Warwick schools chief Greenhall:

‘I present facts and let the public make the final decision’ Editor’s note: The following is the full text of the letter by Dr. Frank Greenhall, Superintendent of Schools - WVCSD, sent to the Warwick Advertiser: In recent weeks a number of disturbing issues have been aimed at the Warwick Valley Central School District, the Board of Education and me. A compilation of half truths and misinformation has been the center of this campaign. I have attempted to take the high road and not respond and decided, unlike the campaign being waged, I would not expend Warwick Valley Central School District tax dollars for full-page advertisements and mailings directly to residents, as I do not believe that such action is what people pay their hard-earned money for in taxes. Thus, I shall attempt in this column to address many of the “rumors” being spun regarding the potential tuitioning of the Greenwood Lake students to Warwick Valley High School. I shall also attempt to do a more in-depth conveyance of information on November 26th in the Dorothy Wilson Education Center on the night of the public hearing at 7 p.m. My approach as Superintendent is not to persuade people of a concept or give a slanted version for a result. I present facts and then let the public, through the democratic vote, make the final decision. I have responded to any e-mails received by simply stating, “Let your voice be heard by voting on December 12th.” Do I have an opinion on what is best for Warwick? Yes, I do, but I will not make this a referendum on my opinion as it is a vote of what is best for the taxpayers of Warwick. Notice I say Warwick, not Tuxedo or even Greenwood Lake. While sometimes it may be hard to separate the issues of communities, the bottom line in Warwick is what is best for the residents of the Warwick Valley Central School District. To this end I present the following facts for residents of the Warwick Valley Central School District to consider. All I ask is that you not be swayed, persuaded or influenced by others who have ulterior motives and objectives and vote with your mind, not emotion. Regardless, though, please don’t waste the most precious of American rights and make sure that you let your voice be heard by voting on December 12th! Why are we waiting until November 26th and 27th for public hearings in Warwick and Greenwood Lake? The two districts are following the exact same requirements and timelines for a budget vote. Ironically, the Board of Education of the Warwick Valley Central School District does not need to put the issue out for a referendum, as it is not required. However, it was felt that the decision should be left to the taxpayers through a vote and not by a survey or some other means. Warwick has overcrowded conditions currently, and Greenwood Lake students will only make things worse? It is true that there are 46 classes at the high school of the 816 classes on the schedule with 30 or more students. It is also true that there are 64 classes of 10 or fewer students. Thus, balancing of classes is a high priority of the administration to correct, and numerous actions have already gone into effect to rectify this situation for the fall. More so, the projections for the potential tuitioning of Greenwood Lake students include the hiring of additional staffing which will not only address the increased enrollment of the Greenwood Lake students but can also be used to reduce the Warwick Valley Central School District’s class sizes and expand the electives offered in Warwick to all students. Q. Why have the two Districts’ Boards of Education made so many agreements prior to a voter referendum? A. While the Boards and Superintendents have discussed many issues up to this point, they remain conceptual in nature. Should the referendums pass voter approval, negotiations based on the conceptual agreements will begin between the two Districts. Q. What will be the contractual length between Greenwood Lake and Warwick Valley Central School District for tuitioning high school students? A. Tentatively the Boards have agreed (if approved by the public) to a 3-year contract renewable on a yearly basis. It has also been agreed that a freshman class starting in Warwick would be allowed to complete high school in Warwick. In other words, an entering freshman would have the opportunity to graduate from Warwick. Q. Will the Warwick Valley Central School District receive state aid on Greenwood Lake students? A. Yes, Warwick will receive what was formerly known as tuition aid, now called formula aid, in a one-year lag from the state in addition to the tuition paid by Greenwood Lake for students attending Warwick. The Warwick Valley Central School District will also receive textbook, software and hardware aid on the students attending Warwick from Greenwood Lake. Q. Who will be responsible for the transportation of the Greenwood Lake students? A. Tentative discussions put the responsibility of busing on Greenwood Lake to all programs. If a Greenwood Lake student is on an athletic trip/field trip, they would go to/from the event with their team or class via Warwick transportation; however, the responsibility to return to Greenwood Lake from Warwick is Greenwood Lake’s. Q. Who will be responsible for the Special Education expenses of Greenwood Lake students? A. Again, the tentative discussions place this responsibility on Greenwood Lake. It is also agreed tentatively that the aid generated through these expenses will go to Greenwood Lake. Q. What about the costs for programs attended by Greenwood Lake students at C-Tech and other places? A. This has also been tentatively discussed, and it has been agreed this will remain as a Greenwood