You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. You dont slip things in .. .the day of a meeting, former Trustee Laurie Osmond said. They say the district seems to prefer closing Woodstock and Phoenicia to create a Bennett central campus an option that would save the district the most funds: $979,000. Central and Union Free school districts are authorized to operate high schools, though not all do, while common school districts may not operate high schools. May 23, 2023 - Hudson Valley One There is not a child in the Phoenicia community that they have not impacted, that they have not touched, they have not gone to their house and dropped off snacks, dropped off school bags, dropped off supplies, she said. We undertook a systematic review by searching three electronic databases to . Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County presents a nutrition workshop series for SNAP/WIC-Eligible Parents/ and Caregivers of children under 18 at the Pine Hill Community Center this June and July. Joseph-Daniel Letendre The Onteora Central School District is proud to announce that Takemi Sono-Knowles is Valedictorian of the Class of 2023, Maeve Turck is Salutatorian, and Noelle Crandell is this year's recipient of the Principal's Award. You dont slip things in at noon the day of the meeting, she said. Resident Esther Downton encouraged board members to work with groups that object to the school closings. The total number of district students has declined from 2,446 in 1999-2000 to 1,101 this school year. The Anonymous Alerts anti-bullying and safety app reporting system helps combat bullying and other negative activity in schools by empowering students to speak up. Her reporting career began at the Utica Observer-Dispatch, where she worked as the food, drink and culture reporter. Is this what Phoenicia and Woodstock are facing in their future?. The superintendent is Victoria McLaren. Pattern for Progress calculated that the Hudson Valley received a net gain of over 30,000 people from New York City in 2019-20, and the think tank will get population data on the remainder of the pandemic later this spring. That will forever shape the impact of these communities without knowing or disclosing all the impacts on the community and taxpayers.. Based on votes on the budget, including absentees, there were 1846 this year, compared to 686 last year. She asked trustees if they were in favor of delaying the vote until a future meeting, but the motion failed. Closing Phoenicia would allow for improved instructional experiences for students, fewer transitions between school buildings, more efficient transportation, more effective use of faculty and staff, and greater alignment of resources and practices, the May 2 resolution stated. She joined the Times Union in 2023. And I think that its going to really affect this very, very precious thing that theres such a shortage of in our society in general, which is trust., She asked for a reconsideration of the vote that evening, and give us a chance to become more involved in knowing what you know, because you know what we know but we dont know what you know., The short notice of the vote left many like Jane Brooks disturbed. Onteora High School News It is both an honor and a pleasure for me to serve the Onteora Community as the Principal of the High School. Woodstock has always been seen sort of as an upper-class, well-educated, high socioeconomic area and community, whereas Phoenicia is always known as a more rural, backwoods, impoverished, poor community, she said. May 23, 2023. Schools. It's starting to feel more and more like were not wanted here, she said. Phoenicia PTA president Christina Signore said she has tried to be supportive but increasingly felt the trustees minds had been made up all along. Editors note: This story was updated June 10, 2023, at 11:35 a.m. to reflect that Onteora school district resident Sierra Smith favors the district moving forward with a central campus and that she cited past school closing in the context of giving students an opportunity they do not currently have in going through all their elementary school years in one building. 2010-2011 Onteora Central School District Building Middle School High School 2010-2011 Onteora Central School District Building Phoenicia 2010-2011 Onteora Central School District Building Woodstock. Wallis equated the situation to an old couple whose children have moved out of the house and have to deal with downsizing. The student population went from a peak of 2,470 students in 1998 to 1,101 students currently, the lowest number on record. May 4, 2023 Updated: May 4, 2023 1:59 p.m. District Agreements - Onteora Central School District She said parents have begun surveying the area to get a sense of how many people have moved to the area. Objections to the plan included repeated requests for the board to provide more time for supporters to conduct a campaign to show the schools value. Were trying to do the right thing, but change is hard and its very emotional for people, she said. CBS6 Albany The fourth was to close Phoenicia and Woodstock to make Bennett k-4, and to make the middle school 5-8, The fifth was to close either Phoenicia or Woodstock. The Path is a series of virtual live and on-demand events, hosted by NYS HESC, and designed to help New Yorks students on their path toward a higher education. November 