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CCSD to honor bus requests, hold town forum on Capital Project
By Karrie Allen
CHATHAM — Following a reception for new staff and newly tenured teachers, the Chatham school board held their regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 22. The biggest news to come out of the meeting was that the school district will honor the bus requests made by the 40 or so families that first approached Superintendent Cheryl Nuciforo prior to the school year after learning about the restrictions of the one-bell system. The board also discussed the Capital Project.
After about a month of waiting, parents heard the news they’ve been waiting for — the school district will honor bus requests made prior to the school year. Nuciforo made the announcement during the Supervisor’s Report. Sighs could be heard from a few parents who have been fighting to have their requests met and have been attending the meetings since school started.
Nuciforo said that the requests would be made by this week. She said it was a “Herculean” effort made by the transportation department to meet these requests.
Nuciforo added that she anticipates additional requests will be made after this announcement, but those requests will be met on a first-come, first-serve basis as space is available. She said they’ll continue this set up for the rest of the year.
The district will have to set a limit for capacity for each bus (up to 65) in order to meet some of these requests. She said a weighted limit of 52 students on a bus is considered full. Right now, buses may not be so full; most seniors are driving, students playing sports aren’t riding after school and others are still being driven to school.
Nuciforo anticipates, though, that buses will fill up after the fall season. Students playing football and soccer right now may start taking the bus when their seasons end. She added that the football team is bigger than the basketball team, hence more students riding in the winter. She also feels that a lot of students currently being dropped off and picked up may start to ride the bus.
The superintendent said that for next year, written requests must be made by April 1 and that any requests coming in after April 1 would again be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
While most of the requests are being met, Nuciforo also mentioned walkers within 1 mile of the school who may need to go to some kind of day care after school. She said the district may have to follow “specific guidelines” for these requests and that they’ll be considered after April 1 to allow transportation for those entitled (anyone outside of 1 mile from school).
It’s “much better to be conservative at this stage of the game,” she said.
In the meantime, Nuciforo said the Task Force continues to meet and that the updated one-bell question and answer form is online. She also said that she’s been riding the buses, but admitted to only riding 1/3 of the 20 routes so far.
“I’m extremely impressed with our drivers,” she said, commenting on their interaction with the children on the bus, as well as their directions in crossing the road, watching for cars, etc.
Nuciforo told the board that the district is taking periodic counts of students riding, so that projections will be more reliable next year. She said it will be easier next year with real data from the 2009-10 school year.
The Supervisor’s Report also focused on the Capital Project. The school board is planning to hold a town forum about the Capital Project 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 in the high school library. The meeting will focus on the proposed scope of work.
The recommended budget for the Capital Project is currently $5,147,767, but it is a “zero impact tax project.” The school district received $547,714 in federal stimulus money and there is $1,425,578 in the Capital Reserve. The school has also been authorized to spend $580,000 and with the rest in state aid, there will be no cost to the taxpayers.
Nuciforo outlined the scope of work, but did say that not everything on the list will be included in the final project; it’s whatever will fit into the budget.
The district will look at energy efficiency, such as replacing single pane windows, installing energy efficient lighting and occupancy sensors, replacing kitchen appliances, replacing the football field lights and getting back-up generators, especially for the Mary E. Dardess school because it’s an emergency shelter, and the high school, since all of the servers are fed off the main power.
Also part of the scope of work is safety, such as in the lobby, a more secure entrance, fencing, the football lights, the relocation of a kiln and the removal of transformers.
Nuciforo said the architect will also look at the Americans with Disabilities Act in their scope of work, such as handrails, ramps and bathrooms. She said the architect will prioritize based on ADA needs.
As for structural work, the foundations and masonry, paving, stairways and classrooms will all be considered. Classrooms will be looked at based on program necessity. As an example, Nuciforo said that the science classrooms currently don’t have hot water and that teachers often have to boil the water before a lesson.
The board also discussed the implementation of a Fine Arts Booster Club, proposed by Teri Conte. She started the club last spring, but according to Nuciforo, the school board must include a resolution and pass it in order for the club to be recognized. This will also keep the club under the board’s control.
Like a booster club for athletics, the Fine Arts Booster Club will recognize the Fine Arts and help fund the achievements and awards of those involved in the arts.
