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DISTRICT-WIDE BULLETIN
To: From: District Employees, Volunteers and Others with District Email Accounts A. Paul Scott, Interim Superintendent of Schools, Mayfield CSD HIGHLIGHTS: BOARD OF EDUCATION ACTION, MARCH 17, 2015
At last night’s regular monthly meeting, the Board of Education: 1. Appointed Jon Peterson as Superintendent of Schools, for the period of July 1, 2015 thru June 30, 2018; and approved an employment agreement, setting forth the terms and conditions of Mr. Peterson’s employment; and authorized the Board President to sign that agreement. 2. Received and discussed a status report on statewide budget development and related statewide initiatives which would have an impact on revenues and expenditures next school year [attached]. 3. Received and discussed a status report on forecasted revenues and expenditures for 2015‐2016, along with prospective top priorities and forecasted impacts on instructional programs, support operations and staffing [attached]. 4. Approved a voluntary voter exit survey for the May 2015 annual vote and election [attached]. 5. Examined and commented on a very preliminary draft set of 2015‐2016 district goals, intended for further consideration spring and summer 2015. The Board commissioned the Interim Superintendent to move ahead with preliminary draft goal #3.1: Provide a July 2015 “Orientation to Mayfield CSD” series of events and briefings featuring student, community & employee panel presentations for the new Superintendent. 6. Adopted a 2015‐2016 general fund budget plan of $16.98M for voter consideration May 19, 2015 at the annual vote and election. The budget plan is based on the parameters the Board approved at its February 24, 2015 budget development workshop. The Board’s proposed budget plan sustains into next school year the same scope of instructional programs and support services provided this school year. Details to follow in the weeks ahead. 7. Provided a first reading of a revised draft [new] district policy 1440 – Complaints Against District Personnel [attached]. 8. Received and discussed a snapshot report on this school year’s implementing the code of conduct policies and protocols [attached]. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2015 FROM MAYFIELD CSD
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9. Received and discussed a snapshot report on preparations in elementary grades and secondary grades for spring 2015 state testing [attached]. 10. Re‐scheduled the exhibition and recognition of student work for the June 2015 regular monthly meeting, instead of the April 2015 regular monthly meeting. Doing so will better enable students, teachers and Principal to identify and/or select particular exhibits and students for such recognition. 11. Received and discussed a verbal report from the school board’s facilities committee, focused on the architectural firm’s preliminary winter 2015 buildings conditions survey on Mayfield CSD’s facilities and grounds. Respectfully submitted by A. Paul Scott, Interim Superintendent of Schools WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2015 FROM MAYFIELD CSD
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MAYFIELD CSD SNAPSHOT SUMMARY
STATE BUDGET UPDATE
MARCH 12, 2015
This report offers a mid‐March 2015 update on statewide budget development and related statewide initiatives which would have an impact on revenues and expenditures next school year at Mayfield CSD.
Prospective new or expanded APPR mandates on school districts, including possibly a mandate for independent evaluators of teachers.
Mayfield CSD is 12th most adversely impacted school district in State by the GEA, as measured by percent of budget.
One Mohawk Valley Superintendent recently stated “We are approaching a ‘tipping point’ where our community will either experience significant erosion of what’s been in place since the 1980's or the State will adequately address revenue shortages among many of its rural school districts.”
Eroding Programs and Services
Governor vs. Legislature
Governor’s budget requires legislature to enact specific education reforms in order to receive additional state aid for school districts, thereby tying the legislature’s hands when negotiating with Governor. Such an executive tactic was the subject of two year 2004 State Court of Appeals decisions.
Gap Elimination Adjustment
APPR
State Budget Deliberations
Education Tax Credit
Unknown Reforms
No State Aid Estimates
It’s unknown at this time if the various education reforms proposed by the Governor will be enacted.
As of this afternoon, Albany has not released any State Aid estimates to school districts.
A somewhat complex, multi‐faceted proposal from the Governor.
