South Colonie board recognizes Toys for Tots, reviews capital plans and approves personnel and policy items

The South Colonie Central School District Board of Education on the evening of its regular meeting recognized transportation staff for an 18-year Toys for Tots drive, reviewed transportation and food-service updates, heard progress reports on the district capital project and a school-psychologist internship contract, and approved several personnel and policy actions by voice vote.

The items matter because they affect daily student services — school transportation safety, school meal accommodations and upcoming facility work — while the approved personnel and policy measures change how staff are paid and who will serve students in coming months.

Transportation and safety: District staff reported a drop in stop-arm violations between October and November. “It’d be nice to see 0, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” said Bridal Casey, who presented the transportation committee summary. The district’s bus transportation director, Mr. Sim, gave the stop-arm counts presented to the committee: 564 violations in October and 281 in November. Board members encouraged continued community outreach to reduce violations.

Food service and student supports: Dr. Perry said the district has begun offering halal meal options at the high school and middle schools; on the first day the district served about 100 halal meals between two middle schools. The board discussed plans to expand halal offerings to elementary schools in March and website updates that will add nutritional information and ingredient details to help families manage allergies.

Capital project and facilities: Dr. Perry told the board that Stage 1 of the district’s capital project is underway with classroom and locker-room renovations, the turf field and site work on Shaker Road completed or in progress. Stage 2 plans have been submitted to the State Education Department (SED); stage 1a and stage 2 work will overlap next summer. The board was told renovations will include air conditioning in the classrooms being modernized and in both auditoriums being updated (including the Sand Creek auditorium), though not every room in every building will receive AC.

Community recognition and student activities: The board publicly thanked transportation employees and volunteers for the Toys for Tots campaign and for decorating a bus that won first place at the Colonie High School Lights in the Park event. The board also noted school musical performances in December and student-run projects such as the “Wolfie’s Cup” coffee shop led by students.

Internships and donations: The board approved a contract to host a school-psychology intern placed through SUNY Oswego; Dr. Perry explained that SUNY Oswego will pay the intern directly, replacing the prior College of Saint Rose arrangement after Saint Rose’s program changed. The board acknowledged multiple community donations: Stewart’s Shops provided what the meeting described as 175 half-gallon milk cards and 175 dozen large egg cards; the Herder Foundation donated 34 turkeys and 17 basketballs and 17 footballs; and the Booster Club made donations toward a weight-room turf project.

Policy and personnel actions: The board’s policy committee recommended revisions to policy 9290 (supplemental compensation rates) to adjust several short-term or occasional-worker rates, including raising a track-and-field occasional worker rate above the new minimum wage and creating a prorated rate for a temporary internal auditor assignment. On the motion made by Christopher Larrabee, the board approved the revisions by voice vote.

Personnel changes approved included instructional retirements and appointments and support-staff personnel actions. Board members noted an unusually large set of retirements presented at this time; the meeting referenced roughly 101 combined years of service among the instructional retirees listed on the agenda.

Votes at a glance: - Approval of minutes from Dec. 3, 2024 (motion made by Michael Keane, seconded by Thomas Blakely): approved by voice vote. - Policy 9290 (supplemental compensation rates) — recommendation from the policy committee (motion made by Christopher Larrabee): approved by voice vote. - Reports and recommendations (agenda letters A–I) (motion made by Rose Giglielo, seconded by Thomas Blakely): approved by voice vote. - Instruction personnel changes (motion made by Jennifer Houlihan, seconded by Mr. Miesick): approved by voice vote. - Support personnel changes (motion made by Bridal Casey, seconded by Rose Giglielo): approved by voice vote. - Adjournment (motion made by Rose Giglielo, seconded by Thomas Blakely): approved by voice vote.

The meeting included committee reports from transportation and policy and multiple community recognitions. The board did not undertake litigation, land-use, contract awards or budget-adoption votes at this session; items reported were informational or routine approvals. Future meetings and an upcoming community chili-mac cook-off on Jan. 24 were noted before adjournment.