[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":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,"_75":74},"mediaId",6509770,"mediaKeyId","5419723-8d3465192aa433fadacb843ec833c36f","parentId",5419723,"title","Schenectady board approves three-year public services agreement with city covering police, fire and community engagement officers","audioSeconds",3194,"startMs",501000,"endMs",3695000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5419723-8d3465192aa433fadacb843ec833c36f&start=501&end=3695","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5419723-8d3465192aa433fadacb843ec833c36f/thumbnail_501000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6509770/New-York/Schenectady-board-approves-three-year-public-services-agreement-with-city-covering-police-fire-and-community-engagement-officers","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6509770-7a159a39ba33945d343cbc128c8bdecf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167391&Signature=OJHEwIQNSoMsEZ-lJHuAR1RJyMancl68yZbfClv9OmfVLPXehBh7TZBD4goGiw~wPDOVgdfgaylmyf4hXXkspE17yW6ZQrZQwr1meQYUV-RJdgMAKab0sajLpUgtgXPkS65uF3hdn62fhVW04IUlax7jXsZhegnI-CCbG7pLRz2Lp-Yxbj-vzBdbG6HK5zJBVrD0wQM5bfUqpVpVsw7wYuXALyO3Oy7WG25edwSpdn8lnXIwWsNIdXSikfiSgwk~4qsiLycpDgaWKOpRTNX5VMj49VU1CAzMaHnfRgEYncQbwJJDEd74iZum6eE0vrvZ3Saom2vblIEID4BIBJwUtg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Schenectady City School District","date","2025-07-17T08:20:52.01Z","article","Schenectady — The Schenectady City School District Board of Education voted 4–2 with one abstention on July 16 to approve a three-year public services agreement with the City of Schenectady that combines police and fire services, funds community engagement officers (CEOs) assigned to schools and adds programs intended to link students to law enforcement and emergency-services careers.

The agreement is billed as a “city services” contract that replaces and expands the district’s prior police-only arrangement. Speakers at the board meeting said the contract adds the fire department to the scope, formalizes the CEO program, clarifies responsibilities for false alarms and extracurricular coverage, and includes Pathways initiatives to introduce students to careers in policing, firefighting, EMS and related fields.

Board members and staff described the contract as a single, lump-sum arrangement intended to simplify prior separate bills for officer coverage at events, false-alarm responses and other city-provided services. Deputy Superintendent Joe DiCaprio and Director of School Climate and Safety Jeff Russo said the contract also shifts language away from “zero tolerance” disciplinary phrasing toward a relationship framed around engagement, support and shared responsibility.

“...we’ve shifted away from punitive zero-tolerance approaches toward a model rooted in partnership, support, and respect,” Russo said during the presentation. The contract also proposes clearer protocols for body-worn camera footage and roles for an investigator who can respond inside schools.

Chiefs from both departments described program elements the board called Pathways. Police personnel described the LEAP (Law Enforcement Engagement Program) club and school trips that introduce students to patrol, investigations, courts and allied careers; the fire department said it wants to expand annual fire-safety visits, provide CPR and Stop the Bleed training, and pursue an EMT pathway tied to a potential CTE program.

Chief Kevin Clifford said the City asked that a single global agreement cover services previously billed separately and that the arrangement was intended to be mutually beneficial. “We tried to combine a lot of the different services and put it all together in one contract,” Clifford said. He added the district would no longer receive separate bills for many routine services once the contract takes effect.

Several board members pressed for financial detail. Board member Vivian Parsons asked for a ballpark of prior separate bills; Chief Clifford said he would need to work with the district finance office to provide exact figures. Deputy Superintendent DiCaprio said the fire department’s analysis estimated roughly $40,000–$50,000 in services such as training and first-aid instruction, and that persistent false alarms had produced quarters with thousands of dollars in charges. Vice President Jamaica Miles summarized terms the board received: a $500,000 three-year lump-sum agreement, described during the meeting as roughly $200,000 higher than the previous contract amount, and subject to a 2% annual increase in subsequent academic years. Board members and staff said a detailed line-item breakdown was not included in the packet and would require follow-up with the city’s budget office.

The meeting recorded extended public and board questioning about the district’s relationship with police officers inside schools. Board member Jamaica Miles and others raised recent incidents that they said signaled a need for stronger transparency and accountability. Miles referenced public accounts about officer actions during a recent Summer Night event and a separate episode in which an officer discharged a firearm while a child was experiencing a mental-health crisis. “We should know what has been happening and what has been done to address the violence that has already happened against our students,” she said.

Chief Clifford disputed some public characterizations of those events and said internal and external oversight mechanisms exist, including a civilian police review board and the city’s public safety commissioner. “I have a reputation that I believe carries some weight in this community where I will not allow my officers to harm anybody in this community. If they do, they will be held accountable,” he said.

