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.