The proposed budget for next school year continues to be refined. At the February 4th Board meeting, Assistant Superintendent for Business Monica LaClair presented the District’s Rollover Budget and Budget Assumptions. Some of the topics discussed included the savings the District is seeing due to its decreased number of bus runs, attrition of retiring staff and reduced maintenance costs of the Phoenicia building, as well as the good news that the Summer Skills Academy, which was not offered last summer due to construction, will be back this July!

We appreciated that Ms. LaClair expects the District to be in a good position to keep the tax levy down while still maintaining our current level of programming.

Superintendent Victoria McLaren joined Ms. LaClair to lead a presentation on Capital Project Initial Scope and Funding Considerations. Many of the enhancements to our construction plans have come directly from our community through our community forums and stakeholder meetings. This input has been invaluable in shaping a student-first, staff-forward, and fiscally responsible central campus vision, with community input, which is reflected in the capital project planning.

But the conversation isn’t over! We hope that you will join us for our final Community Forum, which will be held on Tuesday, February 25th, at the Middle/High School cafeteria from 6-8 PM, with a snow date of Thursday, February 27th.

At this final gathering, participants will review the latest designs and help us refine the plans that will ultimately be presented to the Board and, if approved, to the voters on May 20. We will explore funding pathways, the design work will be finalized, and there will be time for a community Q & A session. Learn more and RSVP.

Save the date! Join us on March 4th for the Final Capital Project presentation to the Board of Education, which will be held at Bennett Elementary School at 6 PM.

You can view the February 4th Board meeting online. The budget presentation starts at the 50 minute mark and the capital project discussion starts at the 1 hour 9 minute mark.

While New York State’s 2025-2026 budget isn’t slated to be adopted until April 1, Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed budget indicated there is a return to support public education and a thoughtful approach to implementing recommendations from the Rockefeller Institute of Government’s Foundation Aid Study. Key initiatives supported in the existing proposal include fully funding school meals, implementing restrictions on cellphone use in schools (an initiative OCSD has already implemented for Grades 6-12 students), and an increase in Foundation Aid—all of which could have a meaningful impact on our student well-being and academic success.

As our State lawmakers engage in budget negotiations with the Governor, we are currently hopeful that students will remain the priority and resources to support them will be allocated appropriately. To urge your representatives, State Senators Michelle Hinchey and Peter Oberacker and Assembly Members Sarahana Shrestha and Brian Maher, to continue to advocate for appropriate funding and New York State schools, we encourage you to visit the New York State School Boards Association’s “take action” page where you can quickly and easily send them a message.

Or call them at:

Senator Hinchey: (845) 331-3810

Senator Oberacker: (607) 432-5524.

Assembly Member Maher: (845) 379-5001

Assembly Member Shrestha: (845) 338-9610

Board President Cindy Bishop and Vice President Meghann Reimondo recently met with New York State Senators Michelle Hinchey and Peter Oberacker, as well as Assembly Members Sarahana Shrestha and Brian Maher, as part of New York State’s Lobby Day on February 12th. Ms. Bishop spoke not only on behalf of OCSD, but also as a representative of the Ulster County School Boards Association.

Lobby Day provided an opportunity for the Board members to discuss Onteora-focused concerns, including the Governor's zero-emission school bus mandate, the assurance of continued State and Federal funding for education (including Title I and II and IDEA funding), the Governor’s proposed smartphone ban, proposed mandates on maximum classroom temperatures, and immigrant student safety in schools, to name just a few.

During the conversation, representatives from other districts shared challenges with implementing cell phone restrictions. After sharing Onteora’s success with our smartphone procedures at our own Middle and High School, we’ve been encouraged to present at the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) conference. Stay tuned for more on Onteora’s opportunity to share best practices on this topic with others in the State.

We were grateful to hear that our representatives share our Board's concerns, and have committed to fighting for continued funding for our students, although all of them cautioned that the New York State Foundation Aid formula will continue to be examined, and that cuts could still occur in the not-too-distant future.

We are so proud to celebrate the success of Onteora’s first-ever Girls Wrestling team! While girls have always been able to compete on the boys' team, interest remained low—until a group of determined students and two dedicated coaches turned their dream for a girls’ team into reality. The team of 12 has fought their way to their first New York State tournament—an incredible achievement in their debut season!