If the Governor and Legislature don’t adequately address the significant adverse impacts on Mayfield CSD of the State’s Gap Elimination Adjustment [GEA] that has siphoned away roughly $7M of Mayfield’s State Aid since year 2009, I forecast Mayfield CSD will at least strive to sustain the current year’s overall staffing patterns, expenditure patterns, student programs and support operations into the next school year. Doing so provides the new Superintendent and the Board with ample time summer/fall 2015 to examine staffing patterns, instructional programs and services with an eye toward the future of Mayfield CSD.
This infographic created March 12, 2015 by A. Paul Scott, Interim Superintendent of Schools, Mayfield CSD in New York State’s Fulton County
MAYFIELD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
FORECASTED REVENUES & EXPENDITURES FOR 2015-16
The Governor and Legislature continue their deliberations in Albany. As of
March 12, 2015 the forecast for Mayfield CSD’s 2015-16 school year
expenditures and revenues is provided below, based on examining and analyzing
dozens of recent fiscal reports, briefing papers, updates and news stories:
Revenues Forecast:
Modest increase
in State Aid.
Expenditures Forecast:
$16.98M budget, featuring a $1.1M drop in debt load. That helps offset a 16.5% hike in health insurance costs.
Budget Priority:
Sustaining programs & support services that remain in place
following five years of cuts and reductions.
New Mandates:
#1 Goal:
Continue to improve
student achievement and professional practice
associated with our P‐12 pathway of learning and instruction.
Albany’s education reforms will result in expanded
and new un‐funded mandates on public school districts.
Infographic created March 12, 2015 by A. Paul Scott, Interim Superintendent of Schools, Mayfield CSD in New York State’s Fulton County. MAYFIELD CSD VOLUNTARY VOTER EXIT SURVEY FOR MAY 19, 2015
Where did you get your information about the Budget Proposal for Mayfield Central School District? [Please check all sources that apply to you] 
Leader‐Herald Daily Newspaper  Board of Education meetings 
Amsterdam Record Daily Newspaper 
Mayfield CSD employees 
Sacandaga Express or Fulton County Express  Mayfield CSD students 
Mayfield CSD Twitter Account or Facebook Account  Friends and neighbors and family 
Mayfield CSD Budget Newsletter  Athletics events 
Mayfield CSD Web Site  Parent Association representatives I’m a Mayfield CSD voter who is also a [please check the box[es] that apply for you]:  student  parent  school employee  retired school employee or a  resident neither employed at nor retired from this school district How did you vote on the proposed 2015‐16 budget today? Yes, in favor Why did you vote as you did on the budget? (Check all that apply.) I voted YES, because: I believe the proposed budget is sound I believe the tax increase is reasonable I believe in supporting the schools I have confidence in the Board and staff I am pleased with the quality of education here Other __________________ No, opposed I voted NO, because: I believe the proposed budget is unsound I believe the tax increase is unreasonable I do not have confidence in the Board and staff I am not pleased with the quality of education here I believe the budget does not address all program needs for our students Other__________________ Recent changes to the Real Property Law now authorize local Boards of Education to provide veterans with a partial break from school district property taxes, by shifting a greater portion of the property tax levy to non‐veteran members of the school community, including some non‐veterans who are disabled and/or on fixed incomes or otherwise disadvantaged. In prior years, only other local governments [counties, cities, towns and villages] were authorized [again not obligated] to offer the partial property tax exemption to veterans. According to the New York State Department of Tax and Finance, approximately 95% of taxing entities in the State authorized the exemption. School districts could not offer it – until now. This new law leaves decisions on providing the exemption to each local school board. While this is better than having it be imposed by the Governor and Legislature, it is not an easy decision! Veterans are deserving of our respect and gratitude. Simultaneously, school boards need to be aware and concerned over the impact such an exemption would have on others. Should the Board of Education shift a greater portion of the property tax levy to non‐veterans?  Yes  No  Not Sure! Mayfield CSD 1440 Complaints About District Personnel Complaints About District Personnel
