January Board Briefs

At December’s Board meeting, Monica LaClair, the District’s Assistant Superintendent for Business, gave an informative presentation about the status of the District’s future Capital Project proposal, which will be presented to the public for approval on May 20. Ms. LaClair discussed potential State Aid, funds available in the District’s Capital Reserves, interest rates, annual budget savings, and more. The Board also learned the pros and cons of different funding options, previewed hypothetical funding scenarios to demonstrate how strategic planning can minimize the project’s impact on local taxes, and even looked at a strategy that could accomplish a Capital Project without an increase to the local tax levy. Once the design of the project is finalized and estimated costs are firmed up, the district will be better able to predict how a project may impact taxes. You can watch the full meeting online and we encourage you to follow the progress of the Capital Project by attending meetings or viewing them online.

Upcoming opportunities to be involved:

• February 4: Attend or view the Capital Project Update to the Board of Education (MS/HS at 6 PM)

• February 25: Participate in the Final Community Forum (MS/HS Cafeteria, 6-9 PM)

• March 4: Attend or view the Final Capital Project presentation to the Board of Education (Bennett Elementary School, 6 PM)

• May 20: Community to vote on the budget and the project (at Bennett and Woodstock Elementary Schools, from 2-9 PM)

If the project is approved, the timeline for the work is anticipated to be:

• July 2025-June 2026: Design documents will be completed. The design process will be a collaborative process that includes stakeholders.

• July 2026-January 2027: SED will review and approve the plans.

• Feb/March 2027: Bids will be issued and awarded.

• July/August 2027: Construction begins.

• July/August 2028: Construction continues.

• September 2028 Construction complete.

We’ve wrapped up our second community forum on re-imagining our school district as a centralized campus and are inspired by the valuable input, which has been essential to shaping and informing revisions to the Capital Project design plans. At the latest session, held on January 15, participants viewed the architect’s latest designs, which were refined based on feedback from those who participated in the December 3 session. Designers from CPL Architecture shared many of the proposed improvements to each building, and the campus as a whole, including optimization of campus resources for pedestrian safety and ease, improved traffic flow and parking, utilization of campus spaces for expanded recess choices, enhancements to sports playing fields, and classroom enhancements. All designs reflect the objectives for a centralized campus plan expressed in previous community input sessions that puts students first, and optimizes functionality, while still remaining fiscally responsible.

Lots of additional information from the January session is available on our website, including the facilitator's summary, architectural drafts, and a detailed analysis of school construction funding.

Information from December’s conversation is also available.

These Community Forums, which are facilitated by Sharon Lipovsky of Point Road Studios, allow everyone a safe space to have open and honest dialogue, and we encourage anyone interested to attend the last session on February 25. At this session, participants will explore funding pathways, design work will be finalized, and there will be time for community Q & A.

Budget planning for the 2025-2026 school year has begun and will continue for the next several months with the goal of continuing to support the robust educational programs offered to students in the most fiscally responsible manner possible. The administration provided a budget overview and enrollment projections at the January 14 meeting. On February 4, they will present a “rollover budget” that forecasts what it might cost to provide the same levels of programs and services that are currently offered for the next school year. This is a starting point, and the proposal will undergo many rounds of revisions and refinements before Superintendent McLaren makes a recommendation to the Board on April 1. The final proposed budget will be adopted by the Board on April 22.

This early in the process, there are several critical unknowns that are needed for planning, including the level of the tax levy limit “tax cap” and the amount of State Aid that will be available. It is also not yet known how the recommendations from the Rockefeller Institute, which was tasked with re-examining the formula for foundation aid, will impact Governor Hochul’s State Budget proposal, which is expected to be released on January 27.

Budget discussions will be a regular agenda item throughout the next several months in preparation for the public vote on May 20. A list of the anticipated topics for each meeting is available on our budget calendar. Board meetings are also recorded and posted on our YouTube channel.

The Board got a fascinating glimpse into the High School during a presentation by Principal Lance Edelman at its December 17 meeting, and learned about the wide selection of quality academic, extracurricular, and life-skill building opportunities available to students.

We were impressed to see the rich array of academic course offerings at the High School—which include 32 electives, 16 Advanced Placement courses, 8 college courses, and 20 Career Pathways through Ulster BOCES. Our Athletic Department supports 30 Varsity and Junior Varsity teams, and students have 26 extra-curricular clubs to choose from at the High School. We are proud to see that many of our older students have been engaging in valuable SEL (Social Emotional Learning) groups, with the goal of creating a culture of inclusion, and that 17 of the 19 students who opted to participate in the popular Community Mentor Program have already been placed.

Our Grade 6 students have a new opportunity to support their transition to middle school—Brainpower Bootcamp! This new program is helping to equip students with essential skills for independence and self-reliance during their first year in a dynamic new environment.

Key components include:

• Mastering classroom etiquette, active listening, teamwork, and communication.

• Staying organized with lockers, binder management, and Student Planners.

• Navigating technology with Chromebooks, Google Classroom, and Gmail.

• Connecting with School Counselors for ongoing support.

We’re so proud of their progress and can’t wait to see all they achieve by June 2025!

Grade 6 students also now have the opportunity to be identified and selected to enroll in accelerated Math in Grade 7. The accelerated program will cover both the 7th and 8th grade Math curriculum, and prepare students to take High School Algebra in Grade 8. Having this early experience will help students be better prepared for Algebra and High School advanced placement Math classes.

Families, friends, staff, community members, athletes, and students of all ages gathered for a memorable Community Night on January 17. We are so appreciative of the incredible turnout and support for our Winter athletes, coaches, club advisors, and graduating senior athletes, who all received special recognitions. Thank you to our Athletic Council and the Onteora Booster Club for putting together this well-loved community event. More than $1,900 was raised from the event, which will be used to support Onteora programming. To join the Onteora Booster Club or make a donation visit www.onteoraboosterclub.com.

Each year, the Board prioritizes its work and establishes a set of Board goals to drive its focus. Our District’s goals for 2024-2025 included:

• Culture and Climate: The Board prioritizes student well-being, and supports programs that offer academic and life skill opportunities.

• Chronic Absenteeism: The Board aims to reduce chronic absenteeism by monitoring progress through attendance records and monthly updates from the Superintendent.

• Academic: The Board works with the Superintendent to improve performance metrics and policies for student achievement.

• Fiscal Planning and Oversight: The Board will prioritize the 2025-2026 budget for student needs and long-term financial health. It will also continue progress on the unified K-12 campus plan, providing public updates.

• Communication: The Board will enhance community communication through regular updates at board meetings, monthly briefs, and quarterly newsletters.

There are many ways to connect with us and hear what has been happening in Onteora Central School District:

• Watch live or recorded Board of Education meetings on our YouTube channel.

• Email your questions or comments to us at OnteoraBOE@onteora.k12.ny.us

• Sign up for our monthly Board Briefs, which are shared with faculty, staff, families, and those community members who have signed up. If you know community members who want to stay informed, please forward this email to them. They can sign up for Board Briefs at www.onteora.k12.ny.us/mailinglist.

You can also follow the District on social media!

• Facebook at @OnteoraCSD

• Instagram at @OnteoraCSD

• YouTube at @OnteoraCSD