Board members also asked whether the police department had any relationship with Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Clifford replied, “We do not work with ICE.” The board discussed that CEOs generally serve alongside school security and that CEOs have been used to reduce unnecessary full-department responses to school 911 calls because CEOs can often assess and cancel larger responses while already on site.

Several board members and the chiefs described tangible benefits the district has seen from on-site CEOs: more rapid on-scene response to emergencies, fewer multi-unit 911 dispatches, assistance with traffic and event control at extracurricular events, and programs that hand-hold students toward civil-service careers. The fire department said it is currently short approximately 12 members and saw the Pathways idea as a recruitment and workforce pipeline opportunity.

After discussion the board president called for a roll-call vote. The minutes record the explicit roll-call responses as follows: Alexandria Carver — abstain; Jamaica Miles — no; Vivian Parsons — yes; Bernice Rivera — yes; Amanda Sponable Pantoloff — yes. The meeting transcript and chair’s announcement record the final tally as 4 in favor, 2 opposed and 1 abstention; the board declared the motion carried and approved the public services contract.

The board and district staff said additional financial detail and a line-item breakdown would be provided after the meeting. Staff also told board members they would follow up on outstanding questions about staffing levels, exact prior-billing totals and the contract’s detailed allocation between police, fire and CEO services.

What’s next: Board members asked for continued reporting on contract implementation, staffing of the six CEO positions, and updates on any investigations into officer conduct that relate to district students.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Meeting, July 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Schenectady City School District Board of Education approved a three-year public services agreement with the City of Schenectady on July 16 that bundles police and fire services, funds six community engagement officers and formalizes student “Pathways” programs, after extended debate about police conduct and contract transparency.","taxTitle","Schenectady City School District, School Districts, New York","taxId",14410,"location","New York","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6509759,"District updates 2030 revitalization plan; Freshman Leadership Academy and Van Corlier near turnover, high-school core work ahead",1915,4291000,6206000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5419723-8d3465192aa433fadacb843ec833c36f&start=4291&end=6206","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5419723-8d3465192aa433fadacb843ec833c36f/thumbnail_4291000.jpg","/articles/6509759/New-York/District-updates-2030-revitalization-plan-Freshman-Leadership-Academy-and-Van-Corlier-near-turnover-high-school-core-work-ahead","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6509759-a9208e7dab6b59dfcd7750039cc55cac/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167391&Signature=PHS8m31kWTSxhgZwjDMWIHILdCHduVztYc-GcWXNQw31Ht~RGsyLJbKjD1yUikEFrZ0BBuipMtzULO~FIud7Qb3SS4DH5NvTS4dNGyiJ~fb9wOKJljcnM2OJ5ZOb2x-FmRt8DYXyFylnWOabYAkbmDT~-L-W32vLdCtxSvCQpr9OOFruQ3t8rOM~El-Y8mjDmo3iCJsIJfSfB1fM-pzuyHPHDxcSgqqG4NUHks4y5SsFaRXLGZi5dXR8uTvUZNBFA5U3WtF6eULwHVpiAVj3o5YxfxIQWhWZEJSsQBWMHd37-YLt5aM8aZBAP1UW6aDQA8sXD59z~2r17-y5GK80bg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Schenectady — District leaders and the Jacobs/SEI design team updated the Board of Education on July 16 about progress on the voter-approved 2030 revitalization plan, a multi-year program of renovations and additions across district schools.

Presenters said work on early phases — including the Freshman Leadership Academy (Steinmetz) and Van Corlier Elementary — is approaching turnover, with interior classrooms, new secure entries, site work and a turf field among completed elements. Project managers described the pace as the product of overlapping design, permitting and construction phases that allow contractors to work year-round and maximize bidding competition.

Tom Lawson of Jacobs and SEI’s Matt Schools said the district is using swing-space strategies (moving students among buildings temporarily) to maintain construction momentum. Mount Pleasant was highlighted as the planned site for a district commissary kitchen intended to centralize food service, while W. C. Keane Elementary is an acquisition project intended to add roughly 20 classrooms districtwide; staff said Keane’s scope depends on additional funding and state approvals and is not expected to enter construction in 2025–26.

Design work on the high school’s central core is advancing. Presenters showed renderings that reposition a public secure entry and create a more open “streetscape” of learning spaces and a new library. The team described the central core work as the most technically complicated phase and said it will be phased so the rest of the high school can remain operational.

On building systems, the team said modern HVAC upgrades were a priority where possible but that the state’s maximum cost allowance (MCA) for school construction constrains the district’s ability to add full permanent air conditioning across all buildings in a single phase. The presenters said they will prioritize permanent systems where feasible and rely on packaged or temporary units for other spaces until additional funding becomes available.

