Chappaqua: Budgets for Curriculum, Special Ed & Sports

With the general presentation for Chappaqua's proposed 2013-14 school budget done, Wednesday's school board meeting served as a chance for officials to dig deeper into what may be in store for next year. The presentations, according to slide shows posted online and of video from the meeting, included looks at curriculum, special education and athletics. Below is a roundup of what was presented, based on the slide shows and video:

Curriculum

Eric Byrne, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said that items for next year will include continuation of work on student assessments, measuring how work aligns and looking at continuation across ages.

“Are we aligned, are we consistent, are we developing the writers that we need to? Byrne said. "Are we developing the thinkers that we need to?”

Implementing longer elementary school days - they will be extended by 30 minutes - continuing a partnership program with a Chinese school and possibly entering into a partnership with Stanford University's design school were also discussion. Byrne said that Greeley students may be able to travel to China either next year or the year after and take residencies at a local school.

New initiatives being launched include a writing camp, which will run from Aug. 12-23 and include students ranging from entrance into fifth grade to exiting eighth grade. It is anticipated that the camp will include about 10 teachers and about 30 students, who will be selected through an application process; paperwork for applying is still being arranged. There will be a fee of about $700 per student.

“We want students that want to be here," Byrne said, describing it as a "rich program."

Also to be launched is a program called Chappaqua Innovation Fellows, where a group of teachers can explore 21st-century concepts, with focus in areas such as problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration. The organization could serve as a place to work on new curriculum ideas can could eventually be rolled out to the district.

On the fiscal side, expenditures are roughly the same for the coming year as they are for the current one. This includes a $2,670 increase for items marked under Curriculum Development (to $368,435), along with a $20,006 rise (to $1,139,438) for items marked under a category called "Regular School," such as the elementary science program and the ESL program. 

Board members offered their feedback on what crossed their minds

Karen Visser felt that there has always been a “dichotomy between the middle school." With this in mind, she asked about assessment and in making sure students from each middle school will come to high school with the same preparation. Byrne responded by noting that teachers from both middle schools work together on assessment work for students. 

Board member Jeffrey Mester questioned why, at the high school level, there are criteria for students who want to take certain classes, such as an advanced-level program. He asked, for example, why can't a student who receives a "C" is still pushing himself take a course, as opposed to students who receive an "A" or a "B" for their grades. Byrne replied that is“certainly a conversation” that could be had going forward.

Special Education

Heidi McCarthy, the district's director for special education and related services, gave an overview and recap of how students a deemed to receive support and the district's Committee on Special Education works for students.

According to data gathered in October, Chappaqua had 425 students with special education classifications, down from 450 in 2011-12; the number for 2010-11 was 445. Data is taken every October, McCarthy explained. The most common classifications include "Learning Disability" at 110, "Other Health Impairment" at 96 and "Speech or Language Impairment" at 90.

The bulk of the special education budget will decrease by $525,652 from this year, to $12,214,171. McCarthy attributed the drop to changes in students graduating or leaving special education services due to age.

Transportation, which is another item listed, will rise by $28,647, to $1,619,990.

One item noted frequently during the meeting was Chappaqua's emphasis on inclusive learning, where special education students are placed in similar settings as general education children. The district has had a high number of special education students placed in general classes. Board President Victoria Tipp stated that inclusion can help students in making friends, having better peer role models and in having better organizational skills. She also felt that non-special education children benefit who making friends and learning to live in a world that's diverse.

Athletics

Athletic Director Peter Kuczma gave a list of priorities for the next year. They include making revisions to the handbooks for students and coaches, reviewing the program development for each sport, reviewing evaluation of coaches, and looking at the cost and benefit of each program and more use of technology.

The total budget for athletics is slated to increase from $429,600 for the current year to $434,600 for 2013-14.

After the presentation, Tipp felt that the board has made “real effort to focus on athletics and be very supportive of it.” She also expressed interest in restoration of modified lacrosse teams, which were eliminated two years ago amid budget cuts, either through district funding or with private funding from the Greeley Sports Boosters. Responding, Kuczma expressed an interest in bringing back the programs. Both he and Tipp appeared to feel that town recreation lacrosse does not completely fill the gap left behind.

PDF files for each item are attached to this story.