By-laws have been written up and board President John Wapner said he was impressed with Conte’s write up for the club. Conte said she based the by-laws on a model from Scotia-Glenville and credited them for all their help.
The board passed the resolution for a Fine Arts Booster Club.
There will be a workshop meeting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13 in the high school library.
After about a month of waiting, parents heard the news they’ve been waiting for — the school district will honor bus requests made prior to the school year. Nuciforo made the announcement during the Supervisor’s Report. Sighs could be heard from a few parents who have been fighting to have their requests met and have been attending the meetings since school started.
Nuciforo said that the requests would be made by this week. She said it was a “Herculean” effort made by the transportation department to meet these requests.
Nuciforo added that she anticipates additional requests will be made after this announcement, but those requests will be met on a first-come, first-serve basis as space is available. She said they’ll continue this set up for the rest of the year.
The district will have to set a limit for capacity for each bus (up to 65) in order to meet some of these requests. She said a weighted limit of 52 students on a bus is considered full. Right now, buses may not be so full; most seniors are driving, students playing sports aren’t riding after school and others are still being driven to school.
Nuciforo anticipates, though, that buses will fill up after the fall season. Students playing football and soccer right now may start taking the bus when their seasons end. She added that the football team is bigger than the basketball team, hence more students riding in the winter. She also feels that a lot of students currently being dropped off and picked up may start to ride the bus.
The superintendent said that for next year, written requests must be made by April 1 and that any requests coming in after April 1 would again be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
While most of the requests are being met, Nuciforo also mentioned walkers within 1 mile of the school who may need to go to some kind of day care after school. She said the district may have to follow “specific guidelines” for these requests and that they’ll be considered after April 1 to allow transportation for those entitled (anyone outside of 1 mile from school).
It’s “much better to be conservative at this stage of the game,” she said.
In the meantime, Nuciforo said the Task Force continues to meet and that the updated one-bell question and answer form is online. She also said that she’s been riding the buses, but admitted to only riding 1/3 of the 20 routes so far.
“I’m extremely impressed with our drivers,” she said, commenting on their interaction with the children on the bus, as well as their directions in crossing the road, watching for cars, etc.
Nuciforo told the board that the district is taking periodic counts of students riding, so that projections will be more reliable next year. She said it will be easier next year with real data from the 2009-10 school year.
The Supervisor’s Report also focused on the Capital Project. The school board is planning to hold a town forum about the Capital Project 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 in the high school library. The meeting will focus on the proposed scope of work.
The recommended budget for the Capital Project is currently $5,147,767, but it is a “zero impact tax project.” The school district received $547,714 in federal stimulus money and there is $1,425,578 in the Capital Reserve. The school has also been authorized to spend $580,000 and with the rest in state aid, there will be no cost to the taxpayers.
Nuciforo outlined the scope of work, but did say that not everything on the list will be included in the final project; it’s whatever will fit into the budget.
The district will look at energy efficiency, such as replacing single pane windows, installing energy efficient lighting and occupancy sensors, replacing kitchen appliances, replacing the football field lights and getting back-up generators, especially for the Mary E. Dardess school because it’s an emergency shelter, and the high school, since all of the servers are fed off the main power.
Also part of the scope of work is safety, such as in the lobby, a more secure entrance, fencing, the football lights, the relocation of a kiln and the removal of transformers.
Nuciforo said the architect will also look at the Americans with Disabilities Act in their scope of work, such as handrails, ramps and bathrooms. She said the architect will prioritize based on ADA needs.
As for structural work, the foundations and masonry, paving, stairways and classrooms will all be considered. Classrooms will be looked at based on program necessity. As an example, Nuciforo said that the science classrooms currently don’t have hot water and that teachers often have to boil the water before a lesson.
The board also discussed the implementation of a Fine Arts Booster Club, proposed by Teri Conte. She started the club last spring, but according to Nuciforo, the school board must include a resolution and pass it in order for the club to be recognized. This will also keep the club under the board’s control.
Like a booster club for athletics, the Fine Arts Booster Club will recognize the Fine Arts and help fund the achievements and awards of those involved in the arts.
By-laws have been written up and board President John Wapner said he was impressed with Conte’s write up for the club. Conte said she based the by-laws on a model from Scotia-Glenville and credited them for all their help.
The board passed the resolution for a Fine Arts Booster Club.
There will be a workshop meeting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13 in the high school library.
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