Hornell City School District > Board of Education > Meeting Minutes and Agenda > April 19, 2023

April 19, 2023

President Clark opened the meeting at 5:16 PM and led the Board/Public in the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL:

PRESENT: Christopher Clark, Joseph Liberto, Meghann Khork, James Marino, Uzma Mehr,

ABSENT: Kerry Davis (excused)

RESOLVED: BY: MEHR/KHORK that, the agenda be approved as presented.
CARRIED – 5 AYES – ALL

PUBLIC COMMENT

None

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

PRESENTATIONS:

High School Graduation, Principal, Morgan Allison presented senior, Kayla Pierce with her High
School Diploma.

The meeting was paused for a short reception in her honor.

REPORTS:

Construction Report: Superintendent Palotti provided the Board with an update on the current projects underway as well as the status of upcoming projects.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS:

  • Dr. Julie Smith, Intermediate School Principal shared:
    • NYS testing started today. We have a lot of special education accommodations for the tests, so it is all hands on deck. A shout-out to all of our faculty and staff for their flexibility this week, especially the 5th grade, working out the kinks of computer-based testing for the first time.
    • Some homeroom classes have been pooling their Cosmic Cash this year to earn a movie party in the Hornell High School auditorium, so they will be coming up here next week to watch their chosen move, Coco. Students earn Cosmic Cash for being Respectful, Responsible and Safe.
    • We have a concert tomorrow night for 3rd-grade chorus and the Intermediate Drumline.
    • April is School Library Month. Yesterday, I attended a breakfast for GST administrators and librarians in Elmira to celebrate the role that libraries play in our schools and the impact they have on our students. It was really inspirational.
    • Paraprofessional Day fell over break, so we celebrated right before break with a little breakfast for them. We thank them for all they do for our students and teachers!
  • Wendy Wachtel, High School Assistant Principal shared:
    • Wildwood SkillsUSA competition achievements:
      • Kenneth Graham (1st Place) Criminal Justice
      • Mackenzie Knickerbocker (1st Place) Employment Application Basic
      • Taylor VanOxx (2nd Place) & Riley Shull (3rd Place) Computer Maintenance
      • Norman McCumisky (3rd Place) Welding;
    • Teachers and student preparing for State testing that began today, especially all the prep for computer based testing, flexibility of staff;
    • Thank you to the Grounds crew for clean up around building and on fields;
    • Thank you to the Maintenance crew for the major drain clean out;
    • The Freshman and Sophomores had their Candlelight Ball at the Elks Club.
  • Amy Feeley, Director of Pupil Personnel shared:
    • Special Olympics May 5th. Thank you to Amber Kossow for all of her work to help organize
      participation in this event.
    • Thank you to families for attending student meetings. We are at 85% participation rate.
    • Another thank you to families for filling out parent surveys. The state target for our District was 74 surveys to be returned and we are well above this target.
  • Shannon Davis, Director of Facilities shared:
    • Completed work on the North Hornell playground
    • Kudos to our grounds team – the fields have never looked better!
    • Our move to the Columbian School is complete – thank you for this opportunity.
    • Himself and two others recently attended pool operations school
    • Attended a workshop through NYSFAA pertaining to Civil Service Law
  • Ted Illi, Director of Secondary Curriculum shared:
    • State Assessments are taking place for 3rd-8th grades. 5th and 7th testing is computer based.
    • We had zero opt outs.
    • G & R and Teacher College Trainings are ongoing.
    • Working on our professional development offerings for the summer.

SUPERINTENDENT ’S REPORT:

Superintendent Palotti reported that the Special Education review by U of R is complete and he would be meeting with them on Monday. He will share with the Board after the meeting. The team had indicated that they were very impressed with our Special Education Department, teachers and staff.

