Dear S-G Families and Community,
During last night’s Board of Education meeting, important updates were shared regarding the future of our elementary schools and the preliminary budget for the upcoming school year.
After seven months of discussions through our Reimagining Our Schools working groups, community forums, and board meetings, the board made the difficult decision to close Glen-Worden Elementary School.
To help provide clarity to this challenging decision, I have outlined the key points below.
At the January 22 Reimagining Our Schools Public Forum, I shared with the community my intention to recommend that the Board close or repurpose Glen-Worden Elementary School.
When this recommendation was presented during the January 29 Board of Education Meeting, the Board requested additional information and further analysis related to redistricting all elementary schools. However, they agreed that Sacandaga would remain an anchor school and would not be considered for closure. The review included a detailed examination of attendance boundaries.
The analysis conducted included an impact review assessing the effects of closing any elementary school and redrawing attendance boundaries. Factors such as transportation, program stability, and class sizes were examined to fully understand the implications of a complete redistricting.
At the February 9 Board of Education meeting, district administration addressed questions and concerns raised throughout this process, including redistricting scenarios, transportation impacts, and ensuring classroom equity. Please see this link for details.
Following this formal vote, the district will release further information, including a timeline, the week of February 23.
As I visited Glen-Worden today, and had an opportunity to speak with students and staff, the conversation was about the difficulty of change. I will not minimize the importance of this work: truly, last evening’s decision created the next step in this process, with future steps yet to come.
As this crucial work continues, please know that we value your input and remain committed to making decisions that prioritize the well-being of our entire school community. These are not easy decisions and they require thoughtful consideration and collaboration, with input from all stakeholders. I assure you that we will continue to approach this process with care, transparency, and a focus on doing what is best for our students and district.
Thank you to all who are contributing your time, ideas, and perspectives through our working groups, forums, and board meetings. Our work is not done. We will continue to engage with our community and keep you updated on the progress we make.
Sincerely,
Susan M. Swartz
Superintendent of Schools
Scotia-Glenville CSD