3, 2021. in. Jerome was a third candidate added to the OPEN (Onteora Parents Engaged Now) slate. The system allows for 1-way or 2-way anonymous encrypted communications between submitters . In light of the possible closing of schools, parents have organized and created the Onteora Parents Engaged Now (OPEN). The Onteora School Board voted 6-1 to close Phoenicia Elementary School on Tuesday evening, May 2, in all likelihood likely sealing the same fate for the Woodstock Elementary School. Onteora Central School District4166 State Route 28 Boiceville, NY 12412P: 845.657.6383, Building Utilization and Grade Configuration Study, Parent Guide For Addressing School Concerns, Parents' Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security, History of Potential & Confirmed COVID Cases, Ulster County Guidance for Safe Return to School- March 11, 2021, Superintendent's Letter December 31, 2021 - Coming Back January 3rd, Questions & Answers from August 10, 2021 Forum, Superintendent's Letter September 3, 2021, Questions & Answers from September 21 Forum, Next Steps if Your Child is asked to Stay Home, Questions & Answers from October 19 Forum, Superintendent's Letter November 23, 2021, Questions & Answers from November 16, 2021, Superintendent Letter - Reminder to Sign up for Student COVID Screening, Questions & Answers from November 30, 2021, Quarantine Guidelines Updated December 14, 2021, Superintendent's Letter - Changes in COVID-19 Procedures, Superintendent Letter about Testing Kids Distributed for Students, Superintendent's Letter December 20, 2021 - free COVIDtesting at Woodstock Apothecary for staff and students to return to school, Superintendent's Letter December 23, 2021 - free COVID testing event at Onteora High School January 9, 2022, Superintendent's Letter December 23, 2021 - COVID testing kits available during the break andfree COVID testing event at Onteora High School January 9, 2022, Questions & Answers from December 14, 2021, Superintendent's Letter January 21, 2022 - test To Stay, Questions & Answers from January 18, 2022, Ulster County Vaccination Clinic at Phoenicia School February 1, 2022, Superintendent's Letter February 28 - Masks Optional, Superintendent's Letter March 2 - New Guidance, Air Quality and Outdoor Activity Guidance for Schools, Americans with Disabilities Act / Section 504, Requests for Proposals for Universal Pre-K Programs, ENRICH Youth Pre-Employment Transition Services, Family Collaborative Virtual Parent Night, Ulster County Transition Council 2021-2022 School Year Information Meeting Schedule, Transition from Early Intervention to Preschool Special Education, Center for Spectrum Services April & May Parent Groups and Workshops, Welcome Families of Emergent Multilingual Learners to Prekindergarten in New York State, Distance Learning Opportunities for Professionals and Parents, Family/Caregiver Services Guide Ulster County, Resources for Supporting Children and Adolescence in Grief. Agreements between the Onteora Central School District Board of Education and Onteora Employees/unions. They get paid a lot of money it doesnt take a rocket scientist to say, This is the idea, this is what were looking at, PTA member Lindsay Shands said. Some board members at that time noted they voted against closing Phoenicia because the former West Hurley Elementary School has not been sold since it closed in 2004, with that status unchanged in 2023, which was still a point of concern by speakers during Tuesdays session. I have said before that there was an agenda and that numerous former school board members have heard the superintendent say over the years that she wanted a central campus, and I was told there was no agenda, Osmond said. It came under sharp criticism for lack of transparency. Projected enrollment is expected to decline another 38 percent over the next two decades. School Closings and Remote Instruction January 26, 2023 Dear Parents/Guardians, As you are aware, the District had allocated six (6) snow days as part of the 2022-2023 school calendar and our plan was to use these days if needed. The lone dissenting vote was cast by board member Sarah Hemingway Lynch. It is unknown whether school measures are effective in coronavirus outbreaks (eg, due to severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS], Middle East respiratory syndrome, or COVID-19). Born August 28, 1948 in Kingston he was the son of the late Orman and Elaine Leighton. Parents criticize that the district projections come from the Department of Education and do not account for future students born in other counties who moved to the district later on. You cant rent or sell a building with a leaking roof or some of the other high-priority items on the list of repairs unless you are going to offer it at a significant discount, she said. Onteora board votes to close Phoenicia School, plans also to shutter At the same time, all countries are undergoing the largest economic contractions of our lifetime, reducing public budgets and household incomes. May 23, 2023 More than 30 people spoke, all but three against the plan. Parent and former trustee Daphne DeJesus thanked the Phoenicia staff, many of whom were in the audience, for their service. The West Hurley building is currently listed on Loopnet for $850,000. But Bosch said that any increase is not going to be enough to counterbalance the population