The following are answers to questions submitted to the district during public meeting and online to discuss the reconfiguration options being considered.

Q: Why is a reconfiguration being considered?
A: For nearly two years, the GESD Board of Education has been discussing Program Delivery options to address the challenges of declining enrollment, rising operational costs and unpredictable revenue. Board members also have been seeking ways to improve academic performance throughout the district. Ultimately these changes are being considered because they are better for our scholars. Making these changes will allow the district to shift educational resources and help our scholars be more successful.

Q: If approved, how would the elementary schools be configured?
A: The plan would reconfigure the district’s schools using a model that includes neighborhood schools and grade-level grouping.
Under this hybrid model:
● Students and teachers at Meco would move to Kingsborough.
● McNab scholars would go to Boulevard.
● McNab teachers would move to Boulevard, with the exception of McNab’s second grade teachers, who would go to Kingsborough.
● Kindergarten and first-graders currently at Boulevard would go to Park Terrace.

Q: What will happen if BOCES pulls out?
A: The district has secured a commitment from Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES to rent space at the current McNab building. The BOCES program that will be housed at McNab is currently at Boulevard.

Q: Will the start and end of the days at the elementary school be staggered?
A: To accommodate the needs of parents who wish to drive their children to school, the elementary schools will open 30 minutes prior to the start of the day to allow the drop off of scholars. The schools will remain open at the end of the day, as well, to allow time for parents to pick up their children. The start of classes at each elementary school will be the same.

Q: Will the public or parents get to vote on this plan?
A: A public vote is not required to reconfigure the schools. The board has gathered and continues to gather public feedback through public forums and online submissions. A public hearing is set for Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. in the Gloversville Middle School auditorium.

Q: How would a reconfiguration save money?
A: Savings would result from the reduction of staff and lowered building operation costs. The estimated savings is approximately $800,000. These savings would be used to mitigate future increases in expenses.

Q: When would a reconfiguration take effect?
A: If the board of education votes to move forward with reconfiguration, the plan would be put in place in time for the start of school in September 2017.

Q: Will busing be available?
A: Yes, busing will be available for elementary scholars if the schools are reconfigured to follow a hybrid model of grade level grouping/neighborhood schools. Bus pick up and drop off locations will be available for scholars at the Boulevard, Kingsborough, Park Terrace and McNab buildings to take scholars to and from school.

Q: Will teaching positions be eliminated?
A: It is expected that the reconfiguration to a hybrid model of grade level grouping/neighborhood schools would result in the reduction of at least five elementary teaching positions. Retirement and attrition could offset the need for layoffs.

Q: Will parents still be able to volunteer in the schools?
A: A reconfiguration will not impact the district’s practices in regards to volunteers in our schools. Please contact the building principal if you wish to volunteer.

The following are answers to questions submitted to the district during public meeting and online to discuss the reconfiguration options being considered.

Q: What time will students start and end school?
A:The start and end of the school day is not expected to change.

Q: If the buildings are reconfigured for the 2017-18 school year, won’t moving students from building to another be difficult for them?
A: Moving from one school to another can be difficult for some children. The options under consideration, however, are designed to reduce transitions. Under the current neighborhood school model, many students each year must change schools when they move within the district from one residence to another during the school year.

Q: Will restructuring and repurposing buildings result in increased class sizes?
A: All the scenarios that will be considered will take the district’s class size goals into account. The changes proposed so far are designed to make class sizes more equitable across the district, so while some classes would be larger, others would be smaller.

Q: Will the Capital Project construction impact the traffic at GHS and GMS?
A: The construction managers for the Capital Project will work to schedule as much construction as possible during the summer months, to minimize traffic disruption during the school year.

Q: How would changes to the current school configuration affect transportation? Which students will be on individual buses? Will young children be bused with older children?
A: If changes to the current school configuration are made, the district intends to offer busing to students in grades K-12 in need of transportation. A transportation study will help the district determine bus routes and how students would be assigned to buses. Other school districts commonly transport different age groups of students together on the same bus, and it is likely that Gloversville would do the same, although details would need to be worked out.

Q: Does McNab have to be used? I realize it was deeded to the district, but does it have to be used?
A. Our attorneys have researched the issue and believe not using the building is permissible, according to the deed restriction. Because of security concerns and the impact on the community, however, the district’s goal is to avoid having any vacant buildings.

Q: If the structure of the elementary schools changes, will students who formerly attended Park Terrace still receive the FMCC Bound Program benefits?
A: Money donated to the FM Bound program would be used in the spirit that it was given. It would be up to the FM Bound leadership to decide the future of the program.

Q: How does reconfiguring the schools save the district money? How much money would the district save under the different options that have been proposed?
A: By restructuring the elementary schools and repurposing Meco and McNab, as proposed under the three original options, the district would be able to save more than a projected $990,000 by reducing the number of staff by 16, including elementary teachers, building principals, guidance counselors, social workers, nurses, clerical positions, custodians and cafeteria workers.
The district’s goal is to make these staff reductions through attrition, mainly through retirements. In addition to savings through reduced staff, the district also expects an increase in revenue associated with renting the McNab building to BOCES and through increased state Transportation Aid. By year two, the district’s net savings will total more than $1 million.
The operational costs of each building are expected to remain roughly the same under each option. The projected savings would be the result of staff reductions made possible by repurposing schools.

Q: How long can the district maintain its current structure before it become too expensive?
A: As a high-needs district, the GESD heavily relies on state aid. Without appropriate funding, the district could face difficult financial times and may be forced to cut programs to stay within the state’s “tax cap.”

Q: What are the exact numbers of students in each school?
A: GHS — 800
GMS — 606
Boulevard — 382
Kingsborough — 254
Meco — 135
McNab — 229
Park Terrace — 324

Please note these numbers include Head Start and pre-kindergarten students. The numbers do not include non-GESD students BOCES at Boulevard or GMS.

Q: Does the public need to vote, or is the decision to reconfigure the district made and then voted on by the board?
A: A public vote is not required to reconfigure the schools. The board of education will make its decision based on feedback and recommendations from the task force and other district stakeholders.

Q: If the buildings are reconfigured, what would happen to the current after school programs?
A: The district values the partnerships it has with after-school program providers and will work with the agencies involved to ensure programming continues regardless of which option the board of education selects.

Q: Wouldn’t grade level grouping take comfort away from older and younger siblings together in one building?
A: Under grade level grouping, siblings may be split between more than one building, and this will be a challenge for many parents and students. Grade-level grouping, however, also presents opportunities for equal class sizes, increased teacher collaboration and enhanced instruction. Grade-level grouping also eliminates the need for students to transfer schools during the school year as a result of moving from one residence to another.