[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6179453,"mediaKeyId","5128595-9e72a99fc63d0e12b4e0318383a09317","parentId",5128595,"title","Board begins public discussion of moving 6th grade to main campus as enrollment declines","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",5327000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5128595-9e72a99fc63d0e12b4e0318383a09317&start=5327&end=5327","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5128595-9e72a99fc63d0e12b4e0318383a09317/thumbnail_5327000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6179453/New-York/Board-begins-public-discussion-of-moving-6th-grade-to-main-campus-as-enrollment-declines","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6179453-6b93060b23944cbab759c9657c6251cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166523&Signature=TAoRaSYnJCBU9hvh-KfMiuwka9JVCIhCjUnUpEzGHpSb8rJ3qKyxLa4o9wtH~V5g8I1zbQyh--ofT~epKFDzI0QUAqmw4VATd1PWBEfO8cZ5HCUB0kE5Wd5rUanoF3ijZgsTwj~sHVRVQmtS0H2PwI7hH8dxNWDKwXOGO5A07TiIb3o1wBQxHBr~ZoQIImGY5CYOV7ywJORILSJQDdkKkLcqwYCIvb6Yd0n9OWIbxaKOOdrBIjvTtQ5j6Q1MCBah50mzLIvsCYbrLHKq368XPnDl5GuXTvBb8ThQKBhUqZoiHWvjFyG1DcxEKLeOD-~7jj3hnPinM0eJEVrePxjP1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Saugerties Central School District","date","2025-06-11T00:00:00Z","article","The Saugerties Central School District Board discussed a possible grade‑configuration change on June 10: moving sixth graders from elementary buildings to the main campus to create a consolidated middle‑school model.

Board members said the idea responds to multi‑year enrollment decline and available space at the main campus. A staff member who addressed the board summarized recent enrollment counts to provide context: the district’s total enrollment in 2004 was reported as 3,425 students, 2,270 in 2023–24, and about 2,282 in the current year. The presenter said grades 7–12 on the main campus had 1,755 students in 2004 and 1,130 last year; K–6 enrollment declined from about 1,670 in 2004 to about 1,140 last year. Board members concluded that those declines have created capacity and raise the question of whether shifting grade organization would better align space, staffing and programming.

Administrators and board members stressed this is an early, high‑level conversation rather than a finalized plan. They noted the State Education Department requires districts to submit grade reconfiguration applications by March of the year prior to implementation, so timeline planning must begin well before a target start date. Several board members recommended commissioning a formal enrollment study to analyze birth rates, housing occupancy and projected student yields from local development before deciding on a configuration and timeline.

Board members also emphasized the need for broad stakeholder engagement — teachers, families, building principals and community members — and suggested a phased approach that could be approved in a single voter proposition but executed across summers to avoid repeated votes and community fatigue. No formal motion or vote was taken; the board asked administration to draft a proposed planning path and committee structure for review at a future meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Saugerties Board of Education Meeting 6/10/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Board members opened discussion of an instructional‑model change to relocate sixth graders to the main campus (a 6–8 or 6–12 model), citing long‑term enrollment declines and a window for state notification; administrators recommended a formal enrollment study and a phased, consultative planning process.","taxTitle","SAUGERTIES CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",42774,"location","New York","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6179456,"Board hears first reading of state‑mandated electronic device policy; code of conduct and safety plan updated",529,7039000,7568000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5128595-9e72a99fc63d0e12b4e0318383a09317&start=7039&end=7568","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5128595-9e72a99fc63d0e12b4e0318383a09317/thumbnail_7039000.jpg","/articles/6179456/New-York/Board-hears-first-reading-of-statemandated-electronic-device-policy-code-of-conduct-and-safety-plan-updated","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6179456-e338744d80b0efb8284f49774a11c5c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166523&Signature=WqDSkAe10e3raOb~NByc7n6-Lv1fOX-cauIENhBzwhk5jw9~fjcwQGaKRXcwkOlvZN3LJ1viY5sXLxezpXNbn6Pr5wcbdLILySevoLXra4IZG18~LmOYxgzohlPSQ8UAyY4YVNUj6IN88smZwqRPr9HsouPTrRTxMdCIB3iyly~yJiJWmwAOKavG0bJtGX1Htpc9Y0z2hz0~OPG87OZ7kXOzrPLsitYX-LNB-pYA7E7TRal5HB5aHNDc09GMbDzmNLDL82~nWXtD7bjrOomLIp9Vk~rcK7KzTYQ57cL~932-lNpbLC5RqeD54wYgPlU303XhgFs-EGxTyBFNcSfuPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Saugerties Central School District Board reviewed a first reading of a state‑mandated policy on cell phones and other electronic devices and discussed related updates to the district code of conduct and safety plan at the June 10 meeting.

