Board of Education

email: boe@bcsdny.org
BCSD-TV

The Board of Education, as a legally constituted body of elected representatives, bears the responsibility of setting policy for the school district. The Board acts in accordance with authority and responsibility vested in it by federal and state laws, rules, and regulations on behalf of the district's citizens.

In order to ensure that its educational programs provide all students with a high-quality education, the Board hereby establishes as its basic operational goals:

To work closely with the community to ensure that Board actions and performance take into consideration the concerns and aspirations of the community;
To identify the educational and technological needs of the community and industry to ensure that such needs are transformed into programs aimed at stimulating students and preparing them for futures careers.
To employ a Superintendent of Schools capable of ensuring that the district maintains its position as an outstanding school system and that school personnel carry out the policies of the Board with energy and dedication;
To provide leadership in order that goals and objectives of the district, as set forth by the Board, can be effectively carried out. With respect to goals and objectives, Board action should be confined to policy-making, planning and appraisal with the Board delegating authority to the Superintendent for the implementation of policies; and
To evaluate the Board's performance in relation to these goals, and to establish and clarify policies based upon the results of such evaluation.

Board Protocols

1. Approximately a week before a scheduled meeting, the Superintendent, District Clerk, Board President and Board Vice President meet to prepare a draft agenda.

2. No later than Friday before a regular Wednesday meeting, the District Clerk will send out the draft agenda to all Board members along with a Q&A template for questions. The District Clerk will remind all Board members to submit questions on the Q&A template no later than noon on Monday.

3. Board members will review the draft agenda and provide any questions they have in the Q&A by noon on Monday, so staff can provide answers to the questions as soon as possible before the Wednesday meeting. For those questions which are not obvious, please include the reason for your question to assist staff in providing an answer to the question posed. Questions posed should be focused on items on that meeting’s agenda. Staff will aim to have a response back to any question raised by a Board member no later than noon on Tuesday. If follow-up is requested by a Board member, the answer will be provided ASAP.

4. By noon on Monday, any topic a Board member wants added to the agenda as part of old business or new business should be sent to all Board members along with the District Clerk and Superintendent. The topic will be added to the agenda so long as a) the agenda is not already full in the determination of the Superintendent, Board President and VP and b) staff has enough time to prepare to discuss the topic in an adequate manner as determined by the Superintendent. Any item that does not meet the above criteria will be added to the agenda of the next regularly scheduled meeting. Any topic that is requested to be added because it is an emergency and requires immediate discussion does not need to meet the criteria set forth in this Section. Any item added as an emergency after the agenda is made available to the public will be identified on the agenda as an item added after initial publication.

5. The District Clerk will aim to publish the agenda to the public at least 48 hours in advance of any meeting. In the event of a district holiday, snow day or other event which prevents publication at least 48 hours in advance, the District Clerk will publish the agenda as soon as possible thereafter. The publication of the agenda to the public should include all presentations to be made and documents to be discussed, along with the questions and responses in the Q&A, so the public has adequate time to review the information to be discussed at the meeting.

6. If a Board member wants to pull an item from the consent agenda for discussion or a separate vote, they should inform all Board members, the District Clerk and the Superintendent by noon on the day of a meeting providing a short explanation as to why (i.e. I have concerns about the contract, I have a conflict so a separate vote is needed, etc.) No opinions should be expressed, or debate should occur to ensure compliance with open meeting laws. After discussion occurs on the item pulled from the consent agenda, any one member can request a separate vote on the item. If any one board member does not want any item on the consent agenda voted on, a decision of whether or not to vote on the item will be put to a vote of all Board members present. If the majority votes in favor of proceeding to a vote, the item will be voted on separately from the consent agenda. In case of a tie, the matter will not be voted on and revisited at a future meeting.

7. Public Q&A is a place for open discussion and dialogue where the topics are not known in advance. After the Board President closes the public forum, the Board President will ask if any Board member or staff wishes to discuss any topic raised in the public forum. Any one Board member can request further discussion of issues raised in Public Q&A. Any discussion of topics raised by the public will be handled immediately after Public Q&A is closed and prior to moving on to the next topic on the meeting’s published agenda.

8. Except in cases of an emergency, any request for changes to the agenda that are not submitted in the manner or time period set forth above will not be made to the meeting’s agenda unless agreed to by a majority of the Board. This shall include additions requested by Staff or the Superintendent after the meeting agenda is made public.

Board Goals

MISSION

We recognize each child as an individual with the potential to achieve their personal best. We are committed to guiding our students on their unique educational journeys by nurturing their abilities and encouraging a growth mindset, while challenging and supporting their academic development and fostering their social-emotional and physical well-being. We celebrate diversity, an inclusive learning environment, and respect for others as important components in developing global citizens.

VISION

We prepare each student for a continuously changing world by cultivating passion for discovery, creativity in solving problems, wisdom in making decisions, a willingness to take measured risks, and perseverance in the face of adversity. We foster independent thinkers who work collaboratively, respect each other’s individuality, and embody integrity, honesty, empathy, and compassion. Our students will be able to succeed today, with self-confidence, motivation and resiliency to succeed tomorrow. We develop and support strong connections among schools, families, and the community to broaden opportunities for student learning, advancement, and growth.

GOALS

Student Success: Ensure that every student is challenged and engaged while providing multiple pathways for student success by broadening opportunities, building support systems and eliminating barriers. BCSD will work to eliminate opportunity gaps so all students achieve excellence.
Student Well-Being: Create an environment that fosters the growth of the whole child. BCSD will nurture all students’ intellectual, physical, mental, and social-emotional growth in a healthy, safe, and supportive learning environment.
Hiring and Supporting Excellence of Faculty & Staff: Continue to recruit, hire and invest in a high-quality, engaged and diverse workforce to ensure BCSD is a place where talented individuals choose to work. Provide ongoing professional development opportunities in support of achieving district goals.
Operations: Strengthen and improve system-wide processes and procedures to meet the needs of BCSD’s growing and changing community.