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Candidates question whether consolidation and centralization will help special education, DEI and AI readiness
Summary
At the forum, candidates debated centralizing services for special-education students, local DEI policy and how the district should prepare students and teachers for AI, with candidates offering contrasting views on travel burdens, shared resources and curriculum priorities.
Special education, diversity and future-tech policy were major policy topics at the League of Women Voters forum, with candidates offering competing prescriptions for how the ONTEORA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT should serve vulnerable students and prepare for AI.
On special education, Ms. Jared said centralizing resources would end the practice of half-day co-teach placements and reduce disruptive moves for students. "We cannot problem solve without centralizing," she said, adding that 14% of district students are included in special-education services and that some supports (for example, co-teachers) are insufficient under the current building configuration.
Rory Smith argued a centralized campus could offer full-day services and collaboration among staff, saying a single site would reduce travel cancellations and provide a stable environment: "All the resources at one location is really going to overhaul and make the special education system ... that much better." Daniel Haliberti cautioned that long bus rides would be a hardship for some families and said shorter routes could be preferable for certain communities; he also noted the district is in compliance with special-education regulations.
On DEI, Ms. Jared described convening parents and teachers to update the district’s policy and emphasized handling issues "delicately" with a focus on children. Haliberti described DEI as part of required district programs and said he supports safe spaces and anti-bullying efforts. Smith said consolidating small class cohorts into larger groups could increase opportunity and belonging.
On artificial intelligence, candidates agreed the district should teach ethics and digital literacy. Ms. Jared cited a free BOCES pilot and urged teacher training so students learn when to use AI and when independent work matters. Haliberti suggested partnering with local tech and robotics programs, while Smith said the district needs to monitor and teach appropriate, limited access as students learn faster than many adults.
The discussion combined program-level decisions (staffing, co-teach availability) with broader strategic choices (facilities configuration and curriculum priorities). Candidates emphasized that any reconfiguration must protect special-education services and consider transportation burdens as the board and district administration pursue capital planning and instructional priorities.