District administrators told the board the state requires districts to adopt an electronic‑device policy by Aug. 1; the district released the draft policy to email recipients and asked for public feedback before the policy committee’s July meeting and a July 8 board consideration. The draft would generally require secondary students to keep phones, earbuds and smartwatches stowed during instructional periods; the district plans to provide Yondr‑style pouches for secondary students and to keep devices in students’ backpacks at the elementary level. Exceptions would be made for students with medical plans or 504 accommodations, administrators said.

The draft policy and the updated district safety plan also reference emergency procedures: administrators said devices should be stowed during lockdowns or other emergencies, because live messaging from students can complicate response and interfere with law‑enforcement operations. The safety‑plan updates add earthquake guidance and explicit language that classroom doors should be closed and locked during the school day; administrators acknowledged that some rooms with heat issues may require remediation strategies, and the board discussed measures the district has taken to address classroom temperatures (including targeted window AC purchases and facilities work for the 600 wing).

The district also proposed changes to the code of conduct to clarify building‑level infractions and to set an appeals timeline. Under the proposed update, appeal hearings that reach the board would be scheduled within 10 calendar days of an appeal, replacing the older practice of waiting until the next scheduled board meeting. Administrators described the code changes as practical clarifications to align with recent incidents and to make disciplinary categories clearer for staff and families.

Board members encouraged public input — noting that the policy and code revisions were developed in committee and that community members, teachers and parents attend policy meetings — and repeated that draft language will return to the policy committee in July for revision before a final board vote.

No final vote was taken at the June 10 meeting; administrators asked the public to submit feedback during the summer so the policy committee could refine language ahead of the August implementation deadline.","The board’s policy committee presented a first reading of a state‑mandated electronic‑device policy to be adopted by Aug. 1, alongside proposed updates to the district safety plan and code of conduct that add locked‑door procedures, appeals timelines and guidance on electronic devices during emergencies.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6179461,"District leaders describe “Sawyer” instructional model, micro‑credentials and expanded literacy support",2186,4521000,6707000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5128595-9e72a99fc63d0e12b4e0318383a09317&start=4521&end=6707","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5128595-9e72a99fc63d0e12b4e0318383a09317/thumbnail_4521000.jpg","/articles/6179461/New-York/District-leaders-describe-Sawyer-instructional-model-microcredentials-and-expanded-literacy-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6179461-0f459fa400407ca1ade87abe1d3ac323/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166523&Signature=ncYAAAfpxpa2vqjr2CAAMPj0HdddCBgVvaDJckPSpeBNLXXaApDGgrdGr36IESbT5yPbO4dCoZJ8pTGXZpAgOATPr83uEtX0eIP2pF~PO~SQnV45w2Kbn8FvtY~r~GYvJvrwaQSVRAfsrb3U7uO3FayNStoCYsd3NgAQPQAKo8X7Cb-lOIH2---ziq0H8VzTlN9XT8dvwcvXVpHub0dgcvMOfs7t2Wv2mQpxvneSVhjTvyZVNC~dTDH7LGn~umHWjkehHkEIllnMAXGwnoKg1gLUpyWBZdW6kcVaLF92lfzE4XM7CmE3G0pwDkQtM64WS88-lrClHt2wXkx3UE8tPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District instructional leaders presented a broad update on curriculum, literacy and teacher professional learning at the June 10 board meeting, describing a multi‑year effort the district calls the \"Sawyer experience.\"

The presentation, led by the district administrator identified in the record as Doctor Rohrbach, laid out three core priorities — engagement, equity and empowerment — and described classroom‑level changes, professional development and student outcomes the district is tracking. Rohrbach said the district finalized a portrait of a graduate (listing competencies such as global awareness, content literacy, critical thinking, communication, civic responsibility and resilience) and created an engagement continuum to clarify what “investing” and “driving” learning look like in classrooms.

Rohrbach described a number of specific investments and programs: professional learning tied to the Blueprint for Excellence and science‑of‑reading work; restorative practices; MTSS (multi‑tiered systems of support); project‑based learning pilots; and a teacher micro‑credential program that offers teachers up to 35 in‑service credits for completing modules on engagement, equity and writing instruction. She said about 80% of students had completed the i‑Ready diagnostic at the time of the presentation.