ROUTINE ITEMS

RESOLVED: BY: MEHR/KHORK that, upon the recommendation of Superintendent Palotti to approves/accepts the
following Consent Agenda items:

  • Approval of the minutes from the meeting of March 29, 2023.
  • Acceptance of the Student Activities Report of March 31, 2023.
  • Acceptance of the Warrant Reports of March 31, 2023.
  • The Board has no objections to the recommendations of the Committee on Special Education and approves the authorization of funds to implement the special education programs and services consistent with such recommendations for the CSE meetings of March 29 and 30, 2023 and April 11, 12 and 13, 2023, the CPSE meetings of March 29 and 30, 2023 and April 12. 2023, the 504 meetings of March 29, 2023 and April 12 and 13, 2023.
    CARRIED – 5 AYES – ALL

OLD BUSINESS

NONE

NEW BUSINESS

POLICY/PROCEDURE

RESOLVED: BY: MEHR/KHORK that, upon the recommendation of Superintendent Palotti, the Board approves amending the 2022/23 academic calendar as follows (if a “snow day” is not needed prior to this date: Friday, May 26, 2023 – No School for Staff and Students
CARRIED – 5 AYES – ALL

RESOLVED: BY: MEHR/KHORK that, upon the recommendation of Superintendent Palotti, the Board authorizes Patrick
Flaitz to dispose of the band music on the list dated March 31, 2023..
CARRIED – 5 AYES – ALL

RESOLVED: BY: MEHR/KHORK that, upon the recommendation of Superintendent Palotti, the Board accepts the following
books donated to the North Hornell Library in Memory of Sheryl Badeau:
Title: 
The Pigeon has to go to School by Mo Willems – Donated by:Barb Todd
Big Truck Playdate by Laurie Carmody – Donated by: Kathy Finch
The Lion King by Disney – Donated by: Diana Zanghi
CARRIED – 5 AYES – ALL

RESOLVED: BY: MEHR/KHORK that, the Board cast one vote in the annual election for each of the following candidates for membership on the Schuyler-Steuben-Chemung-Tioga-Allegany Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES):

  • Donald M. Keddell
  • Pamela F. Strollo
  • Colleen Talada
  • Robert K. Wheeler

CARRIED – 5 AYES – ALL

RESOLVED: BY: MEHR/KHORK that, upon the recommendation of Superintendent Palotti, the Board approves the following amendment to the Parent/Student Handbook: Replace Student Dress Code on pages 6 and 7 with the following:

Student Dress Code

It is the responsibility of the student, with parental assistance, to come to school properly dressed. Every student should be clean and fully dressed. Attire should not be injurious to the health, safety, or welfare of our students; nor should one’s dress be disruptive to the educational process. The Board of Education has authorized school officials to prohibit dress which is so distracting as to interfere with the learning process. General guidelines referring to a student’s dress, grooming and appearance are outlined below:

Minimum Requirements:

  1. Clothing must cover areas from one armpit across to the other armpit, down to approximately 3 to 4 inches in length on the upper thighs (see images below). Tops must have shoulder straps. Rips or tears in clothing should be lower than 3 to 4 inches in length.
  2. Shoes must be worn at all times and should be safe for the school environment (pajamas, bedroom shoes or slippers shall not be worn, except for school activities approved by the principal).
  3. See-through or mesh garments must not be worn without appropriate
    coverage underneath that meet the minimum requirements of the dress code.
    Previous wording of #4:
  4. Headgear, including hats, hoodies and caps are not allowed unless permitted
    for religious, medical, or other reasons by school administrators.

To be replaced with:

  1. Hoodies are not allowed unless permitted for medical or other reasons by
    school administration.
  2. Specialized courses may require specialized attire, such as sports uniforms or
    safety gear.

    Additional Requirements:

    1. Clothing and/or accessories may not depict, imply, advertise, or advocate
      illegal, violent, or lewd conduct, weapons, or the use of alcohol, tobacco,
      marijuana or other controlled substances.
    2. Clothing and/or accessories may not depict or imply pornography, nudity, or
      sexual acts.
    3. Clothing and/or accessories may not display or imply vulgar discriminatory, or obscene language or images.
    4. Clothing and/or accessories may not state, imply, or depict hate speech/imagery targeting groups based on race.
    5. Sunglasses may not be worn inside the building.
    6. New # 6: Hats are permitted at the discretion of the classroom teacher.
    7. Renumbered #6 to #7: Clothing and accessories that endanger student or staff safety may not be worn. Apparel, jewelry, accessories, tattoos, or manner of grooming that, by virtue of its color, arrangement, trademark or any other attribute, denotes membership in a gang that advocates illegal or disruptive behavior is prohibited.

    Each building principal or his/her designee shall be responsible for informing all students and their parents of the student dress code at the beginning of the school year and any revisions to the dress code made during the school year. If a student does not dress in accordance with the above guidelines, he/she will be given an opportunity to conform. The administration will notify parents of students who refuse to maintain proper dress in school. Such students will remain in the Main Office until appropriate changes to their attire have been made.