Girls Wrestling has taken the nation by storm, and we are so heartened to see that our Onteora girls can now be a part of it. Congratulations to our trailblazing wrestlers!

We appreciate the leadership of Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Stephanie Laffin and District MTSS Coordinator Elizabeth Fallo in expanding the District’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), which continues to show positive results.

MTSS is a framework designed to build a culture of supporting our students’ social, behavioral, and academic needs by identifying issues early and intervening quickly through different levels of interventions, often referred to as "tiers." This is accomplished by collecting and analyzing key data to monitor student progress and make informed decisions about interventions.

The District has partnered with a leading K-12 technological company, Branching Minds, and is using its new, comprehensive, data-driven tool to organize and streamline data to identify areas where support is needed. Educators can now seamlessly track student progress across grades and buildings, enabling them to make proactive, data-driven decisions tailored to student needs. In addition, building-level teams can pinpoint resource gaps and optimize support, while District leaders can gain further insights and make improvements to our programming.

This all-in-one MTSS solution is helping to transform our District, encouraging both collaboration among staff members and the equitable distribution of resources—ultimately driving the success of our students—which is always our priority.

We are excited to see that Onteora’s vibrant arts programs continue to grow, bringing exciting new opportunities for students!

A Celebration of the Arts – This promises to be a wonderful, district-wide student collaboration! Music groups in Grades 5-12 will be performing and Art students from Grades K-12 will have their work on display. In addition, the High School Art Club will be on hand to lead activities, as well as a silent auction! This special showcase of creativity and talent is slated for March 13.

In addition, the Spring Musical will be staged on April 4, 5, and 6.

Middle and High School students have been delving into the foundations of theater education under the guidance of a new director and choreographer, Ken Skrzesz. Mr. Skrzesz comes to Onteora with more than 40 years in performing arts education. He has joined with Music Director Brittany Caroll and Producer Jennifer Wentland to lead the District in its first steps to create a more constant and consistent theater education program for students!

Students have been diligently rehearsing for a spring musical called Songs that Tell a Story, a “cabaret” (musical revue-style) show that focuses on the journey of each student as a performer, as well as the reciprocal relationship between stage actors and the audience.

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the incredible artistry of our students! Stay tuned for more details.

Are you passionate about the Onteora Central School District? Have you considered running for the Board of Education? Serving on a school board is a great way to impact the education and future of our community's youth. As a Board member, you'll collaborate with others to set educational goals, develop budgets, establish policies, and evaluate the superintendent. Effective Board members are good communicators, consensus builders, active community participants, and decisive leaders.

If you're passionate about public education and ready to contribute your skills, consider running for our school board. There are currently two (2) Board seats to be filled during the May 20 elections, each for three-year terms starting July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028. To be on the ballot, candidates must submit a petition in person with original signatures from 29 eligible Onteora Central School District residents, along with biographical information, to the District Clerk by Monday, April 21, 2025, at 5 PM. Complete details and requirements are available on the District’s website.

To learn more about the roles and responsibilities of school board members, visit the New York State School Boards Association's guide on running for the school board.

The District is gearing up for the 2025 “Meet, Greet & Eat,” a much-loved community event, which will be held on April 7, so save the date!

This is a wonderful opportunity to bring all walks of life in our community—from families to business owners and everyone in between—together in a casual, fun way. After sampling delicious local foods, get to know your talented neighbors! In addition, this event directly benefits the Onteora Booster Club, as well as the fund for the Belleayre Bash, an end-of-year event for Onteora’s seniors.

There are many ways to connect with us and hear what has been happening in Onteora Central School District:

• Watch live or recorded Board of Education meetings on our YouTube channel.

• Email your questions or comments to us at OnteoraBOE@onteora.k12.ny.us

• Sign up for our monthly Board Briefs, which are shared with faculty, staff, families, and those community members who have signed up. If you know community members who want to stay informed, please forward this email to them. They can sign up for Board Briefs at www.onteora.k12.ny.us/mailinglist.

You can also follow the District on social media!

• Facebook at @OnteoraCSD

• Instagram at @OnteoraCSD

• YouTube at @OnteoraCSD