A district reading specialist, Hope Craft of Riccardi Elementary School, described work with the Wilson Reading System and curriculum mapping. Craft said the Wilson training is intensive and year‑long and that students receiving Wilson instruction showed measurable growth on the program’s step‑based assessments; she said the Wilson program is targeted at students with language‑based difficulties such as dyslexia. Craft also summarized takeaways from a Grading for Equity module and said the district‑run micro‑credential training has been directly applied in her classroom.

Rohrbach and staff said the district expanded reading specialist coverage so that each elementary building now has a reading specialist, and they framed literacy screening, targeted interventions and alignment of assessments as the work for the upcoming summer. The presentation highlighted student presentations of learning in the junior high and a science research program at the high school run in partnership with the University at Albany.

Teachers and district leaders said they are using learning walks, coaching and shared professional agendas to create common language and expectations across buildings. The presentation included classroom examples such as first‑grade students who set daily learning goals and peer feedback routines and a first‑grade peer feedback video shown to the board.

No formal action was taken; the presentation was informational and intended to document progress and set priorities for the district’s instructional work next year.","District administrators presented a year‑long effort to boost engagement, equity and empowerment — dubbed the Sawyer experience — that includes a portrait of a graduate, teacher micro‑credentials, project‑based learning pilots and expanded Wilson Reading support for students with reading disabilities.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6179466,"Municipal advisor outlines debt, building-aid scenarios for possible Saugerties capital vote",1751,1739000,3490000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5128595-9e72a99fc63d0e12b4e0318383a09317&start=1739&end=3490","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5128595-9e72a99fc63d0e12b4e0318383a09317/thumbnail_1739000.jpg","/articles/6179466/New-York/Municipal-advisor-outlines-debt-building-aid-scenarios-for-possible-Saugerties-capital-vote","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6179466-0179b8dd4b9b4ed8bb70345a283c9eee/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166523&Signature=OOAnt0PBvn78zRbjFe0N9rP7YnoUMJj5vpDT~2BLSvliIaU3cTpvc1BIGuJ5vXYX8DK~M2cnwknDmu3yeKZBFWSJws5-W5iUHsulNa1DXzzzWDyNffbBheo43korSlymtPr-89EId~f5lTYh4Yx2tZzFy06ForEYkrbfX9gHsZSFUGWzjYw3prAm~4EE0nrbfieKGbNyvsVRPCH7Of-1we5m5AHdOUG3tcfikn-6C99DGctonTu6bOmzKssr0xl8Sas4OrvJ3hfrybElHvw9Xdq-sKi8Ux9IQ-xllbGnEvr8fAdEkgzNai0QoLc-hGW8j8kV3KlJ382kzgYAAuzMkg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Saugerties Central School District’s municipal advisor briefed the board on options for a potential voter-approved capital project and long-range debt plan at the June 10 meeting.

Chris DiCarlo of the district’s municipal advisory firm presented assumptions, timelines and two scenarios that used the district’s capital reserve (approximately $4.7 million) to maximize New York State building aid and avoid raising the local tax levy. DiCarlo told the board the district’s current building aid ratio is 66% and that he had modeled a high-aidable scenario (95% of project eligible for aid) and a lower-aidable scenario (70% eligible) to illustrate how project scope and incidental/site costs affect the local share.

DiCarlo outlined key assumptions and dates: a targeted voter date of December 2027, submission and State Education Department (SED) approval in 2029, first short-term borrowing near the start of construction in 2029–30, and a debt service schedule that begins interest payments in 2030 and principal repayments in 2031 under the sample timeline he presented. He used conservative interest-rate assumptions (about 5% for notes, 6% for bonds) and noted that federal changes to tax-exempt bond status could change market rates; as a mitigation option he mentioned issuing through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) as a pooled financing alternative.

Under the 95%-aidable scenario, DiCarlo said the district could structure a larger project while keeping the local capital levy near an anticipated post‑2029 “drop-off” level (the presentation showed local capital levy roughly flat at the then-current level of about $720,000). Under a 70%‑aidable assumption — reflecting higher incidental or site work that is not fully reimbursable — the maximum project size falls substantially (DiCarlo cited a modeled project of roughly $14.2 million under the lower-aid scenario).

Board members pressed for details about timing, credit rating options and the SED approval process. DiCarlo said SED review timelines vary, that third‑party reviews can speed approvals but add reimbursable costs, and that the district’s current outstanding bonds are through a pooled conduit financing. He also explained the constitutional debt limit (calculated from equalized property values) and said the district’s debt capacity analysis would consider the local share that could be absorbed without increasing the tax levy.

