The Spencerport Central School Board of Education is expected to make its determination regarding participation in the Urban-Suburban program during its meeting on Tuesday, February 24 at 7 p.m. at Cosgrove Middle School Auditorium.
The proposal has sparked heated debate over the past two-and-a-half months and one resident who is opposed to Spencerport joining the program says he is not happy with how public comment was handled at the February 3 public information meeting held at Spencerport High School.
“When people signed up to speak, they were asked if they were for or against (Urban-Suburban) … the people who were for spoke first,” he says. “They shouldn’t have been asked if they were for or against.”
He is also concerned that the first eleven speakers, whom the district asked to present their perspectives on Urban-Suburban, all spoke in favor of the program, noting that by the time any concerns were expressed about the program, “…. most people had gone home.” Public comment began around 8:30 p.m. during the meeting on February 3.
“We are not going to let up,” he says in the fight against Spencerport joining Urban-Suburban, “… residents do not want the program.”
Spencerport School District officials tell the Suburban News those who commented at the February 3 meeting were called in the order of how they signed-in, just as the privilege-of-the-floor was handled at the December 9 meeting.
The names of those who wanted to speak were taken and the time they signed-in was noted. As it happened, the first several speakers to sign in were for the program. The district notes that at the December 9 meeting, the first speakers happened to be those who were against Urban-Suburban.
District Officials add that Ty Zinkiewich, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, who called public comment speakers to the podium February 3, did not know their position on the issue when he called their name.
The district has provided three opportunities for public input on the proposal – December 2 during an informational meeting, December 9 during the Board of Education meeting and February 3 at the additional public information meeting.
The administration has stated all remarks will be incorporated as part of public input, “… we realize the importance of engaging the community and encouraging a continued and respectful dialog about the Urban-Suburban Inter-District Transfer program,” the district states on the Spencerport Schools website.
At the end of the February 3 informational meeting, School Board President William Sweeney said privilege-of-the-floor would be held to 30 minutes at the upcoming February 24 School Board meeting.
There are many in the community who would like to see a public vote on joining Urban-Suburban.
A petition is being circulated in the community calling on the district to hold a public vote on the proposal.
Noting people in the community both for and against joining Urban-Suburban, “want to have the final say,” Tom Mawn, a district resident spear-heading the petition says he hopes the district might put the issue on the ballot in May during the school budget/board of education vote. He says even if the issue can not be put to a public vote, residents want the school board to understand the number of people who would like to have a direct say in the matter. Mawn says the petition is on the change.org website.
Residents are expected to present the petition to the board at the February 24 meeting.
School Board President William Sweeney has said a vote on the issue would not be possible because there is, “… not governmental structure,” in the district to accommodate it.
