Facilities Study Update
Dear Cortland Community,

As we get closer to a vote by the Board of Education (BOE) on possible school closures, I felt it necessary to bring you up to date on the process.

The Board held an additional public forum on April 16, 2018 to hear additional comments and questions from the community regarding the possible closure of Parker and/or Virgil Elementary. At that meeting fourteen community members spoke passionately about their respective schools and offered a series of suggestions and questions. The question, and their answers, have been collected in a Q&A document which can be found at the Facilities Study section of our website, along with other information. Also at the same part of our website you can find all of the documents and presentations that the Board has been considering.

Please know that your Board of Education has been, and remains, dedicated to making this difficult decision in a transparent and collaborative manner. Their interest is in trying to find a path to financial sustainability while enhancing learning for students and staff.
The Board will hold one additional work session on May 1, 2018 at the Kaufman Center to discuss items related to the last public forum. The actual decision will be made prior to the end of the school year. As was said at the forum, the Board and I are proud to acknowledge this community’s passion and the professionalism throughout the year-long process. The vast majority of people have been respectful in their suggestions and generous with their time and thoughts and to them we say “thank you.”

We are not alone in experiencing declining enrollment and revenue while expenses continue to rise. Everyone looks forward to the day when Cortland Enlarged City School District is financially healthy and can start improving (rather than maintaining) our facilities while creating amazing opportunities for our students and community.
Yours in education,

Michael J. Hoose, Superintendent