Oswego CSD Recieves Honor From NYS School Board Association

by Shea O'Malley | October 7, 2020 2:43 pm

OSWEGO – The Oswego City School District was honored by the New York State School Board Association (NYSSBA) with the Champion of Change recognition during the Oswego Board of Education meeting last night, Tuesday, October 6.

Students from the Oswego High School Interact Club designed and made blankets for infants at the Oswego Hospital Maternity Center, delivering them once completed. The Oswego High School will receive a banner showcasing the school’s significance in making a difference in the Oswego area.

“We have a special guest that is on with us tonight; Mr. William Miller who is the immediate [and] past President and the Area Five Director for the New York State School Board Association,”  Superintendent Dr. Mathis Calvin III said. “And he is here tonight to recognize our City School District here as a Champion of Change. This recognition is given to the district for its Oswego City School Baby Blanket Community Program.”

NYSSBA visits over 300 districts throughout New York State every year, searching for school communities doing unique projects that other districts haven’t been done yet. The baby blanket vision that OHS created was something NYSSBA found to be out-of-the-ordinary. Oswego High School Advisor Amy Orr leads the Interact Club at the High School.

The recognition was live-streamed, due to COVID-19 safety concerns. The Champion of Change Banner, usually given in-person, will arrive sometime within the week.

“We’re very proud that we have students like this in New York State and within our school districts,” Miller said. “It’s a great honor for us to be able to come and honor you guys and your Board for allowing this type of thing to go on, and to help sponsor it, and to help these kids to move forward. It’s a really good teaching moment for these students… Again, I just want to offer my congratulations and the Board of Directors for a great job and great kids, and the wonderful things that they’re doing making these baby blankets. With think this is very honorable and well worth giving a Champions for Change Banner.”

Extra guest speakers at last night’s meeting were Mengal, Metzgar, Barr and Company, LLP.  External Auditor Tom Zuber and CiTi Board Member Representative Brian Haessig.

Zuber spoke about results from the latest audit, resulting in a $2.1 million surplus carried over from the past year. Calvin laid out the projected use of money for the upcoming year.

“What we are recommending tonight is that we take some of this surplus to cover our COVID costs, and then the other to replenish the reserves,” Calvin said.

The Workers Compensation and Unemployment reserves are projected to be filled.

Zuber spoke about current updates at CiTi BOCES, covering the pandemic, student services and compliance with Health Department Regulations. He also discussed certification for seniors who were unable to complete last year’s requirements due to the COVID-19 closures.

“Our beginning year activities went well, and so far things have been going smoothly. We’ve figured out how to service most of our students,” Zuber said. “We are still working on taking care of the students since the end of last year and we have to figure out how to let them complete – the people that were seniors have to complete some activities and some work to get them certified in the area’s they were working on. That’s the one big thing we’ve been working on.”

Other items discussed during the Superintendent’s Report included updates on the districts reopening plans, updated New York State Health Guidelines, the Capital Improvement Project, the Marching Band and updates on the Athletic Senior Night Event.

Information from the live-streamed meeting[1] or agenda[2] can be found here, or school/COVID information can be found on the OCSD website.[3] All items on the agenda were passed. Board of Education Meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of every month.

 

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/oswego-csd-recieves-honor-from-nys-school-board-association/

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