Ossining School District Prepares for Winter Rally to Unfreeze its State Aid

Get involved and stay informed with this round-up of the week's events in our villages.

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter, and check out the events calendar to make sure you don't miss a thing. Have an event you'd like to share with the community? Add to our calendar here.

Monday, Jan. 6

_Ray Sanchez, Superintendent of Ossining Schools, will lead a discussion on the Common Core Learning Standards and how they are impacting the School District, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Claremont School. Childcare and translation will be provided. View flyer here!

_Ossining School officials and those connected with them are also hoping you'll register now for an upcoming rally on Jan. 14. to help Ossining receive its Foundation Aid entitlement. 

Here's a letter to citizens from The Ossining Citizens Budget Advisory Committee:

Dear Ossining Community,

We would like to update you further on the advocacy efforts that have taken place since the well-attended November 6th Board of Education meeting concerning New York State's lack of funding of Foundation Aid. In summary, Foundation Aid was established to provide all students with a sound, basic, and quality education no matter what their zip code. Foundation Aid is funded by New York State based on the cost of providing students with an adequate education, adjusted to reflect student need and community wealth. Ossining UFSD is the eighth (8th) lowest Foundation Aid funded school district in New York State despite a seventeen percent (17%) increase in student enrollment or 660 students; a twenty-seven percent (27%) increase in students living in poverty; and a thirty-five percent (35%) increase in Free & Reduced Price Lunch Students.

In response to the Foundation Aid Funding issues, we are asking Governor Cuomo and the legislature to unfreeze Foundation Aid for the approximately 1% of school districts that are underfunded and that are experiencing annual increased enrollment. If Ossining received all of its Foundation Aid this year, we would have received an additional $10 million.

Since the November 6th Board of Education meeting, there have been two very informative and successful Albany visits with representatives of the State Assembly, State Senate and Governor Cuomo's office budget and legal staff. Superintendent of Schools, Ray Sanchez and Assistant Superintendent for Business, Alita Zuber along with Board of Education and Budget Advisory Committee members arranged and attended these visits.  There has also been outreach to our local Chamber of Commerce, Village, Town Boards and local legislators.

Over 900 letters from the Ossining community members were sent to 12 legislators and Governor Cuomo.  We also have over 800 signatures on the petition.  Each on-line petition generated a letter to the legislature and the Governor. Thanks to the efforts of the PTA, High School parents, students and others in collecting these letters many legislators are now aware of the Ossining story.

Before New York State approves its budget, it is critical that our Ossining community let New York State Legislators know that Foundation Aid must be unfrozen for our District.  We are asking Ossining community members to attend the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) Rally on Tuesday, January 14th, at the Albany Empire State Plaza Convention Center starting at 10:30am (leave Ossining at 7:30am) and returning in the late afternoon.

Please RSVP as soon as possible to Nicole Reis at nreis@ossining.k12.ny.us or x1318 so that we can get a headcount of how many Ossining community members will be attending.  If you don't want to drive, transportation is being provided by the AQE; however, space is limited so RSVP right away.  After the rally, we will break off into groups and speak with specific legislators.  Each group will have a coordinator.  Click here to get more details on the rally.

For more ways to help with advocacy efforts, please sign the online petition and send letters to the legislators and Governor.  Also, please contact Ms. Lutonya Humes at lutonya@me.com if you would like to participate in sending a letter to the editor.  Please visit this link to get more information on the Ossining advocacy efforts. 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Alita Zuber atazuber@ossining.k12.ny.us or 914.941.7700 ext. 1360. 

Thank you,

The Ossining Citizens Budget Advisory Committee

_Free computer assistance and training today at the Ossining Public Library.

Wednesday, Jan. 8

_Ongoing on Wednesdays at the Ossining Public Library, English conversation group for English-as-second-language speakers. Relaxed environment, no registration required. 

Saturday, Jan. 11

Register now for this birding adventure at Croton Point Park,'Wintering Waterfowl and Eagles,' followed by a free potluck soup lunch.