Rye Parents Petition Board of Ed

Over 200 parents at Osborn Elementary School signed an electronic petition asking the School Board to hold class sizes at 18-22 students. PTO co-presidents Lauren Rosen and Molly Howson recited each of the names for emphasis.

The parents expressed their concern that demographic increases will continue to stress class sizes and asked the board to commit to planning for "reasonable" class sizes. 

"We're not just looking for tax rate decreases, we also want the best school district in the country," said Molly Howson.

Howson reminded the board that last year an additional teacher was hired "at the last minute" to take an additional section of elementary students. "We don't want a repeat of last year."

Parents' organizations from Milton and Osborn elementary schools made significant gifts to the district at the same time the Board considers guidelines for its ongoing relationship with extracurricular support- 'booster'- groups.

Osborn parents gave nearly $50,000: $25,ooo for the installation of a blacktop play area near the schools' portable classrooms; $13,805 for the purchase and installation of 7 audio enhancement systems; $10,000 for library SMARTboards and books; and up to $1500 for playground equipment and a storage bin.

The Co-Ed After School Sports Program at Milton received $1,472.

The Board approved May 17, 2011 for budget election procedures and board positions and the following day, May 18 as a conference day for elementary schools.

Vice President Laura Slack emphasized that a set of scenarios called "Future Budget Issues 2012-2016" prepared for the Tuesday meeting were not cuts proposed to the current budget.  

The hypothetical intent of the scenario presentation may have been lost in transmission, especially to supporters of the Reading Recovery program.  Four teachers, three parents, and one student implored the board to leave the individual reading support program untouched. 

"We’ve made no decisions at all, people seem to think Reading Recovery and other programs are on the chopping block," said board member Edward Fox. "I don’t know how that assumption came about."

At the last meeting, board member Young Kim and others asked the administration to illustrate the costs of several programs and staff positions. Board member Kendall Egan explained, "these are worst case scenarios" and asked for information about regional real estate sales for next month's meeting.  

Superintendent Dr. Edward Shine expressed "deep concern" for the country of Japan and the Japanese students currently enrolled in Rye schools at the start of Tuesday's board meeting.  Shine and members of the Board offered their condolences, assistance and support to Japanese students and families affected in the aftermath of a huge earthquake and consequent tsunami that befell the island nation last Friday.

The country is now dealing with the possibility of a nuclear core failure at Fukushima Daiichi power plant.