decline thats been happening for more than 20 years. Cancellations.com - Weather Closings & Delays - Onteora Central School Born and raised in Spain, Maria first attended the Autonomous University of Barcelona before she transferred to Utica University in 2017. The reconfiguration plan, elaborated Bishop, would address a shared standing issue in our elementary schools where teachers and related service providers who are assigned to k-6 students may travel during the day between buildings, losing hours of instructional time each week. Currently eleven teaching staff travel between buildings. The next step will be to implement one of three scenarios, which could include closing one, and possibly two, of the elementary schools. McLaren said the district included information about the plans in a district newsletter and invited the community to participate in meetings to ask questions and share ideas. From the ancient city of Jerusalem to the mountains of New York, the Scrolls of Onteora, known as the Cremona Document, tell the story of the Knights Templars who found artifacts and documents,. In light of recent incidents, local school officials unveil updated safety plans, New Onteora trustee changes his mind, now supports school reconfiguration, Kingston High School graduation on June 23 (photos), Onteora graduates keep their spirit during a damp commencement ceremony on June 23 (photos), New Paltz High School Class of 23 graduates after a most challenging four years (photos), Mood is joyful and undampened at the commencement ceremony in Saugerties, Wastewater, retirement, abandoned junk and more news briefs from Saugerties, Hudson Valley walks that span space and time, Ulster County 2023 primary election results: Routs, upsets and nail-biters, Shady issue takes center stage just before Woodstock election, scheduled screening of, Saugerties man arrested after pointing shotgun at neighbors, New Paltz residents fear a proposed development will adversely affect the character of their neighborhood, Apocalyptic skies, poor air quality in Hudson Valley expected to return this week. Window of NYS Grade 8 Science Performance Test. Meg Brenner, who moved to Ulster County seven years ago and has had three children since, said some teachers in the district also oppose closing the school, citing an anonymous survey conducted among teachers that revealed that 71 percent of the staff oppose any decision to close the schools, and added that many are afraid to speak up due to possible retaliation. As this report finds, schools for more than 168 million children globally have been closed for almost a full year. Our elementary buildings are significantly underutilized, however. Those are pieces of information that are so important for the community to feel good about that decision if that is in fact the one they make.. This news dropped like a bomb at school pickup, said Ashleigh Lovelace, a member of the Onteora Parents Engaged Now who attended Tuesdays meeting. Onteora Central School District is a school district in Boiceville, New York, United States. Its not the right way, and you dont want to start this choice that way., Parent Caroline Jerome, a Woodstock Library trustee, said she knew what it was like to lose and rebuild the trust of the public, having dealt with the long, contentious process of moving into a new facility. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Sat/Sun. Our buses currently travel in excess of 5000 miles daily, transporting our students to their schools. We are facing a COVID-19 education crisis. Among residents underscoring that passion was Stephanie Bryant, during a Board of Education meeting Tuesday, when she read a letter from Woodstock town Supervisor Bill McKenna asking the board to change course. I have said before that this was being timed to happen before the election so there was no chance of a new trustee getting a vote. The boards lone dissenting opinion came from trustee Sarah Hemingway Lynch, who conceded that the ad-hoc committee on restructuring had made a really compelling case for a central campus based on economic impact, fewer transitions between buildings, and more effective use of faculty and staff, but complained there had been no firm cost estimates of the changes. In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, 107 countries had implemented national school closures by March 18, 2020. Youre not being honest. Dr. Baughman's Building Utilization & Grade Configuration Study. Schools, especially elementary schools, are at the heart of towns and hamlets. Superintendent Victoria McLaren said the district would save $370,000 to $750,000 annually in facilities costs and $880,000 per year in transportation expenses under the new configuration. Onteora board votes to close Phoenicia school despite pleas from There were 887 in-person ballots cast in Woodstock, 497 from Olive and Marbletown, and 306 from Shandaken and Lexington. School Closings and Remote Instruction | News - Story - Phoenicia Elementary School < Back to News January 26, 2023 Dear Parents/Guardians, As you are aware, the District had allocated six (6) snow days as part of the 2022-2023 school calendar and our plan was to use these days if needed. Its uncomfortable, and its hard, and we have to sometimes make a move, and thats where were at. It was placed on the May 2 agenda immediately after being approved by the districts attorneys, she explained. So we understand that a lot of people are upset at the prospect.. Calendar - Onteora Central School District We use cookies. The plan also faced criticism for a lack of cost estimates for required modifications to other buildings to accommodate the proposed changes. You just have to face that, he said. While some private school enrollments increased as a result of newcomers, the decline in enrollment in public schools is happening everywhere across the Hudson Valley, Bosch said. Orman (Skip) E. Leighton, III, DVM, 73, of Onteora Court died Thursday, October 28, 2021 at Northern Dutchess Hospital. Megan H. Brenner, one of the parents and a spokesperson for OPEN, said many young professionals like her family have moved to the community in large part due to the quality of education offered by Woodstock and Phoenicia elementaries. What is happening here is a complete lack of transparency, she said. Out of 127 students attending Phoenicia, only 55 live in the Town of Shandaken, Bishop said, while 72 live in Bearsville, Boiceville, Glenford, Hurley, Olivebridge, Shokan, Stone Ridge, West Hurley, West Shokan and Willow. Fully open means that classes are held in-person for all schoolchildren and at all grade levels. District Plans & Reports - Onteora Central School District We dont want to be a part of any problem that existed before choosing to make this our home. They criticize relying on a pre-pandemic report that doesnt account for the recent influx of people to their neighborhoods. High Honor Roll: 8 th Grade: Gabrielle Alterio, Jasmine Barker, Jade Belfiore, Yana Bennett, Samuel . The meeting became tense at times. Data indicates the decrease correlates with fewer births and outward migration, according to a Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress report that analyzed demographics and school enrollment. WOODSTOCK, N.Y. Pleas from nearly 40 Phoenicia Elementary School supporters could not sway Onteora district trustees from voting to close the building after the 2023-24 academic year. Onteora Middle/Senior High School is shown on June 8, 2022. He became the news director at college radio station WFNP, where he caught the journalism bug and the rest is history. All our communities lost their K-6 schools and every community had same-household siblings split up, she said. (Tania Barricklo/Daily Freeman) BOICEVILLE, N.Y. Residents are continuing to express consternation over plans to close Phoenicia . The Woodstock Elementary School could be one of the next schools to close as part of Onteora Central School District to fight declining enrollment. Anecdotally, Brenner said shes seen more people arriving in her neighborhood, many of them with young children. During Tuesdays meeting, many parents requested the board take more time to reconsider the plan. THE ONTEORA CLUB - The Magazine Antiques May 5, 2021 in Education 0 Onteora voters will choose two school board trustees for two-year terms among four candidates and decide on a $58.78 million budget when they go to the polls on May 18. The plan has been met with pushback from parents, the PTA and some community members, who say the process has been rushed, relies on outdated data and that the district hasnt kept the public informed. Richard Wolff was in favor of the central campus plan. Moral of the story is that its fiscally irresponsible to rush decision-making on something that cannot be undone, Brenner said. HS Principal's Update (Grades, School Closings, Scheduling) - January Its not helping the kids.. Nick Henderson was raised in Woodstock starting at the age of three and attended Onteora schools, then SUNY New Paltz after spending a year at SUNY Potsdam under the misguided belief he would become a music teacher. About Us - Onteora High School Nick Henderson was raised in Woodstock starting at the age of three and attended Onteora schools, then SUNY New Paltz after spending a year at SUNY Potsdam under the misguided belief he would become a music teacher. Its not helping anybody. With enrollment declining, Onteora considers reshuffling grades You cant just close the school and stop educating the children. Onteora High Schools Community Mentor Program offers students in Grades 9-12 the opportunity to pursue their interests and passionsand perhaps their dream careers. While the Hudson Valleys population jumped after 9/11, only to steadily decline again within a few years, the parents say that now is a different time because remote work and local investment will mean more recent transplants will stay. Thats not true. The unique findings presented in this report provide . June 2023. Faced with steadily declining enrollment and a loss of 1000 students, or more than half its total over the last decade, district officials have said that maintaining all schools was not sustainable. Big win for OPEN is confirmed, group is opposed to Onteora closings Onteora Central School District is a school district in Boiceville, New York, United States. Her reporting career began at the Utica Observer-Dispatch, where she worked as the food, drink and culture reporter. Many in the audience questioned why it couldnt wait until the next meeting. This is a carousel. In January, the Onteora School Board unanimously voted to transfer sixth graders from Bennett to the adjacent middle school starting in the 2024-25 school year. Board