Posted
august 28, 2011
Superintendent Buhner Reflects on Start of New School Year
South Colonie Superintendent of Schools, Jonathan Buhner, was recently interviewed by Latham Life newspaper as the District prepare for the start of another school year. Here is what he had to say:
Is there good news or updates for the new school year that South Colonie parents/students would be excited to hear about?
The South Colonie Central School District is pleased to inform parents that we will be adding academic enrichment opportunities for our elementary students. All five elementary buildings will have club activities available this school year including Odyssey of the Mind. The middle school and high school programs will also continue to offer a wide range of activities after school for all students including: music, art, drama, interscholastic and intramural athletic sports, robotics, and community service opportunities. Additionally, the District continues to work to expand post-secondary opportunities for all of our high school students by supporting and expanding partnerships with local colleges and universities. Numerous South Colonie graduates leave Colonie Central High School with a semester of college credits already completed. Despite serious economic challenges, the District has continued to make decisions that focus on meeting high expectations for overall academic achievement.
What are some of the challenges (any programs that might have been cancelled due to budgets) that parents and students can expect this fall?
The majority of the adjustments or cuts were related to supporting services and involved re-organizing a number of departments. We did everything in our power to make changes seamless for students and not impact academic programming or overall achievement results.
Are there any big changes parents/students should expect for the new academic year?
This district, similar to most districts in New York State, is adjusting to major changes in New York State standardized assessments and the Core Curriculum. The Core Curriculum has been revised and this will eventually impact daily lesson plans as content will need to align with the new core curriculum. For the most part, students and parents will not really notice much of a difference as the transitions will be phased in over time. With all of that said, it should be noted that the New York State Education Department has raised proficiency scores for all students considerably. As a District, we know we will adapt quickly to this change and we are looking forward to the challenge. Our results, thus far, have been very positive.
Are there any larger trends that are impacting what the District is doing to offset budget issues?
The challenge at this time is that we are trying to meet numerous new mandates which have been imposed by the Board of Regents while trying to navigate large losses in state revenue support for public schools. As a public entity we always have a responsibility to make certain we are using resources as wisely as possible while protecting the public’s investment. We will continue to study everything we do to find additional efficiencies while maintaining quality programming. The concern is that even with re-organizing and finding additional efficiencies - it is difficult, if not impossible, to make up for millions of dollars of cuts in basic state aid year after year.
Did the District have to lay off staff – teachers – in order to balance this year's budget?
The District has reduced staffing in all areas (instructional and non-instructional) by approximately 40 people over the last three years. Most of the reduction was accomplished through attrition, but some layoffs were required.
As the new school year begins, is there is anything else you'd like the South Colonie school community to know?
I would just like to share that we are
looking forward to another great school year! I’ve been involved
in this work for 22 years at South Colonie and other school
districts, and I still really enjoy watching the kids step off
the bus for the first day of school.