Away from students:
Crandall will work on phys ed curriculum



VOORHEESVILLE – Robert Crandall will return to the Voorheesville School District for the start of the second semester on Jan. 29, but will not return to the gym. The long-time physical education teacher, instead, will be writing curriculum.

The district is trying to improve on its curriculum, said Linda Langevin, superintendent for the district. Crandall will be writing lessons for all areas of physical education from kindergarten through grade 12, she said.

Crandall, who has been working for the district since 1978, is returning to the school after more than two years of paid leave and a 60-day unpaid suspension. He was counseled on multiple occasions from 1994 through 2003 for inappropriate comments and behavior.
"He had been warned and warned and warned," Langevin told The Enterprise earlier.

In a unanimous vote, the school board decided in June of 2004 to bring charges against Crandall, through a state-set disciplinary process for tenured teachers.

That process took two years, during which time, Crandall was on paid suspension.
The hearing officer, Ronald Kowalski, found Crandall guilty of four charges of misconduct and inappropriate behavior. Kowalski said, in his determination, that Crandall’s "long and largely successful teaching career with the District and the nature of the misconduct do not make dismissal appropriate."

It is the responsibility of the board to ensure the safety and comfort of the district’s students and employees, said school board Vice-President C. James Coffin earlier.
Crandall’s return to the district was not favored by the school board, but the board is "bound by the decision of the process," Coffin said earlier.
"He’s nearing retirement age," Langevin said of the tenured teacher who will be eligible for retirement at age 55.

Langevin said she has not spoken to Crandall about his new position with the district, and is unsure what his retirement plans are.

Crandall could not be reached by The Enterprise.

Other business

In other business, at its Dec. 11 meeting, the school board:

– Decreased the tax warrant by about $6,700, from about $14,417,000 to about $14,410,000 as a result of decisions made by hearing officers in 10 small claims court cases in the town of New Scotland;

– Heard a presentation outlining an October International Center for Leadership in Education Symposium held in Washington, D.C. which six district administrators and six teachers attended;
– Heard about the school lunch program from Assistant Superintendent for Business Sarita Winchell. "Yes we’re losing money," said Winchell, "but we cut our losses by two-thirds." She also announced that the top sellers in the nutritious vending machine are grapes, celery sticks, yogurt, and bagels;

– Accepted receipt of the audit report by the New York State Comptroller;

– Heard a proposal from Principal Mark Diefendorf for an additional guidance counselor who would work with students transitioning from the middle school into the high school;

– Amended several district policies. The board approved the recommendation from the district audit committee that the board president, David Gibson, approve the use of time and reimbursement expenses by Superintendent Langevin. She will need board approval to use district funds, or go on a trip, and then needs audit committee approval for reimbursement. The change comes in the wake of an audit by the state Comptroller’s office alleging the previous superintendent spent money inappropriately.

The board approved amendments to the expense reimbursement policy. Langevin will continue working on this policy as she looks at federal reimbursement rates, and wording to include incidental expenses and mileage, she told The Enterprise.

The board approved a new information security breach and notification policy as part of the corrective action plan.

The board intends to amend its tobacco-use policy, and plans on posting the policy on the district website with a feedback survey. The board hopes to receive feedback and suggestions on the policy before adopting it;

– Approved renting school vehicles to the town of New Scotland for use in transporting senior citizens;

– Announced a special meeting to be held on Monday, Jan. 8, at 7:15 p.m., to discuss a sliding scale on tax exemptions for senior citizens and people with disabilities who have limited incomes; and

– Extended supervision at the elementary school for an additional 60 days. At its October meeting, the board decided to allow a teacher’s aide to work an additional half-hour per day in the mornings to supervise children who arrived at school early. It was approved on a 60-day trial basis, and will now be extended an additional 60 days. The board revised the time to 8:15 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., as that is the period of time that most of the students were arriving.