Lake expense. Note, however, that students attending C-Tech half-day and Warwick half-day would only generate half the tuition rate to Warwick since they are only here a half day. In addition, Greenwood Lake would, as in the case of Special Education, be eligible for BOCES aid on these students. Q. Rumors have it that according to Education Law, Warwick could not terminate a contract once agreed to with Greenwood Lake and must also hire Tuxedo teachers who are excessed by the Greenwood Lake students coming to Warwick. Is this true? A. No, neither is true. As for the first part of this question, Education Law 2045 does provide that a district may refuse to take non-resident students with “valid and sufficient reasons.” In addition, if approved by the voters, the agreement will include exit strategies. As for part two of this question, Education Law 3014 provides that when a sending school (Greenwood Lake) assumes the education of students formerly provided by a receiving school (Tuxedo), the teachers of the receiving school have certain employment right with the sending school, not another receiving school (Warwick Valley Central School District). Our legal research (Greenwood Lake* and Warwick Valley Central School District) has found no statute or regulation which would require Warwick to employ teachers excessed due to a change of Greenwood Lake students’ attendance. If, however, Greenwood Lake had a program of their own, they would be liable to hire the excessed teachers from Tuxedo. * These opinions have been supported by lawyers employed by the New York State School Boards Association as well. (Greenwood Lake’s attorneys are the same firm that represents Tuxedo.) Q. Will all the Greenwood Lake students come all at once to Warwick? A. No, there has been a discussed phase-in over time of the Greenwood Lake students over a 3- to 4-year period starting with the 9th grade and possibly some 10th graders (if approved) in 2008. Greenwood Lake will be surveying the 9th graders currently attending to see who, if any, might desire to transfer to Warwick from Greenwood Lake. The current students at Tuxedo from Greenwood Lake in grade 9 only will have the right to make this decision. Students currently enrolled at Tuxedo will not be mandated to transfer to Warwick and in fact will not be offered this opportunity. Q. What are the benefits to the Warwick Valley Central School District to have Greenwood Lake students tuitioned into the district? A. The advantages in the simplest context for Warwick are expanded electives and/or programs in Warwick at no additional cost to Warwick taxpayers and increased revenues generated in tuition and state aid. The advantages in the simplest context for Greenwood Lake are a lower tuition cost and expanded curricular, cocurricular and extracurricular programs. Q. Why doesn’t Greenwood Lake UFSD build its own school? A. Although New York State law allows Greenwood Lake to pursue the notion of building its own high school, there is no guarantee that the New York State Education Department would grant the District the right to issue diplomas. Even if permission were granted, it would take several years to build the facility and staff it. The best and most cost effective option for Greenwood Lake at this time is to send their students to Warwick High School, according to their administrators and Board of Education. Q. Does Warwick Valley High School have the room for Greenwood Lake students without expansion of facilities? A. Yes, a review of the demographics of the student enrollment at Warwick Valley High School indicates that in only one year in the future will the number of students combined between Greenwood Lake and Warwick be higher than the total number of students in the high school during the 2006-07 school year and in that year it is only approximately 25 students higher. During the 2006-07 school year, the high school had in excess of this number of students in empty unused and unassigned lockers. Therefore, there will be no need to expand the Warwick Valley High School facilities. Q. What are the revenue projections for the tuitioning of Greenwood Lake students? A. By year 4, the Warwick Valley Central School District will receive a minimum of $1,506,900 in additional money to offset program and taxes in Warwick. Q. Why would we want Greenwood Lake to attend Warwick Valley High School with our growing population? A. The demographic facts are that when you compare the total number of students enrolled in the high school during the 2006-07 school year, the numbers, even including Greenwood Lake students, show the following: 2008n09; n37 2009n10: n14 2010n11: +26 2011n12: n55 2012n13: n141 Without the Greenwood Lake student numbers, there is an even greater reduction in the number of students attending Warwick Valley High School which will have a direct impact on course offerings. When I came to Warwick, I was asked to and I promised to look at ways to expand programs without expanding taxes. Consideration of the Greenwood Lake tuitioning is one way of looking at the request made of me and meeting my promise. In spite of being told that certain things cannot happen, I have attempted to show with a fresh perspective they can happen. School taxes are but one example, as they have gone down this year in Warwick (which is not the norm). The data used to look into the Greenwood Lake issue have been conservatively stated by overstating costs (expenditures) and understanding revenues, thus I firmly believe that there are no surprises in this information provided. It is up to the residents of the Warwick Valley Central School District to weigh the facts and information and make an informed decision on December 12th.