Q:  At the Board of Education meeting on Thursday, March 15, Trustee Sommerfield said the district missed a court date on Wednesday, March 13.  Is this true?

A:  We are unaware of the court proceeding that Trustee referenced; the district did not miss a scheduled court date.

Q:  Will cuts with stipends be reinstated?

A:  In an effort to preserve as many instructional positions as possible, there are no plans to reinstate the eliminated stipend positions.

Q:  Where does the money in our fund balance come from?

A:  Each year, the board of education develops the next year’s budget by estimating the district’s anticipated revenues and expenses.  If revenues remain unspent at the end of the fiscal year, the board may:

• Use all or part of the money towards the next year’s budget;
• Save all or part of the money in specially designated funds for specific uses such as future tax claims (tax certiorari reserve fund) or building projects (capital reserve fund); or
• Save all or part of the money in an undesignated fund for use as needed (unappropriated fund balance)

  Money in the district’s “savings” is called fund balance and includes any reserve funds and unappropriated funds.

Q. If a student has to quit a sport, can he or she play a sport the following season?

A. MCSD has no policy that would prevent a student who quits a sport from participating in a sport the following season. For further questions or clarification, please contact our Athletic Director, Tim Hayes at 764-3700 ext. 3122.

Q:  What is the percentage of teachers at Massena Central School that are taxpayers in the district?  What percentage of all MCS Staff are taxpayers of the district?

A:  Approximately 72% of the Massena Central School District staff reside within our school district.  Approximately 64% of the Massena Central School District teachers are district residents.

Q:  How much has Massena Central School District spent previously investigating the allegations referred to in the current Notice of Claim regarding the Assistant Superintendent of Business?

A:  Massena Central School District spent approximately $40,000.00 on an exhaustive investigation that examined every allegation made by the Assistant Superintendent of Business.  The independent counsel concluded that the allegations made were without substantial merit and recommended the dismissal of the complaint in its entirety.

Q:  What will we save if we use BOCES services instead of hiring our own employees this year? What do we save next year?

A:  The board of education has yet to decide which positions it would be interested in moving to BOCES for next year.  Once the board makes that decision, BOCES will determine which services it can supply. Until both steps have been completed, it is impossible to estimate the exact cost savings.

The board is considering this change because BOCES can provide services at a lower cost than the district can. The district saves the difference between the cost of the BOCES service and the cost of salaries and benefits to keep our own employees. In addition, the state reimburses schools for a portion of BOCES expenses the following year.

The district will save difference in the cost of the service in the first year. In the second year, we will save that difference and receive state reimbursement. This savings can total as much as 80 percent of the cost of a district employee.

Q:  What do we lose when we send positions to BOCES?

A:  Some worry that we risk losing the close relationships between staff and students and the close working relationships among staff. Some worry that this will lower morale among our staff. BOCES has a long history of successfully providing a wide variety of services to school districts—from education to business office. The board of education must weigh the challenges of this change with the potential benefits to determine what is best for students, staff and taxpayers over the long-term.

Q:  What are the administrative tenure areas in Massena?  Are they the same all over NYS?  Now how are they determined?  What is the duration of tenure and who decides?

A:  Under education law, New York school employees may become tenured in a variety of different areas such as elementary education, secondary language arts or administration.  (Note administration is a tenure area.)  At the end of an employee’s three-year probationary period, the employee’s supervisor may choose to recommend that employee for tenure to the board of education.  If the Board of Education approves the recommendation, the employee is granted tenure.  Under law, tenure protects the employee from dismissal without due process as long as the employee remains in his or her tenure area.

Q:  Why is the vote at the Community Center?

A:  The vote will be held at the Community Center because it is centrally located, has ample parking and is more easily accessed than the high school.