Arbor Hill principal highlights attendance gains, enrichment programs and staffing needs

Arbor Hill Elementary Principal Rosalind Gaines Harrell told the Albany City School District Board of Education on the school’s presentation night that Arbor Hill’s enrollment has increased this year and the school has expanded in-school enrichment and family supports, while also facing staffing pressures.

Harrell said the school’s current enrollment is 350 students (she noted two additional enrolled students had not yet started) and that Arbor Hill runs multiple autism-specific kindergarten classrooms. Assistant Principal Janet Escoda Lavoie and Harrell described targeted academic interventions, daily social-emotional learning time and small-group interventions for students in grades 3–5.

Why it matters: The presentation laid out both immediate supports (attendance incentives, in-school enrichment and a food pantry) and capacity limits, including that some autistic classrooms will require four teaching assistants next year but the school does not yet have sufficient hires.

Harrell summarized a range of programs intended to boost attendance and student engagement, and she credited expanded in-day enrichment and community partnerships for a recent drop in chronic absenteeism. “One of our surveys … 87% of the students said that they look forward to coming to school because of the enrichment that we are providing,” Harrell said during her remarks.

The presentation listed specific supports now in place at Arbor Hill: - Academic interventions and math/reading interventionists who monitor tiered instruction and student progress. - Daily SEL (social-emotional learning) time and classroom practices such as meditation. - Attendance-tracking systems, weekly attendance review by an attendance committee and home visits led by the homeschool coordinator and attendance officer when excused‑mail is returned. - Expanded enrichment through community partners (including student volunteers from SUNY Albany who ran activity stations), an early-bird program to support working parents, a revived on-site food pantry and a growing Best Buddies program for neurodivergent students.

Harrell and Lavoie also described classroom practices intended to deepen learning (teacher intervisitation, emphasis on high-impact instructional strategies and work on the science of reading) and said Arbor Hill is using small-group SAG interventions for students with attendance concerns. They described teacher recruitment efforts including partnerships with local colleges and a practice of converting student-teaching placements into district hires.

Challenges noted: Harrell and Lavoie told the board the school continues to have difficulty recruiting and retaining enough teaching assistants. She said each of the seven autistic classrooms in the building will need four TAs next year but the school anticipates shortages. Harrell called the need “a challenge that we face every day” and urged continued district attention to hiring and retention.

Board reaction: A board member offered brief public praise for Arbor Hill’s family and community engagement during the meeting’s remarks, calling the school “a peaceful” and “joyous” place during the public portion of the presentation.

Looking ahead: Harrell said Arbor Hill will continue to build community partnerships, expand in‑day enrichment opportunities and pursue funding sources for expanded after‑school socialization programs for neurodivergent students. The principal also said the school will continue to prioritize attendance supports and targeted academic interventions.

Ending: The presentation concluded with thanks to staff, volunteers and partners; principal Harrell emphasized the school’s collaborative approach and repeated that building capacity for TAs remains a top staffing priority going into the new school year.