Marion staff outline community‑schools expansion; board approves agenda, finance items and moves to executive session

At a Marion Central School District meeting, staff presented an overview of the district’s community‑schools strategy and described programs designed to support students and families, including seasonal mini camps, mentoring, a "Books and Bytes" literacy outing, paid vocational internships and a range of family‑engagement events. The board approved the revised agenda, accepted financial reports and passed the consent agenda before voting to enter an executive session to discuss potential litigation.

Casey Steiner, director of community schools and MTSS, framed the approach as an intentional, collaborative strategy “so that we can make Marion … the best place it can possibly be for kids to grow up and go to school.” Steiner said the model centers on shared governance, actionable data and trusting relationships that enable partners to deliver services both inside and outside school buildings.

Emily Lorenzen, community schools coordinator at MES, described several expanded‑learning efforts. She said the district offered 15 mini camps this fall with about 185 students participating and that a mentoring program piloted with New York State Mentoring and Mentor New York will return soon. “Those are two of the things that we have going at the elementary school that help support the expanded and enriched learning opportunities,” Lorenzen said.

Lynn Luca, family and community engagement coordinator, described the Books and Bytes program — a walk to the public library for fifth‑ and sixth‑graders that included time to check out books and informal literacy sharing — and said she plans vaping‑prevention lessons for fifth and sixth grades with district health partners. Jordan St. Andre, community schools coordinator at MHS, described high‑school mentoring, enrichment activities such as weightlifting and D&D clubs, and a paid study‑work program that places students with local businesses.

Staff highlighted supports intended to strengthen student belonging and attendance: an on‑site “hub” classroom for clothing, snacks and brief check‑ins; Check‑In/Check‑Out behavioral interventions; tiered lunch groups; home visits to families; and a pilot program called Knights Scribe to re‑engage students with chronic absenteeism. The presenters listed partners that include Wayne County Community Schools, New York State Mentoring/Mentor New York and Finger Lakes Community Health for dental services and training.

Superintendent (S7) updated the board on a follow‑up with a consultant, Anita Murphy, and said the district will explore shared services with BOCES that could allow other districts to access Marion programming via a rented‑teacher model. He also said the district will evaluate career and technical education (CTE) opportunities — including an on‑ramp for ninth and tenth graders — and will report back after a scheduled follow‑up meeting.

On routine business, the board approved the revised agenda after a motion to add four consent items (approval of a substitute RN, winter athletic positions, and two non‑certified substitutes). The School Business Administrator reported the month’s revenue rose by about $200,000 (largely a BOCES refund and increased late property‑tax fees) and noted a $700,000 increase in expenditures that represents an interfund transfer into the bus capital reserve (an accounting placeholder). The board moved and approved the financial reports and then approved the consent agenda by voice vote.

Before adjourning to executive session, Steiner announced a community schools advisory board will hold its first meeting on January 22 at 6 p.m., open to community members and partner organizations. The board then voted to enter executive session to discuss a matter described in the motion as potential litigation; no actions from that session were recorded in the public minutes excerpt.