Board of Education

General Information

The Board of Education is the official policy-making body of our school district. Seven members serve on the Board, without pay, and are elected to three-year terms. Board elections take place in May along with the annual school budget vote. Current Board members for the 2009-2010 school year and the year their terms end, are:

Contact Information

telephone: 518-674-7079
Email: board@averillpark.k12.ny.us

Responsibilities of the Board

The Board is responsible for insuring the quality of education in the district. As elected officials, they represent the public in:

• defining the philosophy of the district
• setting goals and objectives to achieve educational progress
• employing professional educators to meet the goals
• establishing district policies
• evaluating the effectiveness of the district program and services
• developing a budget consistent with educational needs and community resources
• communicating the needs and progress of the district to the community and education governing boards.

Board Meetings

The Board of Education meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month, unless otherwise noted. The meetings are usually held at Averill Park High School and begin at 6:30 p.m. The Board welcomes and encourages the public to attend these meetings.

Board meetings are for the purpose of completing Board of Education regularly scheduled business required by law (Public Off. Law, Section 103). The meetings to conduct Board business are public meetings (Section 1708 (3). Residents are encouraged to attend and observe the public business of the Board of Education. The Superintendent develops the agenda for the Board meeting. The agenda is available to the public. Board meetings are publicized in the School District Calendar, the school newsletters local newspapers, and the Advertiser.

On every Board agenda, there is an opportunity for public comment, toward the end of the regularly scheduled meeting. The Board welcomes public comment. To speak at the Board meeting, the individual is asked to complete a "request to speak" form noting their name, address and the topic the individual wishes to address. This enables the Superintendent and the Board of Education to get information back to the individual as needed. Individuals are asked to limit their comments to 3 minutes so that the Board can complete its regularly scheduled business. If more time is required the individual is asked to contact the Superintendent.

The Board, by law, conducts the following business in executive session, which is closed to the public:

• litigation
• collective negotiations
• specific personnel
• sale of securities
• legal
• matters that may imperil public safety

Two ten-minute "Public Forum" sessions are scheduled at each Board meeting – at the beginning and near the end. These times are set aside so that residents may address the Board directly on issues of importance.

Working Together

The Board believes that complaints are handled best when resolved as close to their origins as possible. School personnel should be given every opportunity to consider the issues and to resolve the problems. Please follow the proper channeling of complaints as listed below:

• THE TEACHER – If you have a concern or complaint about something in the classroom, you are encouraged to meet with the teacher first. Communication at this level often resolves the matter.
• THE PRINCIPAL – If your concern is about general school operations and policies, or if meeting with a teacher is either inappropriate or does not help, you are encouraged to meet with the principal.
• THE SUPERINTENDENT – If your concern involves school district operations generally, or if the teacher and the principal are not able to resolve your problem, you should contact the Superintendent for an appointment. She may be the most appropriate person to respond to your concerns, or she may refer you to other district personnel such as the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, the Business Administrator, the Cafeteria Coordinator, or the Transportation Supervisor.
• THE BOARD OF EDUCATION – If your concern is directly related to Board actions or operations, you can address the Board directly or contact the Superintendent. If you have a complaint and you have made an attempt to solve the matter at other levels and have not been satisfied with the response(s), your complaint may be brought to the attention of the Board, either directly at a meeting or through correspondence.