by Bob Gallucci
New Lebanon Central School Business Manager Michael Los said thanks in part to adding the Love’s Truck Stop to the tax rolls and good financial management of the District, all five towns in the District will see a slight decrease in the tax levy.[private] This was one of the highlights of the August 17 School Board meeting.
Andrew Kourt, principal of the Elementary School, said they had a ‘great summer’ with two trips to SPAC to see the NYC Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He also noted that the summer school was a ‘great success’ with 10 to 15 students attending daily.
High School Principal Matt Klafehn said they were busily preparing the school for the new year as well as finalizing some student schedules. He said the interview process for an Assistant Principal and Athletic Director is ongoing, but they do expect to fill these positions soon.
There were no changes to the Elementary School or Athletic Code Of Conduct, but there was one change to the dress code at the High School, which was to allow students to wear ‘spaghetti’ strap dresses.
Superintendent Leslie Whitcomb noted that because of its success, the District’s Special Education plan will be basically unchanged from last year. She also spoke of the results of the grade 3 to 8 state testing which, which varied considerably between subject areaas, some at the top and some at the bottom. She also said the opt-out rate is increasing, which makes these tests less useful. Frustration about these tests were voiced by several Board Members as constant changes to them at the State level have limited their usefulness as a diagnostic tool. Superintendent Whitcomb, without being specific, said that discussions are ongoing to improve these tests. She also said the District is using its own data in conjunction with the State’s results to focus in on problem areas to improve and provide the best education for the children of the District.
There were no public comments. The Board went into executive session at the end of the meeting, after which the meeting was adjourned.
Dates To Remember:
August 25 – 7th Grade Orientation At The High School
August 29 – New Teacher Orientation
September 7 – School Opens
September 8 – Pre K Starts
September 8-10 – New Lebanon Soccer Tournament [/private]