Scotia-Glenville residents press board to fix declining athletics; board adopts athletic council charter with corrections

At a Scotia-Glenville Central School District Board of Education meeting, residents repeatedly pressed the board and superintendent to take immediate steps to reverse what they described as a rapid decline in the district's athletic programs and to provide clearer accountability and timelines.

Several speakers said problems include poor communication with families, high turnover among coaches, late coaching appointments, inconsistent continuity between youth and high school programs, and uneven follow-through on prior community recommendations. Carl DeCesare, a longtime resident, told the board the community needs "leadership, vision, and accountability," not another committee to study issues already identified.

Why it matters: Community speakers said athletics affect student engagement, college opportunities and local pride. Multiple parents and former athletes said weak programming has ripple effects on school spirit and local commerce and that families are deciding whether to remain in the district based on school quality.

Speakers urged specific, measurable goals rather than general statements of "tradition of excellence." DeCesare proposed a five-year target for hiring practices: he said at least 60% of new hires should be able and willing to contribute to athletics or arts beyond classroom duties. Parent Susan Torelli recounted a June 2023 youth-sports meeting that produced suggestions to improve coaching pipelines and communications but said follow-up was limited and many proposals were never implemented.

Superintendent Susan Schwartz presented a draft athletic council charter to the board as a response to those concerns. Schwartz said the draft envisions a charter that includes work on the athletics handbook, communications, and professional development; she also said committee membership would likely include volunteer coaches, a Booster Club representative, the district DEI representative, and a board representative. Schwartz said she had approached community members and volunteers and anticipated the charter's first meeting in late January if the board moved forward.

The board voted to approve the athletic council charter "with corrections," and trustees indicated they expect the council to begin meeting in January. The superintendent also announced an interim operating structure for athletics: Mr. Rockhill, Mr. Gennady, Mr. Bednarick, Ms. Busman and Ms. Wells would "work the athletic side of the house" for the foreseeable future, and Mr. Arquette would assume responsibility for physical education activities; those staffing adjustments were described as administrative assignments by the superintendent.

Public commenters raised other operational concerns. Steve Sweeney said the district should ensure graduating athletes receive athletic transcripts needed by some colleges and said NCAA rules require certain medical testing (he mentioned the NCAA sickle cell screening requirement) that should be communicated to prospective collegiate athletes. Mike Torelli cited a 2023 DEI survey that recommended improved transparency and said high staff turnover (he cited district hiring figures he compiled from minutes) undermines continuity for students.

Board direction and next steps: Board members asked that the athletic code of conduct be added to the charter's scope. Schwartz said committee membership would be a mix of self-selection and invitations and that she would return the final charter for a formal motion; trustees approved the charter with the corrections on the agenda and indicated they would expect the first charter meeting in late January.

The meeting record shows the board approved the charter; the board did not record a roll-call tally in the public remarks captured in the transcript beyond a unanimous "Aye" vote on the motion.

Ending: Community members said they will watch the charter's outcomes and urged the board to move quickly on clearly defined targets, stronger recruitment and earlier coaching hires. The district posted the interim athletics staffing plan and the athletic council charter was approved to proceed with corrections.