Greenwood Lake Board of Education Approves George F. Baker, Sets Tuition RateOn October 17th, the Greenwood Lake Board supported last week's decision to add George F. Baker as an option by a 4-2 vote. The Board approved a 22-month contract that will have Tuxedo as an option for their kids through the 2014-2015 school year. The contract set a tuition rate of $12,000, which, once they are adjusted for the unfair imbalances in state aid, is comparable to what the district will be paying to Warwick and Chester. Both of the latter districts receive significant subsidies from the State of New York that TUFSD is not entitled to. The contract is expected to be ratified at the October 18th TUFSD Board of Education meeting. As first reported via Facebook and Twitter, the Greenwood Lake Board of Education voted to add George F. Baker High School in Tuxedo as an option for their children for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years. The two districts will negotiate a contract in the coming weeks. Confirmation came in this morning via the Times-Herald Record. This is fantastic news for our school district, both the Tuxedo and Greenwood Lake communities, but most importantly the children of Tuxedo and Greenwood Lake who consider George F. Baker their home as they have for the past 31 years. We wish to applaud the extraordinary efforts of the students, parents, and community organizers who have worked tirelessly toward this goal since February. We will obviously confirm the news in time for our Chamber meeting this evening (6:00 PM at the Train Station) with TUFSD Superintendent Carol Lomascolo. On Friday, October 5th, the students of George F. Baker High School held a Spirit Rally to demonstrate their support for the school. Many thanks to John Meore, photographer, for capturing the event, and Maria from Around The Lake for publishing them on her website. To see what it looked like, please click here. As reported by the Times-Herald Record ("Greenwood Lake Parents Back Tuxedo School Option") and Photo News ("Greenwood Lake-Tuxedo Communities Rally To Show Their Support For a Three-School Option"), the Campaign to Remain gathered 647 signatures from parents and students to present to the Greenwood Lake Board of Education. We remain hopeful that the Greenwood Lake Board of Education will reverse their decision and allow George F. Baker as an option for their students in the future. The Board of Education already rescinded a decision on April 25th to negotiate exclusively with Tuxedo, reportedly under the understanding that a three-school option would be the best fit for Greenwood Lake, so there is a precedent for change. The extraordinary efforts of the Campaign to Remain have made their position known. Our desire is to continue the mutually beneficial relationship with the high school students of Greenwood Lake and continue the operation of a nationally-ranked educational institution (US News and World Report has Baker on their "Best High Schools" list) that has served both communities with distinction for the past 31 years. Chamber of Commerce Membership Meeting Wednesday, October 10th, 6:00 PM Live Technology 16 Sterling Lake Road Tuxedo NY 10987 Tuxedo Union Free School District Carol Lomascolo will attend our meeting on Wednesday, October 10th at 6:00 PM. She will discuss the road ahead for George F. Baker High School in the wake of the Greenwood Lake Board of Education's decision to remove the school as an option for their children. The Tuxedo Union Free School District is the Chamber's largest employer. We have been working closely working with the school board and the administration for the entire year and are committed to helping the district however we can. Removing approximately 300 high school students from George F. Baker over the next few years will be a massive change to the district and to our community, and we are looking forward to hearing about the options that are being examined. This is an issue that affects all of us as business owners and taxpayers and we hope that you will be a part of the conversation. Our host for the evening is Chamber member Live Technology, which offers innovative cross-platform marketing solutions from their corporate headquarters here in Tuxedo. Live Technology is one of our most interesting businesses and we are excited to learn more about their products and services. Please join us on Wednesday, October 10th, at 6:00 PM at 16 Sterling Lake Road. Walk for Choice  Protest Walk Against the Greenwood Lake Board of Education Wednesday, September 19th, 5:00 PM CVS Parking Lot 123 Windermere Ave Greenwood Lake NY 10925 The parents of Greenwood Lake have invited the Tuxedo Chamber of Commerce to participate in their Walk for Choice, a protest against the Greenwood Lake Board of Education's decision to remove the best option for their children's education: George F. Baker High School. The peaceful demonstration will begin on Wednesday at 5:00 PM in the CVS parking lot at 123 Windermere Avenue. It will end with a delivery of a signed petition of hundreds of parents who want George F. Baker as an option for their children in a "school of choice" scenario. If you are affected by the GWL Board's decision to remove George F. Baker, consider joining this group on Wednesday. It's not too late for the Greenwood Lake Board of Education to reverse course - they have already after voting to accept George F. Baker as the sole option for the 2013-2018 school years on April 25th. We urge those who wish to have a true choice - including George F. Baker - to reach out to the Greenwood Lake Board of Education and request that they add Tuxedo as a choice for their parents. The April 25th vote was rescinded, reportedly, because it was not a unanimous vote by the Board (4-3). The August 29th vote was not unanimous as well, being 4-2 with one absent. We ask the Greenwood Lake community to demand that the board reconvene until a unanimous choice is reached - hopefully, a compromise that includes George F. Baker as an option for Greenwood Lake kids. Lena Buckley, a responsible parent from Greenwood Lake, echos our frustration with the GWL Board of Education in denying George F. Baker as a choice for her children in her letter to the editor of the Photo News here. At a public meeting on August 29th, the Greenwood Lake Board of Education removed Tuxedo and George F. Baker High School - home to their high school students for the past 31 years - as an option for students beginning in the 2013-2014 school year. The Board will negotiate contracts with Warwick and Chester, only. We are extremely disappointed in the Board's unfortunate decision, which effectively denies their parents and kids the best choice for their children's education. The decision is especially baffling following the Board's April 25th vote to negotiate exclusively with Tuxedo. This vote was recinded a month later to allow for the Board to offer a "school of choice" option to their parents, which would allow parents to choose which high school they want their child to attend. We are shocked and dismayed that George F. Baker High School is not going to be offered as a choice to the kids of Greenwood Lake, in spite of the unanimous support by kids attending the high school and graduates who attended the public forums. We can only hope that - like the April 25th vote - that this is not the end of the discussion. We continue to strongly believe that the best school for Greenwood Lake students is George F. Baker High School. The Greenwood Lake Board of Education plans to hold a meeting on August 29th to make a final decision on their high school options for school year 2014-2015. We continue to urge the responsible individuals on the Greenwood Lake Board to choose their kids' high school - George F. Baker High School - which has distinctively served the needs of the Greenwood Lake students since 1981. We respectfully await their decision and hope that George F. Baker is the choice as it's been since 1981. It's not the cheapest option, but this is kid's education we're talking about - nothing is more important - and we think Greenwood Lake deserves the best. Greenwood Lake Deserves the Best High School Option Not the Cheapest - The Best: George F. Baker The Greenwood Lake Board of Education public forum on August 15th passed with much discussion but no resolution. According to the Warwick Advertiser, the most likely option being debated:
The Tuxedo Chamber and all 361 Greenwood Lake members of the Campaign to Remain are behind George F. Baker as the option for their students. We continue to urge the Greenwood Lake Board of Education not to throw away an option that has dutifully and diligently served the school district since 1981 in favor of cheaper options in which they will be the minority. Keep in mind what is at state: US News and World Report ranks George F. Baker in the top 4% of high schools nationally (741st out of approximately 22,000), while Warwick is 402 spots lower (at 1143) and Chester is not ranked at all.
The Greenwood Lake Board of Education will meet during a public forum ("special public work session") to continue their discussion concerning the fate of Greenwood Lake high school children as they continue to weigh their options. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 15th, at 80 Waterstone Rd. in Greenwood Lake. Any decisions made could go into effect as early as September of 2013 for the 2013-2014 school year. The Tuxedo Chamber continues to fully support the George F. Baker High School in Tuxedo as the best school to meet the needs of the high-school aged children of Greenwood Lake. As it has for the past 31 years, George F. Baker will provide the best all-around educational package, and the students of Greenwood Lake will continue to compromise approximately 80% of it's student body, making it effectively Greenwood Lake High School. Both the valedictorian and salutatorian of George F. Baker's Class of 2012 are from Greenwood Lake. While there are certainly cheaper and less effective options available to the Greenwood Lake Board of Education, we fully believe that George F. Baker stands out above all other high schools when you consider all of the factors, not just tuition rates per student. We also do not feel it is in the best interest of the student population to put a price on the most important thing in a young person's life: their education. By definition, George F. Baker High School is built to cater to the specific needs of the children of Greenwood Lake. In no other school district will Greenwood Lake student compose the vast majority of the student population; in fact, in one of the competing districts, they will represent less than 16% of the population. To us, that means that Greenwood Lake already has its own high school: George F. Baker. Furthermore, the last time Greenwood Lake students were on a path to attend a high school less appropriate for their needs, 86% voted against them in a public referendum (2,710 votes against vs. 428 for). From what we understand, the Board is committed to reviewing a "School of Choice" option for the entire Greenwood Lake School District. We certainly understand the temptation of such a compromise, and fully respect the rights of the GWL Board to review and evaluate all options for its constituents. In the end, they will make the best decision for their kids as they see it. We believe that choice is George F. Baker High School. In 2007, the last time the Greenwood Lake Board of Education went through the educational contract process, they settled on Warwick as their primary choice. However, a public referendum was required in Warwick to approve the merger. 86% of Warwick voters voted against the measure - a total of 2,710 to 428 denying the transfer to Warwick. In public meetings, officials from Warwick have told the Greenwood Lake Board that this time it's different. But actions speak much, much louder than words. Talk is cheap. George F. Baker High School has spent the last 31 years catering to the needs of the Greenwood Lake high school students through taking care of their kids and providing them with an educational environment that US News and World Report has on their "Best High Schools" list and is ranked in the top 8% of New York State high schools (93rd out of 1,165). TUFSD Superintendent Carol Lomascolo released this letter to the editor to update people concerning the current situation. On May 23rd, the Greenwood Lake Board of Education voted to rescind the resolution for a community vote to enter into a tuition agreement with Tuxedo and George F. Baker High School. This was reported by the TUFSD website. The change was in response to a public outcry for the school of choice option discussed at the April 25th public forum. "Please be assured that our Board of Education and I are committed to the continuation of our long standing relationship