Superintendent outlines state priorities: bus emissions, pre‑K funding, certification and civil service concerns

Superintendent Mr. Sullivan told the Shenendehowa Central School District Board of Education the district will refine its advocacy priorities after the governor's State of the State address and urged board members to prepare for meetings with state representatives.

He identified several priorities likely to shape district advocacy: forthcoming regulations and funding related to bus emissions (noting 2026 as a key date), state responses to the Rockefeller study and potential impacts on state aid, inequities in pre‑K provider reimbursement rates, New York State Education Department certification backlogs and mismatched civil service titles and testing that hinder hiring.

Nut graf: these issues affect the district's ability to staff schools, run transportation, pay providers and secure timely state aid; the superintendent said the board will coordinate meetings with state legislators to press specific fixes after the statewide address.

In the meeting, Sullivan said the district will delay two budget presentations until board members who were absent can attend and because the board will spend March discussing the budget. He described the advocacy document as a living draft that will be adjusted to align with the governor's remarks and the unfolding legislative process.

Specific points raised by the superintendent included: - Bus emissions rules and timelines: Sullivan emphasized uncertainty around implementation for a regulation linked to 2026 and said the district will watch the governor's remarks for any guidance. - Rockefeller study and state aid: the superintendent said districts are watching how a Rockefeller study might affect state aid formulas and funding levels. - Pre‑K funding rates: Sullivan said the district and other districts have passed resolutions pressing for uniform pre‑K provider reimbursement and questioned why multiple funding ratios remain in place that limit the district's ability to pay higher, reasonable rates to providers. - Certification and civil service: he described long delays and misaligned civil service titles and tests that make filling positions difficult; he said the state has made some headway but not enough to resolve operational staffing problems. - Retiree earnings cap: Sullivan noted a cap at $35,000 on retiree earnings that the district finds restrictive for short‑term rehires who help cover transitions.

Sullivan said the board will schedule advocacy visits toward the end of February and will circulate the advocacy document once updated after the governor's speech. "A big one clearly is what state's gonna do around the bus emission thing. So 2026 is around the corner. There's a lot of uncertainties and questions around this," he said.

No formal board action on these advocacy items was recorded; the superintendent indicated follow‑up and that staff will update the board as the state budget and legislative work progress.