Cathy Allain presenting the Board with a letter from the academic leaders of the administrative team in support of Middle School Principal Jason Breh.
“It is our understanding that the job of Middle School Principal is being eliminated due to student enrollment,” said Dr Allain. The financial savings of doing so, however, would allow the District to hire a Curriculum and Instructional Coordinator which was recommended by the Questar research project.
“We feel Jason Breh would be an excellent choice for this position,” said Allain.
The next monthly meeting of the School Board will be Tuesday, June 21. The night will begin at 7 pm with the annual celebration of retiring employees with the Board meeting immediately following at 8 pm.
High School graduation will be June 24 at 6 pm.[/private]