By Staff
Jan. 26, 2022: The Bronxville School Board of Education met last night and below are some highlights from the meeting.
Student Presentations: The meeting opened with two student presentations. The first was from 11th grader Isabella Fenner who is the student representative to the Board. Isabella spoke about the success of the learning commons as a peaceful place to study, the ease of the new course catalog website, how the return to athletics has been great for student athletes, how masks-wearing has become a new normal and finally how some students are still struggling to return to the academic rigor of their classes. There was then a presentation about the robotics course at the school with a focus on “Project Drone” which was an innovative and exciting project-based course this year.
Cyber Security: There was a presentation on cyber security at the school. This included a discussion of the systems the school uses and the benefits of working with other school districts to pool resources and share best practices. The school does cyber security training with faculty and staff at the school.
Report by Dr. Roy Montesano: Bronxville School Superintendent Dr. Roy Montesano reported that COVID numbers in Westchester County are dropping but that there have been a lot of local hospitalizations. The school tests over 300 students per week to get an idea of the positivity rate. It’s currently 2.6% which has also dropped significantly. The school has at-home testing kits that they will send home with parents and staff to test kids after the February break and before they come back to school.
Mask Mandate: There was some confusion over New York State's mask mandate this week. A judge in a lower court ruled that the Governor did not have the constitutional authority to implement the mandate; however, the New York State Supreme Court granted a legal “stay" which keeps the mandate in place during the legal proceedings. At this time, the mask mandate for the Bronxville School is still in place. This mandate for schools expires February 1st. When and if the mask mandate gets lifted, the school will make a decision regarding masks at that time.
Financial Results: Dan Carlin, Assistant Superintendent for Business, reported on the school financial results. The school financial projection for the year is “virtually unchanged” from November. The key variable in the cost structure is the Bronxville Teacher Association (“BTA”) contract. The Board is engaging the BTA in negotiations which are amicable. As of December 31st, anticipated federal aid and insurance recovery from the flood are offsetting declining special ed tuition income and interest income revenue shortfalls. Finally, the Bronxville School facilities project is 99% complete with the exception of some backordered doors and hardware due to supply chain issues. There will be a zoom budget workshop on Saturday at 9am.
The Bronxville School Board meeting from last night was recorded and can be viewed on YouTube by clicking here.