    CARRIED – 5 AYES – ALL

    FINANCE

    RESOLVED: BY: MEHR/KHORK that, agenda items VI E. 2. A- VI E. 3. g. be grouped together for one action.
    CARRIED – 5 AYES – ALL

    RESOLVED: BY: MEHR/KHORK that upon the recommendation of Superintendent Palotti, the Board:

    • approves the 2023-24 Schuyler-Steuben-Chemung-Tioga-Allegany BOCES Board of Cooperative Education Services Administrative Budget in the amount of $8,252,542;
    • WHEREAS, the City School District of the City of Hornell, Steuben County, New York (the “District”), after consultation by District officials with the District’s retain architectural firm, LaBella Associates, D.P.C. (“LaBella”), has resolved that the District should propose to undertake, during the District’s pending (2023-2024) fiscal year, a capital outlay project involving certain upgrades and improvements at the District’s High School, such work being anticipated to include, but not necessarily be limited to, the replacement of the baseball stadium lighting and poles, fencing, a transformer, electrical panels with conduit and wiring, site/pathway lighting, ADA accessible seating, interior corridor lighting, and electronic secured doors, along with any related work required in connection therewith (collectively, the “Project”);
      and
      WHEREAS, the estimated maximum cost of the Project (inclusive of all preliminary and incidental costs) has been determined by LaBella to be $1,300,000; and
      WHEREAS, the District is proposing that the Project be financed by the application of $1,300,000 of funds to be earmarked for such purpose as a “Transfer to Capital Fund” in the District’s pending (i.e., 2023-2024) budget, with the work on the Project being anticipated to occur (and be completed) during the 2023-2024 fiscal year of the District; and
      WHEREAS, the District wishes to reserve the right to expand, contract or modify the scope of the Project in light of the level of future bids received, with the understanding that the estimated maximum cost of the Project will not exceed $1,300,000; and
      WHEREAS, in accordance with State Education Department (“SED”) guidance and policy, the District/Board of Education is the appropriate agency to be the lead agency to undertake Project review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”); and
      WHEREAS, Section 617.5 of the SEQRA Regulations (6 NYCRR Part 617) provides that certain activities are Type II actions that are not subject to review under SEQRA and that such activities include “routine activities of educational institutions,” “maintenance or repair involving no substantial changes in an existing structure or facility;” “replacement, rehabilitation or reconstruction of a structure or facility, in kind, on the same site…unless such action meets or exceeds any [Type I] thresholds in section 617.4”; and
      WHEREAS, the proposed Project constitutes such routine activities of educational institutions; maintenance or repair activities; and/or in-kind, same-site replacement, rehabilitation or reconstruction activities; and
      WHEREAS, under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (a/k/a the “MOU” or the “Letter of Resolution”) between the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (“OPRHP”) (a/k/a the “State Historic Preservation Office” or “SHPO”) and SED, and the terms of the MOU’s exemption form, a project is exempt from SHPO review if, among other possible reasons, a building is 50 years old or older but has previously been evaluated by SHPO and found not to meet the criteria for inclusion in the State and National Registers (the “Registers”); and
      WHEREAS, as indicated in the Cultural Resource Information System (“CRIS”),
      SHPO has determined that the High School building is “not eligible” for listing on the Registers because it does not meet the criteria for inclusion in the Registers, and therefore the proposed Project work is exempt under the MOU terms described above, although LaBella may nonetheless choose to submit information on the proposed Project work to SHPO for confirmation;
      NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that it is the final determination of the
      District’s Board of Education that the proposed Project is a Type II action, which is not subject to review under SEQRA, and that the proposed Project will not result in a significant adverse impact on the environment; and be it further
      RESOLVED, that the proposed Project shall be included as a “Transfer to Capital Fund” line item (not exceeding $1,300,000 in amount) in the District’s proposed budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year (with appropriate additional notification to District voters regarding the anticipated details of the work to be given in connection with the District’s regular budget approval process), so that such Project may be initiated and completed (assuming voter approval of the District’s proposed budget) during the District’s 2023-2024 fiscal year; and be it further

    RESOLVED, that this resolution shall take effect immediately.

