Superintendents Message

Welcome to the 2019/2020 school year! What a glorious summer we had!  I sincerely hope that each and every one of you got a chance to spend quality time with family and friends.  Thank you to all who took part in the many Board of Education meetings, Community Forums and Committee meetings last year.  Input from you has formed how our district moves forward.

 

We begin this school year looking much different than last year at this time.  We have made significant cuts in our spending and are now working on a plans to continue affording our students a world class education and their chance to find their niche and thrive in their future!  Change does not come without challenges.  The first note of “This isn’t the same” will be when you look at your school calendar which was delivered to you in August.  I will own all of the “mistakes” in this edition of the calendar — as I did a not-so-great job in putting it together.  You will notice that Oct. 31 is not on the calendar (sorry kids, I promise—Halloween will still happen!).   February you will note that President’s Day on the 17th is missing and in April please note that Good Friday is on the 10th.  Last, but not least — July and August are still from 2019 (yikes!).  I send you all a BIG “I’m sorry” on this and promise to find someone else to do the calendar next year :)

 

As we move forward you will note some differences in how the school facilities are used by community groups.  Because we are in a contingent budget this year (0% tax increase), the New York State Education Department requires that any use of our facility by groups not directly associated with the school be charged for use of the building.  We are doing our best to charge only what our direct costs are, but groups such as Youth Sports, Scouts and Sports Tournaments which are above and beyond the regular season will be charged per hour for labor and utilities to run the building.  The district has a long standing history of being the center of this beautiful community.  We enjoy hosting all of the groups which use the district facility throughout the school year – but the cost for those hours must now be covered by each group.

 

There are many things to look forward to this year!  We have a new childcare service for before and after school as well as a community dental program which will give all of our students a chance to have dental care right at school!  We are also looking to join in with other small school districts to form a Community Schools model right here in Dolgeville.  If we are accepted into this grant program, we will have the opportunity to have a community liaison working at the school, free of charge, to help families connect with services needed for their children and families.

 

Help Wanted! We are also looking for community members to join our Capital Spending Steering Committee.  As with any school facility, there are capital costs for building infrastructure and transportation expenditures that must be planned. If you are interested in becoming part of the planning for this spending, please give me a call at 315-429-3155 x3500 or contact me at [email protected] The District Steering Committee will meet four times this school year in the evening.  The committee will be part of conversations with our district architect, engineers and building and maintenance team. 

 

All the best for a great school year!
Mrs. Rhone, Superintendent

Mrs. Rhone

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