By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
On June 17, the Cazenovia school board reviewed the district’s policy regarding nonresident students.
According to Superintendent Matthew Reilly, the district is considering the elimination of tuition charges for out-of-district students and the adoption of a more restrictive policy.
For the past few years, the annual number of nonresident students in the district has been fewer than five. As a result, Reilly explained, tuition has failed to provide a significant source of revenue to the district.
“What we have traditionally asked for in terms of tuition is well below the per student cost that we incur in the district,” Reilly said.
The superintendent also noted that the district has experienced disciplinary issues with some of the nonresident students that it has accepted in the past.
“Our current policy does have some vague language about ‘students in good standing,’ . . . but that can be argued one way or another,” he said. “We have had problems with some of the [nonresident students]; they haven’t necessarily been good ambassadors for tuition students.”
After examining sample policies from other districts, the board offered suggestions for revisions to the existing nonresident student policy.
In addition to the elimination of options for tuition, the board proposed the inclusion of several provisions.
Suggested provisions include:
- Transportation will not be provided for nonresident students.
- Children of families who move out of the district after mid-year (date to be determined) may complete that year in the district.
- Students who complete grade 11 as residents, and become nonresidents thereafter, may complete grade 12 in the district.
- Students with disabilities may be permitted to enroll/remain in the district if it provides appropriate educational placement that is not available in their home-district.
- Students may remain in the district for three months following a separation/divorce.
- Current nonresident students will be “grandfathered in” and will continue to pay tuition.
Additionally, Lisa Lounsbury suggested that the district include in the policy its practice of offering tuition-free education to the children of its nonresident teachers and staff.
Facilities updates
Director of Facilities Matt Erwin provided an update on the district’s $15 million 2020 Capital Project — the first phase of the “Cazenovia 2030 And Beyond” long-range facilities plan.
According to Erwin, the district has completed the design development phase of the project. He anticipates that the construction drawings will be completed by the end of August. At that point, the drawings will be submitted to the State Education Department (SED) for approval.
“We are hoping by late December/early January to be ready to go out and bid,” he said. “Things are going really well and we are progressing nicely.”
Erwin also discussed potential options for an integrated pest management plan.
“Our current management plan is really [just] maintenance,” he said. “It’s aeration, seeding, a little bit of top dressing and rolling the fields.”
According to Erwin, the fields have been invaded by broad-leaf weed species — the concentration of which is high enough to potentially cause footing issues and attract stinging insects.
Erwin suggested that the board explore the option of treating each field with a single springtime application of a pre-emergent herbicide to “reset” the fields and facilitate the improvement of the district’s management practices.
He proposed treating the fields in sections over the course of three years to keep the expense under control and to keep the fields open for play.
“We want to make a decision prior to next spring, so we are ready to get it done as early in the season as possible before the kids are out there and before the weeds start spreading,” Erwin said.
The facilities director also discussed potential options for spot treatments in areas without student activity such as sidewalks and under the bleachers.
He noted that while the district has used Weed Slayer in the past, Roundup is a much more effective and affordable option.
“There’s a lot of controversy about [the safety] of Roundup,” he said. “I’m going to leave it up to you guys to do your own homework and make your own judgment . . .”
According to Erwin, the product would be applied two to three times a year to help with maintenance and cut down on labor costs.
“We can always choose to keep doing what we are doing and to do the best that we can,” he concluded.
In other news
The board approved the abolishment of four teaching positions — fifth grade, first grade, reading at the high school and special education at the high school.
“The abolishment of these positions doesn’t impact the educational program,” Reilly said. “They are enrollment-driven or, in the case of special ed., need-driven.”
The board approved the appointment of an art education teacher and a grade two elementary education teacher. Approval was also given for one non-instructional appointment; one social work intern appointment; 15 instructional summer school appointments; three non-instructional summer appointments; four instructional building leaders; seven instructional department leaders; three instructional curriculum chairs; one instructional substitute; one non-instructional substitute; one non-represented, non-institutional merit stipend; one non-instructional maintenance supervisor salary adjustment; seven instructional voluntary transfers; two retirements; and one resignation.
Ronald Luteran voted in opposition of the motion to approve the appointments.
Reilly announced the state’s decision to eliminate the religious exemption to vaccine requirements for schoolchildren.
The board adopted five reviewed/revised policies in the draft District Policy Manual from Erie 1 BOCES. The policy committee has been reviewing the draft manual since October 2019. The five policies were related to labor relations, requirements for graduation and health.
The superintendent presented a gift to Lisa Lounsbury, who is retiring from the school board after six years of service.
According to Reilly, Lounsbury was a leader in the fight for the elimination of the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA). Additionally, she pushed for the creation of academic pathways that allow students to challenge themselves; she advocated the inclusion of special needs students into some general education classes; and she pushed for high quality support for the district’s instructional staff.
Since Lounsbury joined the board, the district has experienced a dramatic improvement in its financial situation. She has served on the board for the passage of six consecutive operational budgets; the approval of over $25 million in capital expenditures; the near completion of the first comprehensive policy review since 1994; the purchase of 21 new school buses; the completion of a strategic planning process; the approval of 50 new teachers and 25 support staff members; and the graduation of hundreds of students.
