On Board Online • August 10, 2020

By Eric D. Randall
Editor-in-Chief

What's it been like for school districts planning for the reopening of school? Superintendents across the state and nation offer lots of metaphors.

Mineola Superintendent Michael Nagler says it's been like being on a rollercoaster built around Gov. Andrew Cuomo's COVID mountain.

On Board Online • August 10, 2020

By Eric D. Randall
Editor-in-Chief

If a student or staff member in your school district tests positive for COVID-19 at any point during the new school year, district leaders will have to make a tough decision about whether it's necessary to close one or more school buildings.

On Board Online • August 10, 2020

By Salvatore Prividera
Special Correspondent

How will public schools transport students during the pandemic? School district transportation directors and contractors across the state are developing answers to that question amid uncertainty about many things - whether schools will be open for in-person instruction, how many bus drivers will be available to work and what, exactly, state guidance requires.

On Board Online • July 20, 2020

By George Basler
Special Correspondent

The Black Lives Matter movement will affect the training agenda of public schools during the 2020-21 school year and beyond, judging from the commitments made by school leaders in public statements.

On Board Online • July 20, 2020

By Eric D. Randall
Editor-in-Chief

NYSSBA has canceled plans to hold its Annual Convention & Education Expo in New York City this fall. Instead, the entire convention experience is being converted to a two-week-long virtual event in October.

On Board Online • July 20, 2020

Robert S. Schneider
NYSSBA Executive Director

New York's recent school budget votes and board elections were a mixed bag of good and bad.

First, the good. On the plus side, voters strongly supported their local school district budgets. A robust 98.4% of the 675 school budgets that were up for a public vote were approved by community residents. This exceeded the average 97.8% voter approval rate over the previous eight years during which the property tax cap has been in effect.

On Board Online • July 20, 2020

By Eric D. Randall
Editor-In-Chief

How will school districts pay for all the masks, social distancing barriers and other state requirements designed to allow schools to reopen safely this fall?

On Board Online • June 29, 2020

By Pauline Liu
Special Correspondent

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, New York's 2020 annual district budget votes and board elections were conducted by mail, with all eligible voters using absentee ballots. District clerks helped districts navigate uncharted territory that involved grueling logistics, soaring costs, widespread delays, record voter participation and, in the end, overwhelming support for school budgets.

On Board Online • June 29, 2020

By Pauline Liu
Special Correspondent

Since school buildings closed in March, school districts and BOCES across New York say they've been barraged by unsolicited emails hawking COVID-19 related products including sanitizer, clear barriers and online learning systems.

Multiple companies are offering to sell custom masks in school colors for both adults and children. They'll even include images of school mascots.

On Board Online • June 29, 2020

Fred Langstaff
NYSSBA President

The most unusual school year in memory has come to a close. Staff in every district deserves high praise for moving to distance learning, ramping up food service, providing day care for children of first responders, creating graduation ceremonies and moving mountains to pull off a last-minute switch to elections by absentee ballot.

What lessons have we learned? Here are seven: