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Accountability

School and District Accountability

Office of Accountability

State Monitors

New York State Law requires the Commissioner of Education to appoint monitors to the East Ramapo Central School District (ERCSD), Hempstead Union Free School District (HUFSD), Rochester City School District (RCSD) and Wyandanch Union Free School District (WUFSD). All monitors 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. 

In general, the monitors have responsibility for fiscal oversight of the districts, and in the case of the ERCSD, the HUFSD, and the RCSD, the monitors are also responsible for academic oversight.  

Monitors for the ERCSD, the HUFSD, and the WUFSD worked with the boards of their districts to develop proposed financial plans for the 2020–2021 school year and the four subsequent school years. In HUFSD and RCSD the monitors also developed academic plans for the same time period.  These plans were required to be approved by the Commissioner and are updated annually.

In the case of the ERCSD, the monitors worked with the board of education to develop a long-term strategic academic and fiscal improvement plan, which was approved by the Commissioner and is revised annually.

Among the responsibilities of the monitors for each district are to:

  • Serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of the board of education.
  • Assist the board in adopting a conflict of interest policy that ensures board members and administrators act in the district’s best interest.
  • Ensure that the budget is balanced and consistent with the district’s long-term financial plan.
  • Provide semiannual reports on the academic, fiscal, and operational status of the district, except for the WUFSD, where the report is limited to fiscal and operational issues.
  • 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 commissioner and board in writing regarding violations of the academic or financial plan.

The ERCSD monitors have the additional authority to: 

  • Override proposed or adopted resolutions or submit resolutions for adoption by the board of education in the event that the district is in violation of law or regulation or taking actions inconsistent with the approved long-term strategic academic and fiscal improvement plan.
  • Approve or disapprove the appointment of a superintendent.
  • Mandate that board of education members, the superintendent, and/or other school district officers undergo up to 15 hours of training per year. 

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

District 

 Monitor(s)
East Ramapo CSD Mr. Bruce Singer and Ms. Mary Fox-Alter
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. On June 29, 2021, the Governor signed into law Chapter 173 of the Laws of 2021, which expanded the powers and duties of the monitors as well as the responsibilities of the District in regard to cooperating with the monitors.

The above legislation established the powers and duties of State Monitors. The current monitors are Mr. Bruce Singer, who was appointed by the Commissioner on March 5, 2020, and Mary Fox-Alter, who was appointed by the Commissioner on April 5, 2022. Both monitors are contracted employees whose reasonable and necessary expenses are paid by the school district. Mr. Singer’s and Ms. Fox-Alter's responsibilities include:

  • Working with the Board of Education to develop a long-term strategic academic and fiscal improvement plan that shall be updated annually by October 1;
  • Approving  or disapproving the appointment of a superintendent;
  • Overriding proposed or adopted resolutions or submitting a resolution for adoption by the Board of Education  in those instances where the school district is operating in violation of law or regulation or inconsistently with the long-term strategic academic and fiscal improvement plan; 
  • Mandating that Board of Education members, the superintendent, and/or other school district officers undergo up to 15 hours of training per year; 
  • 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  long-term strategic academic and fiscal improvement plan;
  • 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 and Commissioner in writing regarding violations of the academic or financial plan.

Legislation (also see "Monitor Laws")

Appointment Letter/Press Release (see Archive)

Public Hearings (see Archive)

Five Year Academic and Fiscal Improvement Plans

Links to Regents Presentations

Annual and Quarterly Reports

State Monitor Budget Review

ARCHIVE

Hempstead UFSD

Summary

Chapter 19 of the laws of 2020, 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 and Commissioner in writing regarding violations of the academic or financial plan.

Legislation (also see "Monitor Laws")

Appointment Letter/Press Release (see Archive)

Reports for School Year 2020-2021

  1. District Quarterly Reports
  1. Monitors Semi-Annual Report

Public Hearings (see Archive)

Five Year Academic and Fiscal Improvement Plans

Links to Regents Presentations 

Annual Reports

Monitor’s Findings Pertaining to District Proposed Budget

ARCHIVE

 
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 and Commissioner in writing regarding violations of the financial plan.

Legislation (see "Monitor Laws")

Appointment Letter/Press Release (see Archive)

Reports for School Year 2020-2021 

1. Annual Reports 

​2. ​​District Quarterly Reports

3. Monitors Semi-Annual Report

Public Hearings (see Archive)

Five Year Academic and Fiscal Improvement Plans

Monitor’s Findings Pertaining to District Proposed Budget

Links to Regents Presentations 

ARCHIVE

Wyandanch UFSD

Summary

Chapter 18 of the laws of 2020, 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 and Commissioner in writing regarding violations of the financial plan; and
  • Overseeing deficit financing included in legislation.

     

Legislation (also see "Monitor Laws")

Appointment Letter/Press Release (see Archive)

Reports for School Year 2020-2021

  1. District Quarterly Reports
  1. Monitors Semi-Annual Report

Public Hearings (see Archive)

Five Year Fiscal Improvement Plan

Monitor’s Findings Pertaining to District Proposed Budget

Links to Regents Presentations (2021)

ARCHIVE