Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities Study topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board hires consultant for building-configuration study, forms academic ad hoc committee
Summary
Trustees unanimously approved a contract with Dr. Kevin Bachman for a district-wide study of building configuration, enrollment and instructional impact ($100/hour up to $10,250) and created an academic ad hoc committee to examine instruction, assessment and student outcomes.
The Onteora Central School District board voted unanimously July 1 to hire consultant Dr. Kevin Bachman to study how building configuration, enrollment forecasts and facility choices affect instructional opportunities and district finances.
The contract authorizes compensation at $100 per hour with a maximum not to exceed $10,250 and takes effect July 2, 2025. The study will use updated long-term enrollment projections to evaluate classroom needs, sectioning, attendance zones, staffing and fiscal implications and will compare several configuration options so the board can make informed decisions about centralizing or maintaining multiple elementary sites.
Trustees discussed possible additions to the study scope. Trustee Jenny Jared urged that the study explicitly analyze impacts on students receiving special education services in contained and integrated settings so the board can assess instructional and space effects for that subgroup. Trustee Goodrich requested the consultant consider the district’s five-year facility plan as part of the analysis; superintendent McLaren said that could be folded into the study if the board requests it but may require a contract revision and possible fee change.
At the same meeting the board approved establishing an ad hoc academic committee to review student performance, assessment and instruction and to report back with recommendations. Trustee Jared proposed the committee should focus on data-driven academic indicators, the implementation of evidence-based practices, and the district’s transition planning under New York INSPIRES and Portrait of a Graduate work.
The contract passed on a unanimous voice vote; trustees indicated they expect a report and a presentation timeline that will inform any decisions about future propositions.
