OSWEGO – Finances and conflicts during the school day were two of the main topics discussed at the Oswego City School District Board of Education meeting held on Tuesday, November 16. The meeting was called to order at 5 p.m. with all members in attendance.
Dr. Mathis Calvin III began the meeting with the Superintendent’s report by congratulating the students on their recent theatre production, “Check Please,” which was presented to the public in a socially distanced manner. Calvin also took time to thank the staff members who helped make the production of the performances possible.
He then shared information regarding budget development, noting that the goals for the upcoming budget are for it to be fiscally sound, flexible, foolproof, meaning that the budget would be able to provide for emergencies should they occur, flowing, meaning that enough funds should be available in the event that state aid being withheld, and aligned with the district’s strategic plan, and that the budget considered the district’s long term perspective.
Meetings with principals and department heads are underway to plan fiscally for the 2022-2023 school year. Calvin noted that starting early on this process was found to be good practice in previous years. A chart illustrating account streams was shared with the board in an effort to clarify the allotment of funds to the many departments of the district.
The board discussed the annual increase in the budget (usually around 3%), and the possibility of “tapping the brakes” on budget growth.
Board members questioned the fact that OCSD’s budget is often larger than many similarly sized districts. Calvin noted that the district is now engaged in studies that will hopefully shed light on this issue.
Calvin then shifted the topic to conflict in the district, specifically physical and verbal confrontations taking place during the school day or on school property. He shared that the first few weeks of the school year were quite busy with conflict issues, some of which started before schools reconvened and then spilled over into the school year.
According to the Superintendent, things have quieted down in the last few weeks, as some of these issues have been resolved. Most of the altercations have occurred at the high school. Calvin shared a graphic with the board outlining the root causes of these problems, which include the loss of routine caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdows and school closures, trauma and isolation inflicted on families during the pandemic, and developmental delay related to children not being able to attend in person school.
Calvin stated that the district is providing professional development for staff as well as workshops for parents to help address these issues. Social workers and counselors have been deployed to help students and families. He said that the district is employing a “pause and re-teach” strategy to help students that are struggling with the return to a normal school schedule.
HE said that school sponsored vaccination clinics should increase the number of protected individuals and reduce some pandemic related stress and resulting conflicts. The superintendent noted that some aspects of the school day may never return to “normal.” The employment of additional hall monitors is being considered.
Some of the conflicts creating disturbances in school are rooted in misuse of social media, and Calvin listed several ways that the district is promoting responsible use of social media platforms. Lack of stamina, caused by shorter school days and students not being physically in school was also listed as a cause of conflict.
The winter sports season is underway at OCSD, running from November through February, and Calvin shared a list of sports that are considered high risk for the transmission of COVID-19. He said that masking and sanitizing would be required, and that athletes would be encouraged to undergo testing and vaccination to lower the risk for all involved.
A sports related COVID-19 outbreak would bring about a pause in the sports schedule, and the superintendent is recommending that the district not hold any tournaments this school year. Board members unanimously agreed to this proposal.
A presentation by the district’s attorney relating to a proposed wind farm located in the Town of Scriba followed. Green Street Power Partners plans to convert existing farmland into an array of solar panels, and the district recommends filing for a P.I.L.O.T. (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement to increase revenue collected.
The board voted on the consent agenda and passed several items including,
- Personnel, the acceptance of a resignation and a volunteer coach
- Support staff, several new hires, a resignation and a leave of absence
- Finance, the acceptance of donations to the district by Excelon, Moose Lodge 743, and the authorization of refunding school district bonds
- An agreement for a professional development book study
The board then discussed the hiring of new administrators in the areas of reading and math. Several board members voiced the opinion that the monies allocated to the salaries of new administrators would be better spent to hire more teachers and coaches.
Calvin said that he feels strongly that the district needs more help in the areas of reading and math. The superintendent stressed that he feels that the district needs more oversight in these areas.
The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting can be found here. The next scheduled meeting will be held Tuesday, December 7 at 5 p.m. The meeting can be viewed virtually on the WBUC YouTube channel.
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How about during the meeting at the 1 hour and 3 minute mark when the district lawyer mentions the name of someone in litigations currently with the district. This can’t be good in public session or how two board of ed members are talked down to in the final minutes for calling out the fact that without a proposal three positions were created. Good valid points by two members who were talked down to for asking for clarification on how last week nothing shows on the posted board agenda or minutes about these positions. The final minutes were entertaining and Fran Hoffer wasn’t even involved.