OSWEGO, NY – A motion to reduce the Oswego City School District’s administrators by four failed Tuesday night.
Board president Dave White made the recommendation. It was the same motion the board considered earlier this spring during the budget process.
The resolution came about at the time the board was considering whether to repurpose an elementary school. That would have eliminated one administrative position.
There were also looking to cut the director of security position among others.
The board, however, decided to pick another budget option, Superintendent Bill Crist noted.
Therefore, the principal position was maintained.
“When the board adopted the final budget they did eliminate the director of grants and partnerships,†Crist said. “The board chose to eliminate the School Resource Officer instead of the director of security. So, I was somewhat taken aback when at the reorganizational meeting there was interest to go back and revisit a resolution that had been settled and put to bed with the adoption of the budget that we’re living with right now.â€
“If you’re putting something like this on the agenda tonight, to just look at it and say reduce a total of four administrative positions (you have to ask) what administrative positions,†board member Tom DeCastro noted. “I can’t vote on this unless I know what the four are.â€
Board member Jim Tschudy said he believed the matter was closed with the adoption and public approval of the 2010 – 2011 budget.
Board member Sam Tripp agreed.
“I do tend to agree, too,†White said. “We did go through all of this; we did reach some agreement on these things.â€
“We need to reduce. Our job as a board is to give direction to the school district,†board member Fran Hoefer said. “We’re over-staffed with administrative personnel. I’m totally in favor of this motion and I’m going to keep bringing it back up.â€
Hoefer was the only member to vote in favor of the motion.
White, Tripp, DeCastro, and Kathy Allen voted against it.
After the vote, White quipped, “I just voted against something I recommended.
John Dunsmoor, board vice president, didn’t attend the meeting due to a family matter.
The board lumbered through a lengthy agenda voting on numerous other personnel matters, including appointing a new district attorney.
Ferrara, Fiorenza, Larrison, Barrett & Reitz, a Syracuse law firm was approved 6-0-1.
The firm will represent the district for the 2010-11 school year effective as of Aug. 25 at a negotiated rate.
“I would like to extend a thank you to Mr. Michael Stanley who served as our district attorney in excess of 20 years,†Crist said. “Michael provided great insights for us as a board and as a school district.â€
He added that the new firm “is comprehensive and very capable.â€
The district received four responses from interested law firms, two of which were from the Oswego area.
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