Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Extracurricular Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board discusses structure and funding of Model UN programs; district identifies three separate activities
Summary
Administrators described three Model UN offerings—district curriculum, a Harvard-model-style club and a regional (North Country) Model UN—then discussed funding sources, a small district line item and fundraising. No board vote was taken.
Administrators told the board on March 11 that Beekmantown Central School District supports three distinct Model UN activities and is exploring how to fund and structure each.
Superintendent (name not specified) said the district operates a Model UN classroom component for ninth and tenth graders (with a small budget line for curricular support), a Harvard-model-style extracurricular club that raises funds and retains out-of-district fees, and a regional or "North Country" Model UN that currently operates as an extracurricular entity and whose funding and structure the administration is reviewing.
Why it matters: the district must distinguish which activities are curricular (eligible for district funding) and which are extracurricular (funded largely by fundraising or club fees) to comply with auditing and accounting rules. The superintendent said the district's auditor emphasized caution about what the district can and cannot fund depending on whether an activity is a course or a club.
Key points from the discussion
- Budget lines and fundraising: The superintendent said the curricular Model UN line is modest (the transcript records a figure of about $3,000 covering the ninth- and tenth-grade class), while the Harvard-model club receives fees from other districts when Beekmantown hosts. The superintendent also said the extracurricular account had approximately $6,000 on hand as of Dec. 31, but that it was not clear how much of that was purely fundraising.
- Class versus club: Board members asked whether the Harvard-model activity could be offered as an elective for upperclassmen. Administrators responded that converting a club to a class could pull students out of other desired courses and that some Model UN offerings are held outside regular school hours.
- Next steps: The superintendent said she will meet with advisors and administrators to clarify which costs must remain club-funded, which can be covered by district curricular money, and to pursue additional fundraising or fees if needed. She scheduled follow-up meetings with advisors to return recommendations in April.
Public comment on technology and play
At public comment, Olivia Palmer, an occupational therapist and parent, raised a separate but related curricular concern: she asked how the district monitors student screen time during the school day and how it preserves time for independent play and noninstructional activities. "The goal of the group is supporting healthy child development, intentional tech use, independent play, and community engagement," Palmer said, and requested that the district place the topic on a future agenda for collaborative discussion.
Ending
The Model UN discussion resulted in next steps rather than formal action: administrators will return with clarified budgets, fundraising figures and recommendations about whether portions of the program can be structured as district-funded curriculum or must remain extracurricular and club-funded.
