Administrative Staff and Supervisors
- Superintendent of Schools - Diana Bowers: 824-6310
- Secondary Principal - Tom Lutsic: 824-6320
- Elementary Principal - Kevin P. Ellis: 824-6330
- Business Official - Matt Crumb 824-6372
- Director of Technology - Dennis Roy: 824-6363
- Director of Special Education - Peggy O'Connor: 824-6350
- Athletic Director - Bill Dowsland: 824-6362
- Transportation Supervisor - Kathy Conde: 824-6392
- Supt. of Building & Grounds - Craig Schick: 824-6342
Hamilton Central School Board of Education (boe@hamiltoncentral.org)
- Robert Pils - 5326 English Avenue, Board President - 723-3721
- Gail Davis - 42 University Avenue, Board Vice President - 824-1299
- Ingrid Hale - 2707 JC Hill Road, 824-8190
- Molly Johnson - 2225 Alexis Avenue, 824-8653
- Barbara J. Schindler - 7443 Chappel Road, 824-4621
Business Meetings - 7:00 p.m.
What is a Board of Education?
The Board is the official policy-making body of the school district. In Hamilton, five residents serve, without pay, on the school board. Board members are elected on a rotating basis to three-year terms of office each June.
Superintendent of Schools
The Superintendent of Schools, selected by the Board of Education, is the chief executive officer of the district. As such, the superintendent is responsible for the administration of all policies adopted by the board and the execution of all decisions concerning the internal operations of the school system made by the Board. The Superintendent advises the Board on the need and programs of the schools.
Welcome to the Meeting!
The Hamilton Central School Board of Education welcomes residents, staff members, students and other interested persons to its meetings. We appreciate your interest in and concern for our school.
One of the goals of the Board of Education is to conduct Board business openly, soliciting and encouraging broad-based involvement by the public, the staff and the students in the Board’s decision-making processes. This brochure has been prepared as another attempt at forging a partnership between the school, staff and community.
Decisions of your elected school board affect the education of our children and the well being of our community. The Board can better represent its constituents when members of the community take the time to observe the Board in action, to express opinions and to ask questions. We are pleased to have you here and hope you can join us often!
Meeting Agenda
The usual order of business at regular business meetings is as follows:
- Call to Order
- Approval of Agenda/Minutes
- Business Operations
--Treasurer’s/Financial Reports
--Transportation Report
--Cafeteria Report
- Community Participation
--General Public
--Teacher Presentation
- Old Business
- New Business
- Information & Correspondence
- Future Business
Seated with the Board at the conference table is the Superintendent of Schools. Other staff members present are the elementary principal and the secondary principal. The district clerk records the minutes of the meeting.
What’s Going On?
School Board meetings generally are held on the third Wednesday of each month at Hamilton Central School at 7:00 p.m. in the Elementary Library. Meeting dates are listed in this brochure. Meetings are also advertised in the local newspapers and on the HCS website.
Agenda
Copies of the agenda are available to the public at each meeting. Agenda and supporting documents are sent to Board members in advance of the meeting date to allow the Board to study and review the information.
During the meeting it may appear as if some items are being voted upon with little or no discussion. However, this is not usually the case as some items may have appeared on a previous agenda or may have been discussed at length at a special meeting or executive session.
Special Meetings
In addition to its regular business meetings, the Board holds special meetings and executive sessions. Special meetings are planning meetings at which the Board receives reports and information from the Superintendent regarding the management of the school district. During special meetings, Board members have the opportunity to study and discuss specific topics in depth. Special meetings are open to the public. Although there is no formal public participation at special meetings, the Board may solicit comments from observers. Special meetings generally occur during the budget preparation process, although a special meeting can be called at any time by the Board.
Executive Sessions
The Board also meets in executive session to discuss personnel matters, labor negotiations, and other matters which are confidential as defined by the Open Meeting Law of the State of New York. Executive sessions can only be held by resolution at a regularly scheduled or advertised special meeting. All executive sessions are closed to the public; however, the Board is not permitted to vote the passage of any resolution while it sits in executive session.
Public Participation
During the regular business meetings, under Community Participation, the public may participate at this point in the agenda. Citizens are invited to comment and ask questions on any aspect of school district operations and procedures. The President of the Board may ask that questions also be submitted in writing in order that an appropriate and complete response may be made after the information is obtained.
The Board welcomes public participation at its meetings. When speaking at meetings, it is helpful if you state your name and address and identify the organization, if any, that you represent. If there are many residents who wish to address the Board, the Presiding Officer may suggest that speakers confine
their remarks to a certain period of time in order to give everyone who wishes an opportunity to speak.
In addition, there are other ways to make your opinions known to Board members and district personnel. The School Board welcomes your communicating by mail on any issue of concern. Correspondence may be addressed to Hamilton Central School, Board of Education, W. Kendrick Avenue, Hamilton, NY 13346. In the event of a specific concern related to a particular grade level or program, residents are encouraged to contact the appropriate district personnel by using the directory listed within this brochure.
A Board of Education meeting is a "meeting in public" rather than a "public meeting." Consequently, all discussions and debates regarding agenda items are restricted to the members of the Board and the Superintendent. Opportunity for public input is available during the Community Participation portion of the agenda.
Responsibilities of the Board
The Board of Education is responsible for establishing the quality of education in the district. As elected officials, they represent the public in:
- Defining the educational philosophy of the district;
- Setting goals and objectives to achieve educational progress;
- Employing professional educators to meet the goals;
- Establishing policies for the operation of the school district;
- Evaluating the effectiveness of district programs and services;
- Developing a budget consistent with educational needs and community resources;
- Communicating the needs and progress of the district to the community and educational governing boards.