vice-president Cindy Bishop said the decision was not purely financial. In light of recent incidents, local school officials unveil updated safety plans, New Onteora trustee changes his mind, now supports school reconfiguration, Kingston High School graduation on June 23 (photos), Onteora graduates keep their spirit during a damp commencement ceremony on June 23 (photos), New Paltz High School Class of 23 graduates after a most challenging four years (photos), Mood is joyful and undampened at the commencement ceremony in Saugerties, Candidates file petitions for New Paltz School Board election on May 16, Hudson Valley walks that span space and time, Ulster County 2023 primary election results: Routs, upsets and nail-biters, Shady issue takes center stage just before Woodstock election, scheduled screening of, Saugerties man arrested after pointing shotgun at neighbors, New Paltz residents fear a proposed development will adversely affect the character of their neighborhood, Apocalyptic skies, poor air quality in Hudson Valley expected to return this week. The two schools that will face closing have been nominated as the best elementary schools in the Hudson Valley, a glowing reputation that led many parents and young families, such as Lovelaces, to move to the area. They say they want input, but its not really happening.. I just implore you to consider not taking a vote tonight.. 29. Write-in candidate Caroline Jerome has been elected to the Onteora School Board, besting incumbent president Emily Sherry in a vote that brings in three new trustees after a recent board decision to close the Phoenicia and eventually the Woodstock elementary schools. Calendar. Maria M. Silva is a Hudson Valley news reporter for the Times Union. Those rough estimates may change when the transportation contract is up for renewal next year. He spent four years as City Hall reporter for Fosters Daily Democrat in Dover, NH, then moved back to Woodstock in 2003 and worked on the Daily Freeman copy desk until 2013. But now, they worry what the impact of closing those schools will have on their children and the community. Thats the reality of the situation, folks. Closing Bennett and reassigning its students to one of the two other schools could potentially save the district $500,000 annually. I think that theres been a lot of misconceptions about the significant number of mystery children who are suddenly going to come to our schools and flood them. Onteora district trustees voted Tuesday night to close Phoenicia Elementary in the school board's latest attempt to address decades' long declining enrollment and create a centralized campus. Partial closures refer to situations in which schools are either closed in some of a countrys administrative units, for some grade levels, or are operating with limited capacity. We want to be part of a solution.. With every day that goes by, these children will fall further behind and the most vulnerable will pay the heaviest price. Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, Woodstock and Bennett will become k-5 schools and the middle/high school will serve grades 6-12. Born and raised in Spain, Maria first attended the Autonomous University of Barcelona before she transferred to Utica University in 2017. A second would have closed Bennett and made Phoenicia and Woodstock k-4, and the middle school 5-8. That plan is expected to change in 2028 when Woodstock would close, which will require another board vote for a new configuration plan. I just feel I feel like its all for nothing, all this hard work and trying to work together and trying to keep it cool.. This is good, solid data, he said. Social and peer pressure are some of the hardest obstacles for students to overcome. School Closings and Remote Instruction | News - Story - Phoenicia Schools are closed because the population is declining. The newspapers were told there was no agenda. Current grade configurations have kindergarten through third grades in Phoenicia and Woodstock elementary schools, grades 4-6 in Bennett Elementary School, grades 7-8 in the middle school, and 9-12 in the high school. Some of the parents argue that OCSD is relying on outdated data that doesnt include population gains during the pandemic. The vote to restructure the schools comes two weeks before the board of educations election on May 16, which has five candidates seeking election to three available seats. Global Monitoring of School Closures caused by COVID-19 Pandemic The goal is to have all grades on a central campus by 2028. Look how many people came on this amount of notice just to show up and just say, wait, wait, how can we trust this data.It is the most unscrupulous and shameful thing to put on the agenda this morning to minimize the effect of public discourse. Unfortunately its up to the seven of you to have to make a decision, Salem said. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Onteora_Central_School_District&oldid=1158882585, School districts in Ulster County, New York, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 6 June 2023, at 20:51. Reach Maria at maria.silva@timesunion.com. District Closed - Memorial Day. Anonymous Alert Information - Onteora High School Updated information is being provided tohigh school students and parents. And it needs to be said that its not true, he said.
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