No board action was taken; the presentation was framed as planning and information-gathering. DiCarlo and district staff recommended further work with the district’s facilities team and architects to identify a project scope, to confirm aid‑eligible elements and to run detailed cash‑flow and borrowing models (including phased construction options) before the board sets a proposition for voters.

The presentation referenced the district’s prior $22 million capital project that will fall off the state aid ceiling later in the decade, which affects available aid ceilings; DiCarlo said aligning project timing with that reset would help maximize state reimbursement.","The district’s municipal advisor presented financing scenarios showing how a voter-approved capital project could be structured to fit within an anticipated local tax levy “drop-off,” using $4.7 million in capital reserves and two building-aid eligibility assumptions (95% and 70%).",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_46":117,"_48":118,"_50":119,"_52":120,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":121,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":122,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6179471,"Residents ask Saugerties school board to reinstate SRO Travis Winchell after disciplinary incident",546,636000,1182000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5128595-9e72a99fc63d0e12b4e0318383a09317&start=636&end=1182","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5128595-9e72a99fc63d0e12b4e0318383a09317/thumbnail_636000.jpg","/articles/6179471/New-York/Residents-ask-Saugerties-school-board-to-reinstate-SRO-Travis-Winchell-after-disciplinary-incident","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6179471-ea1438da541f0f28a086a60090f17630/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166523&Signature=GnPoZdmuPsjBhqJTr9emu5pbzV3A~8m5Ox-gee99gnHrj4c19dVzI1X1Dlo663sc7FM~mvnFoSG8rbA9sAGLVbCN9NeIjU93M6OHWnrpnAkSpASJxossYcQjFsRbyXal2r3khathgR9Ph632BS1d5Wj2waGo5167jXxgCTcmhhXgVrVU4qnfqS6tsj5Fri-MOt6yR7cXx~x96GJGO5DqU6VwSxRsHykPpyHbpX8jJk3j6XaqU30PF9ebjeedZ7uvvfADLaitnubInmqvarvhIWcGYRJdk7INdtBjybnCNxU9uNBBG5FA-V4wEvEoKmIulbGo-nO3ihDTL0Sd5J~lBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","More than 650 people signed a petition asking the Saugerties Central School District Board to reinstate School Resource Officer Travis Winchell at the high school, residents said at the board’s June 10 meeting.

The request came during the meeting’s public comment period, when residents were permitted to speak on any topic. Allison, identified in the record only by her first name, read a petition letter representing “over 650 concerned petitioners” and asked the board and the superintendent to return Officer Winchell to his prior assignment.

The petition letter said Officer Winchell had worked in the district eight years and \"earned the trust and respect of our students, the staff, and these families,\" and that the SRO’s role was to support safe resolutions when situations escalated. Allison said the community had not received \"clear or official communication from the district\" about a recent disciplinary incident involving Winchell and a student and said that lack of information had fostered speculation and distrust.

A second public commenter, Jillian Lopez, identified herself as a Saugerties High School alumna (class of 2023) and a current college student. Lopez said Winchell had personally helped her return to schoolwork during COVID-related shutdowns, providing physical space and academic support and spending his own money on occasional lunches for students who used the lobby to keep up with remote classes. \"Officer Travis Winchell goes above and beyond in every part of his duty,\" Lopez said, describing Winchell’s support as critical to her staying in school and graduating.

Speakers stressed that they understand confidential student matters may limit what the district can say about personnel or disciplinary details, but they pressed for more transparency about any change to the SRO assignment. The petition letter urged the superintendent and the board to clarify whether disciplinary actions against the student had been taken under the district’s code of conduct, and whether removal or reassignment of an SRO had occurred.

The public comment period did not produce a board response or a motion related to the SRO position. The board’s earlier remarks about the public comment rules reiterated that the session is for comments only, not for questions-and-answers; the board said it would record questions raised and follow up where appropriate, while preserving confidentiality for personnel or student matters.

No district official provided additional detail about the alleged incident at the time public comments concluded, and no board action on the SRO assignment was recorded in the meeting minutes.","More than 650 petitioners and multiple speakers urged the Saugerties Central School District Board on June 10 to reinstate School Resource Officer Travis Winchell, citing long-standing relationships with students and concerns about transparency after an unspecified disciplinary incident.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board begins public discussion of moving 6th grade to main campus as enrollment declines

Board hears first reading of state‑mandated electronic device policy; code of conduct and safety plan updated

District leaders describe “Sawyer” instructional model, micro‑credentials and expanded literacy support

Municipal advisor outlines debt, building-aid scenarios for possible Saugerties capital vote

Residents ask Saugerties school board to reinstate SRO Travis Winchell after disciplinary incident