FULTON – The Fulton City School District Board of Education met last night, June 10, via video conference where the board discussed absentee ballot voting for the district and the senior class’s graduation ceremony.
This week, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced he will issue an Executive Order extending the deadline for school districts to receive school budget ballots. To be counted, school budget ballots were able to be accepted by hand delivery through 5 p.m. on June 9 and can be received by mail through June 16 by the school district.
“Last night was our final night; we pulled the red ballot box in at 5 p.m.,” Superintendent Brian Pulvino said. “We had a lot of people return their ballots that way.”
Completed ballots can only be mailed to the district at this point until June 16. June 9 was the last day voters could request to receive an absentee ballot.
Pulvino said the district has received over 2,000 ballots so far, which exceeds the typical number of votes by far.
The district will begin tallying the votes they receive June 16 at 5:01 p.m. There will be 15 poll inspectors and the process will be live streamed for the public to watch. It is also open for the public to come in and watch, with social distancing, face masks and hand sanitizing.
The board also reviewed the process for this year’s high school graduation.
There will be a total of five ceremonies for G. Ray Bodley High School Class of 2020 graduates and families to choose from, allowing students to still graduate with their friends although they cannot graduate with their whole class.
June 20 there will be a drive-up ceremony at 10 a.m., allowing up to two cars per graduate to attend.
June 26 there will be two small ceremonies on the Athletic Field with a limit of two people per graduate, one at 5 p.m. and another at 7 p.m.
June 27 there will be two small ceremonies (also with a limit of two people per graduate), one at 10 a.m. and one at 5 p.m.
All ceremonies will be live streamed and every student will receive a recording on a flashdrive.
According to GRB Principal Donna Parkhurst, a task force consisting of staff, parents and students was formed about a month ago with the task of figuring out how to hold a graduation with 216 students during the current pandemic.
Sunday, Cuomo announced graduation ceremonies with no more than 150 people would be allowed no earlier than June 26, so the taskforce decided to add the additional ceremonies beyond the June 20 drive-up ceremony.
“We’ve allowed for a lot of flexibility and choice,” Parkhurst said. “I know it’s not what we pictured in the beginning of the year, but we are working very hard to make sure it’s special for all of our families.”
Taskforce and board member Brenda Abelgore, who is also a parent of a graduating senior, said the district is going to collaborate with Midway Drive-In to provide a night for the seniors to be able to watch their ceremonies together on the big screen.
The agenda for the June 10 meeting can be found here and the video of the full meeting can be found below.
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