The Mayfield Central School District’s Board of Education believes that complaints about district personnel should be resolved by the individuals closest to the concern. Staff should be given every opportunity to consider issues and attempt to resolve problems. Therefore, any individual who has a complaint about district personnel should present the complaint to the following persons in the following order: 1. Staff member who is the subject of the complaint. If the complainant is a student who is uncomfortable approaching the staff member directly, the student may contact that student’s guidance counselor or Principal regarding school matters, or the CSE Chairperson for special education matters, or may contact the Athletics Director for athletics matters, or may contact the pertinent Department Head for transportation, custodial or grounds‐keeping matters. 2. If there is no resolution at step one, the complainant may contact the School Principal [school matters] or CSE Chairperson [special education program matters] or Head Mechanic [student transportation matters] or Head Custodian [facilities and grounds matters]. 3. If there is no resolution at step two, the complainant may contact the Superintendent of Schools, who may require a written statement from the complainant as a prerequisite into investigating the matter. 4. If there is no resolution at step three, the complainant may write a letter of complaint to the Board of Education, via the District Clerk, who will share the complainant’s letter with the Board of Education. The Board expects prompt and considerate treatment by district personnel of all persons making complaints. If an individual Board member receives a complaint, he/she will refrain from expressing any judgment about the complaint but will instead inform the complainant of this policy and refer the complainant to the appropriate staff member or to the Superintendent. The Superintendent will, in turn, refer the complainant to the appropriate staff member for resolution of the complaint. The Board will not permit discussion of individual district personnel at its meetings, unless and until the Superintendent and the complainant have discussed the matter and attempted to resolve any complaint. First reading March 17, 2015 Second Reading Adopted Page 1 of 1 IMPLEMENTING THE DISTRICT’S
CODE OF CODE OF CONDUCT
To: From: Date: Board of Education A. Paul Scott, Interim Superintendent of Schools, Mayfield CSD March 12, 2015 This school year is the second school year since the school board approved a significant updating of the Mayfield CSD Code of Conduct. Overall, students have been conducting themselves in courteous, productive and respectful fashion each school day. Three encouraging indicators at this mid‐point of the school year: A. Increased emphasis by administration on the particulars of the District’s code of conduct, when an administrator is discussing alleged student misconduct with a parent or guardian. B. A progressive approach to assigning consequences associated with student misconduct. C. Increased emphasis on consistency and fairness when attending to student misconduct. As with any school district enrolling 918 students in grades pre‐kindergarten through 12th, there are exceptions to good student conduct on any given day of classes: 1. Since the start of this school year, the grades 7‐12 Assistant Principal has attended to roughly 430 staff referrals regarding alleged student misconduct. 2. During that same time, the Elementary Principal has attended to roughly 150 staff referrals regarding alleged student misconduct. In the secondary grades, roughly a third of the student misconduct referrals are from a relatively small percent of the total student population. That is consistent with patterns of student misconduct in public and private schools, nationwide. The more frequent types of secondary grades student misconduct this school year include: cell phone violations, not showing up for a particular class, or not showing up for a detention period. Recently, we have experienced a modest increase in student possession of vaporizer‐type objects. That is also consistent with patterns of student misconduct in secondary schools, nation‐wide. Respectfully submitted by A. Paul Scott, Interim Superintendent of Schools MARCH 12, 2015 PUBLIC REPORT TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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PREPARATIONS FOR SPRING
2015 STATE TESTING PROGRAM
To: From: Date: Board of Education A. Paul Scott, Interim Superintendent of Schools, Mayfield CSD March 12, 2015 Administrators and faculty members are well underway with preparations for the annual spring implementation of the State’s student testing program. Examples: A. De‐briefing on last spring’s implementation of the State’s testing program; B. Planning re‐deployment of 125 student desks for 7th and 8th grade test administration in the cafeteria. C. Engaging with special education department staff members regarding individualized test accommodations for students identified by the Committee on Special Education as having one or more disabilities. D. Cleaning and organizing the secondary grades vault room to better accommodate the various State tests and State field tests we will be required to store and track during spring. E. Preparing to offer parents updated information by email listserv from school offices. F. Seeing to it teachers have access to digital copies and/or print copies of the State’s test administration manuals. Principals will be prepared to respond to any questions regarding the upcoming spring 2015 administration of State tests. Respectfully submitted by A. Paul Scott, Interim Superintendent of Schools MARCH 12, 2015 PUBLIC REPORT TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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