2012-2013 Board of Education

John M. Mooney, Board President

Ed Burns, Board Vice President

Ken Pratt, Board Member

Tim Spath, Board Member

Paul Stasack, Board Member

The Rensselaer City School District Board of Education is composed of five citizens elected to serve without salary.  At the end of a term, a Board member wishing to continue public service must be reelected to another term.  New York State Law does not limit the number of terms a member may serve.

The Board of Education is an agency of the State of New York and is charged with governing the school district, not with day-to-day administration.  Within the powers delegated by law, the Board is the policy-making, or legislative branch of the school district.  The Superintendent of Schools is the executive officer charged with the responsibility of administering the schools within Board policy.

Meetings of the Board of Education will generally be held on the second Wednesday of each month.  The schedule of regular meetings is established and published prior to the beginning of each school year.  The meeting are held in the Large Group Instruction Room at the school campus.  Board meetings begin at 6:30 pm and are chaired by the President of the Board of Education or, if absent, by the Vice President.  The Superintendent of Schools joins the board members at the meeting table.

A meeting of the Board of Education must be conducted in a specified manner because laws and regulations require legal actions and the following of formal procedures.  Meetings are for the transaction of the business of your school district; and the Board members, as your elected officials, exercise their legislative authority.  All formal actions of the Board must be conducted at a regular or special meeting.  A vote of the majority of the Board is needed to pass resolutions.

The public is encouraged to make its views know to the Board during the public address portions of the agenda.  It should be pointed out that there is no legal requirement that the public be given this opportunity to speak at Board meetings.  It is a procedure of the present Board of Education.

Citizens wishing to speak are requested to identify themselves and then make a short statement.  The Board of Education’s function is decision-making.  It wants to hear the sentiments of the public to assist in these decisions, but questions about the operation of the schools should be directed to the teacher or administrator closest to the situation.  Experience has shown this procedure to work the best.

Although the Board wants the public aware and involved, it should be understood that all items on the agenda are important to the operation of the school district and must be acted upon.  When the Board President curtails discussion on a topic, it is intended to ensure that the Board has sufficient time to address all other matters before it that evening.