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Elementary principals request math intervention, leveled readers and after-school detention as district budget planning continues
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Summary
Elementary principals and special-programs staff asked the board to fund math intervention (K–2), re-stock leveled-reader libraries, add a .5 AIS math position for one school, pilot 45-minute after-school detention for grades 3–5 and add a functional-skills classroom plus aides and PT capacity for special education needs next year.
Principals from Cohoes elementary schools and special-programs staff presented building-level needs tied to next year's budget, asking the board to prioritize student supports and staffing in upcoming planning.
Interim principal Mark Perry and colleagues highlighted reading-growth gains and wide variation in current ENL/ELL placement. Harmony Hill is temporarily hosting 54 ENL students this year; staff said those students will return to home schools in the fall, reducing that figure to about 18. School leaders asked the district to prioritize substitute-teacher capacity and a math AIS (academic intervention services) provider for early grades: "We're looking for a math AIS provider for K–2," one principal said, noting the need for earlier intervention.
VanSke grade school principal Jacqueline Nocero described a successful co-teaching kindergarten model and cited third- and fourth-grade enrollment bumps; she requested a 0.5 FTE AIS math position and noted interest from SUNY Albany researchers, who had identified the school for further study. "We've made gains in ELA and math," she said, and asked the board to consider a teacher-leader stipend model to coordinate curriculum across core subjects.
Elementary leaders proposed piloting an after-school detention option for grades 3–5—45 minutes, up to three times a week—as a progressive step before suspension. Several board members asked logistics questions (supervision, contract/stipend implications and scheduling) and were told secondary-level models already exist in the district.
Special programs staff reported projected special-education counts for 2026–27 and requested an additional functional-skills classroom (12:1+3 staffing), a 0.2 FTE increase in physical therapy and two additional 1:1 aides to meet anticipated needs. Staff recommended outsourcing staff-tracking to Questar BOCES to maximize state aid reimbursement.
What happens next: principals and special-programs staff said these requests will be folded into the five-year planning and budget discussions; the board directed staff to return refined job descriptions, estimated costs and contract implications for consideration.
