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Accountability

Commissioner’s Appointees to School Districts in Need

State Monitors

New York State Law requires the Commissioner of Education to appoint monitors to the East Ramapo CSD, Hempstead UFSD, Rochester CSD and Wyandanch UFSD school districts. The monitors for the Hempstead UFSD, Rochester CSD and Wyandanch UFSD school districts are consultants to these districts, which are responsible for paying the salaries of the monitors as well as for the reasonable and necessary costs of a monitor’s work.  The monitors for the East Ramapo CSD are state employees paid for by a State operations appropriation.

In general, the monitors have responsibility for fiscal oversight of the districts, and in the case of East Ramapo CSD, Hempstead UFSD, and Rochester CSD, the Monitors are also responsible for academic oversight.   Among the responsibilities of the Monitors for Hempstead UFSD, Rochester, and Wyandanch UFSD are:

  • Serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of the Board.
  • Assist the Board in adopting a conflict of interest policy that ensures board members and administrators act in the District’s best interest.
  • Work with the Board to develop proposed financial plans for the District no later than November 1, 2020 for the 2020-2021 school year and the four subsequent school years, and in the cases of Hempstead UFSD and Rochester CSD also develop academic plans for the same time periods.  These plans must be approved by the Commissioner.
  • Beginning with the 2021-22 school year budget, ensure that the budget is balanced and consistent with the District’s long-term financial plan.
  • Provide semi-annual reports on the academic, fiscal and operational status of the District.
  • Assist in resolving any disputes and conflicts between the Superintendent and the Board and among members of the Board.
  • Disapprove travel outside the State paid for by the District; 
  • Recommend cost saving measures including, but not limited to, shared service agreements; and
  • Notify the Board in writing regarding violations of the academic or financial plan.

The East Ramapo CSD monitors have similar, but not identical, responsibilities.  Among the specific responsibilities of the East Ramapo CSD monitors are to:

  • Serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of the Board.
  • Work with the District to develop and update annually a long term strategic academic and fiscal improvement plan
  • Work with the District to develop annually a comprehensive education plan, which upon approval by the Commissioner results in a disbursement of up to $3 million in funds appropriated by the legislation to support implementation of the long term strategic academic and fiscal improvement plan.
  • Work with the district to annually submit the district’s proposed budget for next succeeding school year to Commissioner for approval.
  • Provide quarterly reports to the Commissioner on implementation of the plans.

The monitors currently assigned by the Commissioner to these districts are as follows:

District 

 Monitor(s)
East Ramapo CSD  Dr. Denise Lowe and Mr. Bruce Singer
Hempstead UFSD Dr. William Johnson
Rochester CSD Dr. Shelley Jallow
Wyandanch UFSD Mr. Albert Chase

For more information on State Monitors, please e-mail us at State.Monitors@nysed.gov.

Legislation (Monitor Laws)

East Ramapo CSD

Hempstead UFSD

Rochester CSD 

Wyandanch UFSD

East Ramapo CSD

Summary

On June 30, 2016, the Governor signed into law Chapter 89 of the Laws of 2016, which, among other things, continued the appointment of up to three monitors for the East Ramapo Central School District (ERCSD). Subsequently, additional laws were enacted that continued to authorize State Monitor oversight of ERCSD’s fiscal and budgetary planning.

The above legislation established the powers and duties of State Monitors. The current monitors are Dr. Denise Lowe, who was appointed by the Commissioner on November 7, 2018 and Mr. Bruce Singer who was appointed by the Commissioner on March 5, 2020. Both monitors are state employees paid for by a State operations appropriation. Dr. Lowe’s and Mr. Singer’s responsibilities include:

  • Monitoring district operations in the areas of curriculum and instruction, budgeting, and planning;
  • Providing guidance and technical assistance related to educational policies, practice, programs, and decisions of the district, its Board of Education, and superintendent;
  • Consulting with the district to develop and update annually a long-term strategic academic and fiscal improvement plan;
  • Assisting the district in submitting its annual proposed budget to the Commissioner for approval;
  • Providing an annual report to the Commissioner and the Comptroller on contracts that the districts entered throughout the year; and
  • Providing quarterly progress reports to the Commissioner.

Legislation (also see "Monitor Laws")

Appointment Letter/Press Release

Long Term Strategic Academic and Fiscal Improvement Plan (Fall 2020)

Links to Regents Presentations

Annual Reports

Hempstead UFSD

Summary

Chapter 19 of the laws of 2019, enacted on February 3, 2020, authorizes the Commissioner of Education to appoint a State Monitor to oversee the fiscal and academic operations of the Hempstead Union Free School District (HUFSD).

