SSCSD Board of Education Meeting: Updates as of Oct. 28

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Springs City School District held a Board of Education meeting on Oct. 28 to discuss recent updates.

Board Committee Updates 

The Town of Wilton has applied for a NYS Department of Transportation grant. The funding from this grant will help improve traffic at Dorothy Nolan Elementary School with an intersection at Jones and Carr Road. The Town of Wilton won’t hear whether this grant is approved until Jan. or Feb. 2022. 

Budget adjustments have been made to spend the carry over money from the COVID-related CARES fund; a bulk of it will be going to general supplies at the school level and departmental level. The district is expecting an NYS OSC (Office of the State Comptroller) audit, as they haven’t had one in six years. 

COVID-19 Updates 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Patton announced that Saratoga County is leading the state in testing procedures, according to a recent survey done by the NYS Department of Health. Saratoga County schools are the first to implement new quarantine reduction protocols starting last week. Mandatory quarantine has been reduced to 7 days with authorization from the Saratoga County Department of Health with a 5-day test-out option. For more detailed information, visit www.saratogaschools.org/news.cfm?story=107647.

Saratoga County has submitted a proposal to the NYS Department of Health for the “test-to-stay” option, which is being highlighted in the South Glens Falls School District right now. The county is researching the “test-to-stay” option for those who are nonsymptomatic or have been in close contact. The “test-to-stay” test is a rapid test. 

The “test-to-stay” option is not a BOE decision or vote. Once the county approves it, the option will be in place. NYS has already authorized this to move forward and is not sanctioning it; the “test-to-stay” option is a local level decision made by county departments of health. 

On Wednesday, Oct. 27, NYS announced that fully vaccinated students and staff can return to school after receiving a negative rapid test result, in place of a PCR test. Essentially, a student can receive a rapid test in the nurse’s office, and upon testing negative, can head back to class. 

There have been 90 total cases of COVID-19 in the SSCSD since the beginning of the school year. There has been an increase of 17 cases in just the last week. As a result of those 17 cases there are now 90 in quarantine. 

Pathways Vision K-5 Program Report

In the Pathways Vision K-5 Program Report the recent concerns about materials in the curriculum was briefly addressed. 

“We know some people inquired about the books being used and we wanted to provide as much transparency as possible,” stated one of the elementary principals. “Our company has been clear with us in sharing that they in no way teach racial supremacy or racial hate, nor have we seen that in any of the material we are using.” 

To watch the full Pathways Vision K-5 Program Report, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwLYyIYOIel 

For more information about the SSCSD BOE, visit the district’s website at www.saratogaschools.org