    • approves the MOA with Hillside Children’s Center to provide Educational and Support services for the 2023/24 school year.
    • approves the MOA with Rochester School of the Deaf to provide Educational and Support services for the 2023/24 school year.
    • accepts the lowest bidder meeting the specifications on the waste pickup bid and contract for the 2023-24 school year:
      Casella Waste Management – $28,200
    • approves the resolution to participate in the Cooperative Natural Gas Bid with the WFL BOCES for the 2023/24 school year.
    • approves the contract with Interpretek to provide ASL Services through June 30, 2023.

    PERSONNEL

    • accepts the resignation of Christopher Spencer as Cleaner effective April 18, 2023.
    • accepts the resignation of Megan Tomeno as Teacher Aide effective at the end of the day on April 26, 2023.
    • approves the following addition to the Spring Coaching Assignments for the 2023 season, (pending proper certifications and clearances)
      • Volunteer: Mike Mistretta Softball
    • approves the request of Sarah Fuller for an unpaid half (.5) day from her position as Registered Nurse on April 10, 2023.
    • approves the following appointments for the 2023 ESY and SLA programs (appointments made are conditional upon the needs and numbers for each
      program):

      • SLA:
        • Chris vanLeeuven Coordinator
        • Lindsey Marcus Coordinator
        • Sarah Valentine Teacher
        • Kelcy Beckstrom Teacher
        • Dawn Reinhart Teacher
        • Tracy Stark Teacher
        • Sara Mullikin Teacher
        • Theresa Ashworth Teacher
        • Jenn Bowie Teacher
        • Jennifer Carretto Teacher
        • Mickey Carretto Teacher
        • Eileen Marino Teacher
        • Leigh Emerson Teacher
        • Amy Winslow Teacher
        • Michele Flaitz Teacher
        • Andrew Gibbs Teacher
        • Julia Butts Teacher
        • Tristin Christie Teacher
        • Ashley Saurbaugh Teacher
        • Marieka Woolever Teacher
        • Kelly Smilinich Teacher
        • Jennifer Class Sub
        • Nicholas Navarro Sub
        • Debra Kenney Sub
        • Jolynne Burritt Sub
        • Katrina Hurd Sub
      • ESY:
        • Michelle Lehman- Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
        • Hollie Baldwin- Occupational Therapy Oversight
        • TBD- Speech
        • Michelle Kendall- Teacher
        • Stephanie Wheeler- Teacher
        • Andrea Sharp- Teacher
        • Kelly Argentieri- Teacher
        • Dawn Kiesl- Teacher
        • Colleen Amidon- Nurse
        • Karen Dgien- Nurse substitute
        • Rhonda Smith- LPN
      • ESY Paraprofessionals:
        • Colleen Harrison
        • Theresa Rude
        • Kelly Kuhn
        • Amber Smith
        • Mary Campbell
        • Deborah Pierce
        • Kim Smith
        • Andrah Coddington
        • Ann Postilli
        • Sam Zschoche
        • Roxanne Sanford
        • Samantha Sirianni
        • Brandon Burritt
        • Peggy Nankivell
        • Taylor Davis
    • accepts the resignation of Alyssa Liberto as Special Education Teacher effective on or before May 12, 2023.
    • approves Jolynne Burritt as a Teacher Mentor effective April 19, 2023.
    • approves the following changes to the substitute roster and other assignments, pending successful fingerprint clearance through the New York State Education Department and approval through DMV and or Civil Service if applicable:
      • Substitute Additions:
        • Joshua Plank – Teacher Aide, Laborer, Bus Monitor, Food Service
        • Christopher Spencer – Cleaner

    CARRIED – 5 AYES – ALL

    Discussion:

    Informational:

    The Board will hold a Public Hearing on the 2023/24 Budget on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 6:00 PM in the High School Library, the Board will hold the next regular meeting immediately following the hearing.

    RESOLVED: BY: MEHR/KHORK that, at 5:36 PM the Board move to Executive Session to discuss a matter pertaining to
    particular personnel.
    CARRIED – 5 AYES – ALL

    Member Khork was excused from Executive Session.

    RESOLVED: BY: MEHR/MARINO that, at 6:14 PM the Board move return to Regular Session and the meeting be adjourned.
    CARRIED – 4 AYES – ALL

    Respectfully submitted,
    Carol Eaton, District Clerk