Board members asked about permitting timelines at the State Education Department (SED), change orders and efforts to identify additional private and public funding sources for Keane and other projects. Project staff said SED review times have fluctuated, that the district has used expedited reviews in earlier phases where cost-effective, and that some current permits were in progress. The team said they would provide further financial updates and change-order details to the board.

The presentation included construction photos, examples of renovated classrooms and bathrooms the team said were examples of space that would be finished in time for the 2025–26 school year. District staff and contractors said they are coordinating a large move plan to get furniture and equipment into renovated buildings in time for the school year and that they will brief the board with logistics and orientation plans before students arrive.

What’s next: District staff will return with permitting updates, any required change-order information and a financial summary for the board; staff also said they would continue community outreach and schedule ribbon cuttings for completed facilities.","District officials and contractors reported July 16 that early phases of the 2030 revitalization plan are approaching turnover — including the Freshman Leadership Academy and Van Corlier Elementary — while permitting and complex high-school core work move forward.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6509765,"Board approves drone-first-responder contract; nest to be placed on Central Park Middle School roof",406,3793000,4199000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5419723-8d3465192aa433fadacb843ec833c36f&start=3793&end=4199","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5419723-8d3465192aa433fadacb843ec833c36f/thumbnail_3793000.jpg","/articles/6509765/New-York/Board-approves-drone-first-responder-contract-nest-to-be-placed-on-Central-Park-Middle-School-roof","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6509765-6217db492031fbbd00306a878cf94710/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167391&Signature=IOhwgVmzrjH5KfnhkzXhQuoHeGlWVhmR3Uo245T1~1FXL-~zfxcyvuBlADdk7vPBoXsQ28xK~JiUMgljuF6oTyzW~0y6cvtatrL9x~nCbjeWFp6Ew54VcfyRNQcndhA4zXdb0Gg14FTaSTmiI2k8uBhTd~21lNsQ0aOrtxWmUPc1vvhyA-WLztW4oPhI0BacYYAyjA9~9Nzxil~Ja0Mh6uXHG9PI5GVR9~Y2T5DQYrj6jiWLZ9ziJ153Z5FXifyFisV1s8SzItcIHjfJ30oUrWbeLGfMSKyEQmiJe0f-zMryCrGgVbt-jq5pSeW8P9RRy8Lp34NMd1h~MNLTfmH9Uw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Schenectady — The Schenectady City School District Board of Education on July 16 approved a contract that allows the city to operate drones as first responders and to place a drone “nest” on the roof of Central Park Middle School, city and district presenters said.

Police and city staff told the board that the middle-school roof is among the city’s highest vantage points and is therefore an ideal second drone location to cover more of Schenectady. The police department described the devices as “drone nests” that open when a drone is dispatched and close when it returns.

Police said the drones are intended to provide rapid situational awareness to first responders on the ground. Chief Kevin Clifford and city staff said the drones are marked with lights (red/green), will operate initially during daytime hours for first-responder missions, and will not record neighborhoods as a matter of routine. A transparency dashboard is planned to post deployments, the stated reasons and locations.

“...we place a nest on top of the roof...the purpose is to get situational awareness on the scene as soon as possible and report back to officers on the street,” a presenter said.

Board members asked about prior nighttime drone deployments observed in neighborhoods. Police staff said those instances were most likely tactical or ground-operated drones used on barricade or tactical calls; the new program is distinct and at the time of the meeting was planned for daytime first-responder use.

The district and police also said they have discussed privacy concerns with civil-rights groups and will operate under a policy that keeps the camera facing up during transit and only allows a downward view when needed for a response. The department described outreach at neighborhood meetings and ongoing discussions with the ACLU as part of the rollout.

The board approved the drone contract by voice vote; meeting minutes record the motion passed. District staff said they plan a public dashboard showing each drone deployment’s time and reason and that the district selected Central Park Middle School for its elevation and central location.

What’s next: The district and city will finalize installation logistics, post the transparency dashboard and continue community outreach to explain operating rules and limitations.","The Schenectady board approved a contract allowing city drones to operate as first responders and placed a second ‘drone nest’ at Central Park Middle School to extend coverage across the city; district and police officials said daytime deployments will be logged on a public transparency dashboard and cameras will remain stowed unless needed.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Schenectady board approves three-year public services agreement with city covering police, fire and community engagement officers

District updates 2030 revitalization plan; Freshman Leadership Academy and Van Corlier near turnover, high-school core work ahead

Board approves drone-first-responder contract; nest to be placed on Central Park Middle School roof