The above legislation established the powers and duties of the State Monitor. On June 4, 2020, Dr. William Johnson was appointed to this position by the Commissioner. Dr. Johnson’s responsibilities include:

  • Working with the HUFSD’s Board of Education to develop a five-year financial plan and a five-year academic improvement plan;
  • Providing semi-annual reports to the Commissioner, the Board of Regents, the Governor and Legislature on the academic, fiscal, and operational status of the district, which includes all the contracts that the district enters throughout the year;
  • Reviewing annually the proposed district budget to ensure that it is balanced and, to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the district’s approved academic improvement and financial plans;
  • Assisting in resolving disputes and conflicts, including those between the superintendent and the Board of Education;
  • Recommending cost-saving measures, including shared service agreements;
  • Serving as an ex-officio member of the Board of Education who is entitled to attend all meetings of the Board of Education, including executive sessions, and to access any necessary documents and records of the district and
  • Notifying the Board in writing regarding violations of the academic or financial plan.

Legislation (also see "Monitor Laws")

Appointment Letter/Press Release

Public Hearings

Financial Plan and Academic Improvement Plan (Fall 2020)

Links to Regents Presentations (2021)

District Annual Reports and Monitors’ Semi-Annual Reports (2021)

 

Rochester CSD

Summary

Part C of Chapter 56 of the laws of 2020, enacted on April 4, 2020, authorizes the Commissioner of Education to appoint a State Monitor to oversee the fiscal and academic operations of the Rochester City School District (RCSD).

The above legislation established the powers and duties of the State Monitor. On May 21, 2020, Dr. Shelley Jallow was appointed to this position by the Commissioner. Dr. Jallow’s responsibilities include:

  • Working with the RCSD’s Board of Education to develop a five-year financial plan and a five-year academic improvement plan;
  • Providing semi-annual reports to the Commissioner, the Board of Regents, the Governor and Legislature on the academic, fiscal, and operational status of the district, which includes all the contracts that the district enters throughout the year;
  • Reviewing annually the proposed district budget to ensure that it is balanced and, to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the district’s approved academic improvement and financial plans;
  • Assisting in resolving disputes and conflicts, including those between the superintendent and the Board of Education;
  • Recommending cost-saving measures, including shared service agreements;
  • Serving as an ex-officio member of the Board of Education who is entitled to attend all meetings of the Board of Education, including executive sessions, and to access any necessary documents and records of the district; and
  • Notifying the Board in writing regarding violations of the financial plan.

Legislation (see "Monitor Laws")

Appointment Letter/Press Release

Public Hearings

Financial Plan and Academic Improvement Plan (Fall 2020)

Links to Regents Presentations (2021)

District Annual Reports and Monitors’ Semi-Annual Reports (2021)

 

Wyandanch UFSD

Summary

Chapter 18 of the laws of 2019, enacted on February 3, 2020, authorizes the Commissioner of Education to appoint a State Monitor to oversee the fiscal operations of the Wyandanch Union Free School District (WUFSD).

This act established the powers and duties of the State Monitor,. Mr. Albert Chase, who  was appointed on April 23, 2020. Mr. Chase’s responsibilities include:

  • Working with the WUFSD’s Board of Education to develop a five-year financial plan;
  • Providing semi-annual reports to the Commissioner, the Board of Regents, the Governor and Legislature on the fiscal and operational status of the district, which includes all the contracts that the district enters throughout the year;
  • Reviewing annually the proposed district budget to ensure that it is balanced and, to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the district’s approved academic improvement and financial plans;
  • Assisting in resolving disputes and conflicts, including those between the superintendent and the Board of Education;
  • Recommending cost-saving measures, including shared service agreements;
  • Serving as an ex-officio member of the Board of Education who is entitled to attend all meetings of the Board of Education, including executive sessions, and to access any necessary documents and records of the district;
  • Notifying the Board in writing regarding violations of the financial plan; and
  • Overseeing deficit financing included in legislation.

     

Legislation (also see "Monitor Laws")

Appointment Letter/Press Release

Public Hearings

Academic and Fiscal Improvement Plan and Approval Plans (Fall 2020)

Links to Regents Presentations (2021)

District Annual Reports and Monitors’ Semi-Annual Reports (2021)