Warwick School District Looks at Universal Pre-K

By Lisa Rice

The Warwick Valley Central School Board approved a consent agenda that included a bid authorization for universal Pre-K during their School Board meeting on Thurs., May 6. 

“The District is looking into offering a universal Pre-K program starting in the fall of 2021,” said School Board President Sharon Davis. “Federal aid is available to offset some of the costs.” 

The District currently has $415,000 in Federal aid available. In order to receive the full amount, the District must service 77 students. The program can happen in one of two ways: either by developing an in-house program or partnering with local, universal preschool daycare centers.

Davis stated that developing an in-house program would require finding space for the program and would also take away potential business from the local preschool centers. The board is currently gathering information and requesting input from local centers. Requests for Proposal will be available in the coming days and applications must be received by July 31 from interested Pre-K centers. 

Students will be required to attend school a minimum of five days, five hours per day for a minimum of 180 days with a class size limit of 20. There are currently four centers in Warwick offering Pre-K: The Village Childcare Services, The Kids Clubhouse in Pine Island, Rhythm & Rhyme and The Warwick Daycare Center. If a partner center is chosen, students would register through the school district and the center would have to abide by the same restrictions as if the program were being held in-house.

Public Hearing on 2021-2022 School Budget

Superintendent Dr. David Leach provided the seventh and final overview of the proposed $98,620,042.00 for the 2021-2022 school year. Leach started his presentation by restating that the primary goal is always to enhance educational experiences for the students while remaining under the budget cap. 

“Portrait of a Graduate” goals set in 2016 is a list of attributes that were most valuable to prepare students for graduation from high school, whether it be in higher education or in joining the military or workforce. This standard is used in development of programs and opportunities within the district. Details of “Portrait of a Graduate” is on the district website, as are all seven budget presentations.

The District is planning to fully re-open this coming fall and has made the appropriate budget considerations to be able to do so safely and effectively. The proposed budget is allotted as follows: instructional: 57.53%, benefits/debt services: 29.31%, general support: 8.78%, and transportation: 4.37%. The District is required to break the budget into three segments: program, administration, and capital. The proposed budget includes an increase of $3,797,476 in program, $134,905 in administration costs and an increase in capital of $247,267. Despite these increases, due to larger than expected Federal aid, there will be a zero percent increase in the tax levy.

If the proposed budget is defeated, the District can either put it out for a revote, or adopt a contingency budget. A contingency budget includes a tax levy no higher than the previous year, restriction of equipment purchases and charging facilities usage fees to all outside groups. A contingency budget would require the district to make an additional $300,000 in budget cuts.

Reopening Update for Secondary Schools

High School Principal Marguerite Fusco reported that the reopening is going very well and that most students have decided to return to in-person classes. 

“It’s nice to see a lot of life in the hallways,” said Fusco. “At lunchtime, the kids are going outside. They still have some designated areas where they’re allowed to sit, but I feel like they’re all opting to go outside for the most part. The teachers are really happy to be back in school and seeing all their kids.”

Seventh & Eighth Graders Enjoy Being Back at School

“At the Middle School, things are going great so far,” reported Secondary Associate Principal Jared Yapokowitz. “The eighth graders get the opportunity to go down towards the track and the football stadium, so they get to eat on the bleachers and it’s kind of their moving up piece. The seventh graders are out in the bus lot across from the high school. They were seeing some people that they haven’t seen in quite a long time.”  

Following the updates, Dr. Leach stated that he is just waiting a little while longer for guidance from the CDC and Governor Cuomo before formalizing end of the year events.

Board Advocates Repeal of SALT Cap

Reporting on Advocacy, board member Lynn Lillian stated that it’s been a bit slow but that they’re currently talking about Congress having the opportunity to repeal the SALT cap, which is a limit on what can be deducted on income taxes.

“That really impacted places in states that have higher property tax significantly,” said Lillian. “Back when we were doing fair funding, the GEA [Gap Elimination Adjustment] was directly taking millions of dollars away from us in state aid, so it was a really direct connection to our district and the fiscal health of our district. So that lobbying was pretty clear in the sense that the couple years we spent doing it really paid off when the GEA was eliminated. This is a little more circular, but it still significantly impacts educational funding because we’re funded through property tax. That’s a secondary strain on school districts and an immediate strain on taxpayers. We’ll be calling our representatives to let them know that we strongly support the repeal of that cap and putting the same kind of pressure on them to have them basically make the right decision.”

Internal Audit & Repairs to Park Ave. Elem.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Tim Holmes reported that the internal auditors were in at the end of April to do the annual risk assessment and select a particular area to audit. This year they audited health services payments made by both the retirees or active employees, reviewing it to make sure the proper payments are being taken out. The report is expected late May or early June.

Additionally, speaking about facilities, Holmes stated that repairs have begun on the room damaged by a car accident at Park Avenue Elementary and should be completed within two to three weeks. He also reported that for the High School Emergency Boiler, they are working on getting the specs and will then go ahead and replace that boiler.

Report from Student Board Member

Student board member Simone Sullivan reported that the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society both had their induction ceremonies at outdoor events. She also stated that SADD will be holding an “Escape the Vape” cornhole tournament on May 24 through May 27 for students, teachers and administrators.

In addition, Sullivan reported that 26 students from Warwick are participating in the Congressional Art contest to be crowned Facebook Fan Favorite and have their artwork displayed for a year at the U.S. Capitol and will be recognized at the annual awards ceremony. Also, H.S. seniors are being recognized with certificates announcing their future plans, decorating doorways and having photos taken. Awards night will be held on Wed., June 2.

New Math Series Approved for Grades K-8

The Board approved a motion to purchase new math series textbooks for grades K-8. Board President Sharon Davis explained that for years the District used the Envision math program, which is a Pearson program for grades K-4. The publisher is no longer offering this program. In addition, the Go Math program previously offered to grades 5-8 is being updated to a new program called Into Math. The Into Math program will be offered to all students in grades K-8, with the exception of the PIE program which will be using a new math series called Math Expressions, which is a multi-age textbook.

21-22 Calendar & Board Schedule Approved

The 2021-2022 school calendar was accepted by the board. The first day of school will be Thurs., Sept. 2. The annual school board organizational meeting will be held on Thurs., July 1 and the board approved the meeting schedule for the 2021-2022 school year.

While the district is holding their meetings via Zoom, they are available for viewing in their entirety on the district’s YouTube channel. The next meeting will be held on Thurs., June 3 at 7 p.m.