Community Advisory Committees discusses
June 3, 2011
The secondary programs (in grades 7-12) in Mayfield and Northville were the main focus on the night as the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) met for a third time on Wednesday, June 1 at Northville Central School. The committees’ ultimate goal is to help answer the question – how might a possible merged Mayfield and Northville school district look?
The SES Study Team provided a list of programs from each district and asked the committees to provide specific ideas and examples about learning opportunities that would be possible for students through reorganization.
“What’s in it for the kids is the foundation of this study,” SES member Paul M. Seversky said. “Right now, the focus is what offerings that you want for your young people, not how they are delivered. That will come later.”
Since secondary programs were discussed, representatives from Mayfield
and Northville attended the meeting as guest resources for the
committees. From Mayfield, they included: teacher Shelly Dufel, high
school principal Robert Husain, guidance counselor Cindy Farrell and
Superintendent Paul Williamsen.
Northville representatives included: teacher Warren Hoffman, high school
principal Michael Healey, and guidance counselor Karen Izzo.
Superintendent Kathy Dougherty was unable to attend because of a family
commitment.
Mr. Husain said one of the benefits of merging could be that students would have opportunities to take different courses that help prepare them for college and the working world.
“Technology is an important topic for our students; a combined program with Northville will only enhance our present offerings and make our kids more competitive with students in other schools and other countries,” he said.
“A lot of people are talking about GlobalFoundries, and this may be a chance to provide more unique opportunities for kids and help them succeed in a job like that.”
Mr. Hoffman said Northville gears its programs toward student need and hopes any merged district would continue that. “I hope that we would push to maintain what is valuable to our students,” he said.
Blending Programs
Seversky and SES member Samuel A. Shevat said the challenge of blending
the programs of a merged district would fall to its administration as
the vision of the communities is implemented.
“You can create more opportunities in a creative way with combined
resources,” Seversky said.
“If you have a larger school, maybe you have larger drama productions or offer junior varsity sports programs to help ensure that all pupils who wish to participate can. By all of you being here, you are playing a big role in determining what will be available for your young people and what is best for your district.”
SES member Douglas A. Exley asked the guest resources what programs they wish were available to students that aren’t currently offered. Responses include project-based learning, co-teaching, applied teaching, and increased student support services.
We have a State Education requirement that all of our children are college and career-ready,” Williamsen said.
At the end of the meeting, the CAC talked about some possible “what if” ideas to use existing school buildings if the communities chose to merge the two districts. At the next meeting, CAC members were told to bring his or her perceptions of the opportunities and challenges of how to use the buildings in a reorganized district.
Next meeting
The next meeting is scheduled from 6-9 p.m. Monday, June 20 at Mayfield Central School library.