with Greenwood Lake and I thank you for your continued support," says Tuxedo Superintendent Carol Lomascolo. Greenwood Lake Chooses To Negotiate With TuxedoOn Wednesday, April 25th, at a special public meeting of the Greenwood Lake Board of Education, the members voted 4-3 in favor of negotiating a new contract with the Tuxedo Union Free School District. We wish to publicly commend the Board for their diligence in reaching a decision that allows the children of Greenwood Lake to attend the best school that fits their needs: George F. Baker High School. A public vote will be held in the Village of Greenwood Lake on or about June 19th, which requires a simple majority to pass. The Tuxedo Chamber of Commerce remains dedicated to maintaining the extremely successful partnership that has existed at George F. Baker between the high school students of Greenwood Lake and Tuxedo. To us in the business community, we do not see any boundary between students or parents or faculty - George F. Baker is one school, and one community. This resolution should be seen as the beginning of a journey, not the end. Independent rankings are difficult to find at the high school level. However, US News and World Report ranks George F. Baker in the top 4% of high schools nationally (741 out of approximately 22,000), while Warwick is 402 spots lower (at 1143) and Chester is not ranked at all. This spring, the Greenwood Lake Board of Education will decide whether to continue their relationship with the Tuxedo Union Free School District or join another high school. Their decision has wide-reaching effects, starting with the most important factor: the future education of Greenwood Lake children. George F. Baker High School boasts extremely small class sizes, especially when compared to larger school districts, and according to numerous studies, smaller class sizes are highly correlated with increased academic achievement. Furthermore, the vast majority of George F. Baker students - again, nearly 80% - are from Greenwood Lake. For all intents and purposes, George F. Baker High School IS Greenwood Lake High School. At George F. Baker, Greenwood Lake residents receive the personal attention they need and deserve from teachers and administrators alike. Sports programs and other extracurricular activities are commonly cited as a reason to switch school districts, but we do not believe that other high schools have any real advantage. Consider simple statistics - a Greenwood Lake resident is far more likely to make the basketball team or band at George F. Baker than he or she is at any other school simply because they compromise the majority of the student body. Financial concerns are also paramount to the decision, as we are all struggling through a difficult economic climate. Yet most financial numbers that are quoted in the paper are misleading at best - please see this article for more information on why per-child tuition rates are extremely deceiving.  The economic impact of losing the Tuxedo Union Free School District - our town's largest employer - would be catastrophic. Almost all of our businesses depend on the teachers and students of the school district and their economic activity, from buying lunch, to purchasing a gallon of milk, a newspaper, breakfast, or getting a tax return done in town. Losing them would mean all of our small businesses in town would suffer losing their largest client base. The decision is in the hands of the people of Greenwood Lake - our brothers and sisters, friends and family. We fully respect their choice and furthermore understand that the Greenwood Lake Board of Education must do their due diligence in making a decision. Yet we ask that Greenwood Lake remain with George F. Baker High School because 1) superior academics, 2) our outstanding track record of success together, and 3) the catastrophic economic impact of closing a high school would have on our joint community.
No - this is a myth. In fact, the actual tax rates change very little. For full details, please read our special article here: tuxedochamber.org/greenwood-lake/tax. SPECIAL REPORT: A Very Important Issue Since 1981, Tuxedo and Greenwood Lake have enjoyed a unique partnership in educating their high school students. They have shared George F. Baker High School, an institution devoted to delivering exceptional instruction to meet the needs of each individual child. Today, approximately 80% of the students who attend George F. Baker are Greenwood Lake residents. This spring, the Greenwood Lake Board of Education will decide whether to continue their relationship with the Tuxedo Union Free School District or join another high school. The stakes are very high. If they vote to move Greenwood Lake high school students to another district, the damage to the Tuxedo business community will be catastrophic: 1) Greenwood Lake students would have their education disrupted unnecessarily - uprooted from a community that knows them and cares about them. High school is difficult enough without this harmful lack of continuity. 2) George F. Baker High School - Tuxedo's largest employer - will likely be closed in 2013. 3) Jobs will be lost. Teachers, administrators, and support staff will be released. 4) Small business in Tuxedo will be crippled. How many of your customers are teachers? How many parents from Greenwood Lake drive here every day? Students? George F. Baker boasts smaller class sizes than every other high school in the county, which are statistically correlated to higher academic achievement. Our teachers and administrators care about the children of Greenwood Lake - their children - and fear that they will be lost in the shuffle in a drastic and harmful transition to a larger high school, where they will likely be lost in the shuffle. We certainly respect the voters of Greenwood Lake and support their right to explore their options. However, we strongly believe that George F. Baker is the best candidate to provide education to their children. We ask Greenwood Lake voters to make the best choice for their children - George F. Baker High School and Tuxedo - and not to believe the empty promise of tax savings which the other districts are promoting. Since 1981 we have shared George F. Baker High School. Let's make it another 31 years together. What Should I Do? If you are a Greenwood Lake voter, contact your Board of Education and let them know that you support George F. Baker High School. |
|
|