October 2007 Vol. XXI, No. 10

THE GOVERNOR VISITS JAMESTOWN AREA

Raymond Fashano, Superintendent Jamestown CSD, was one of about 30 community leaders asked to meet with Governor Eliot Spitzer recently during his visit to the Jamestown area. Many issues were brought to the table and Mr. Fashano spoke to the Governor about the realities of his Contract for Excellence initiative and the newly reconstituted Foundation Aid. Below is an excerpt of the letter dated September 24^th that Mr. Fashano was asked to write as a follow up to this discussion.

BOARD SETS PRIORITIES FOR UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION

At the September 26^th meeting of the Board of Directors, legislative priorities for 2008 were conceptually approved and included four areas: Foundation Aid amendments, Contract for Excellence amendments, Charter School reforms and Debt Ceiling reforms.

The Board agreed that for any Foundation Aid amendments, the regional cost factor needs adjustment. Robert Biggerstaff also suggested that a continuation of the 25% cola exemption for poor/needy districts resulting in a total exemption between 3 and 6 percent be supported. The Board also agreed that amendment to the high tax aid be recommended which makes this aid category reflective of actual district wealth.

Regarding Contract for Excellence amendments, the problem of ‘lumping’ all districts in one category regardless of the actual degree of educational deficiencies was discussed. The Board agreed that any adjustment in the C4E spending requirement should reflect the actual severity of a district’s deficiencies.

The Board agreed that since the number of Charter Schools has been increased and that these schools are a reality for the foreseeable future, the Association must confront the issues presented by Charters. A joint position paper (Association and effected small city districts) will be developed as a basis for lobbying in 2008.

Three possible approaches to debt ceiling reforms were discussed; a Constitutional Referendum, exclusion of building aid from the debt ceiling calculation and Dormitory Authority financing of small city school construction projects outside the ceiling. Which of these will be most likely to pass in 2008 is not yet apparent.

As always, the Association welcomes any questions or comments regarding these issues of interest.

CENTER FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING UPDATE

The Center for School Improvement Planning has been busy these past few months working to gather, analyze and present a myriad of school fiscal and academic data. The aim of the Center is to provide districts with a clear picture of its strengths as well as areas with room for improvement. This picture is a valuable inventory, especially for those schools asked to create new programs and account for additional spending under the Governor’s Contract for Excellence initiative. The Center will also be available as a consulting resource for districts’ planning and implementing changes.

On October 1^st, Lonnie Palmer and Charles Winters presented the first customized report at Binghamton CSD. The feedback has been very good. The next step is a return to the district for further discussion and planning. Below is a generic table of contents to illustrate the data provided.

The next presentation is scheduled for Jamestown CSD. We will keep you informed of further developments.

Any questions about the Center can be directed to Bob Biggerstaff at the Association’s offices (518-475-9500, reb@biggerstaff-firm.com).

BILL STATUS REPORT

Below is a listing of the Association’s bills of interest (as of the end of September 2007) that have been either vetoed or chaptered.

BILLS OF INTEREST - VETOED

BILLS OF INTEREST – CHAPTERED

LITIGATION UPDATE

The Association Board of Directors met on September 26^th and unanimously voted to continue its support of the Small City School District litigation and of the individual plaintiff districts that have decided to re-file the complaint. As previously reported, the Appellate Division decision in July determined that BOE members, both officially as members of district boards and individually as private citizens, lacked the legal standing and capacity to sue the State on constitutional grounds. The Court also determined that the complaint must allege separate educational deficiencies for each district involved in the case rather than summarize those deficiencies collectively. The Litigation Steering Committee decided not to appeal that decision and instead it recommended that the Association support districts wishing to re-file the complaint. To date, nine of the original plaintiff districts have decided to participate in the re-filed case. Those districts are Beacon, Corning, Jamestown, Kingston, Mt. Vernon, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Salamanca and Tonawanda. Albany, Dunkirk, Middletown, North Tonawanda and Poughkeepsie are still in the process of determining whether to go ahead. Four districts, Binghamton, Cohoes, Glens Falls and Schenectady, have decided not to pursue the case at this time. Of the eleven Supporting Districts, Lockport has already agreed to continue its support. Other districts previously supporting the litigation include Auburn, Batavia, Cortland, Fulton, Hornell, Hudson, New Rochelle, Peekskill, Plattsburgh and Saratoga Springs.

Please note, that previous non-participation as a plaintiff district or supporting district does not, of course, preclude your district from participating now. Nearly half (18 plaintiff districts and 11 supporting districts) of the small city districts participated in the first case. This number was impressive, especially to the Leaders in the Capitol in Albany. As always, any questions, criticisms, comments and suggestions will be appreciated. It is only through our collective efforts that we can hope to be successful.

UPCOMING
EVENTS

October 15, 2007
meeting with Manny Rivera, Deputy Secretary for Education
12:00 pm Fort Orange Club – lunch
1:00 pm meeting in Room 236 Capitol  

October 26, 2007
8:00am
annual breakfast in conjunction with NYSSBA Convention
The Cornell Club, NYC

November 1, 2007
meeting with Paul Francis, Director, Division of Budget
12:00 pm Fort Orange Club – lunch
1:00 pm meeting in Room 101 Capitol 

November 26, 2007
1:00pm
Board of Directors Meeting and meeting with Commissioner Mills
Fort Orange Club Albany NY 

January 20, 2008
1:00pm – 3:30pm
Board of Directors meeting in conjunction with NYSCOSS midwinter meeting
Desmond Hotel Albany NY 

March 11, 2008
8am – 12pm
Legislative Breakfast
Fort Orange Club Albany NY 

June 1-2, 2008 (tentative)
Annual Conference
The Otesaga, Cooperstown NY (tentative)