Thanks for your support!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came out and supported our school budget this past Tuesday, May 18^th.

In my time here at Watervliet, we have always worked very hard to ensure that we do not place too heavy a burden on our tax payers. This is more important today, during these hard economic times, than ever.

As I have stated throughout the budget process, it is our job to propose a budget that balances the needs of our students with our communities’ values and ability to pay. I believe that we have done that this year and that the support of the community in passing the budget confirms this.

Thanks to your support, our students will see no cuts in program or personnel here at Watervliet. All extracurricular activities and clubs will remain and our class sizes will continue to be appropriate. We are confident in the programs and people we currently have in place and their ability to stay true to our mission to inspire educate and challenge every student, every day!

Thank you again for your support.

Setting the record straight on Watervliet softball!

On Monday May 3rd a Times Union article titled "No Losers on a Losing Team" highlighted the Watervliet City School District's softball team and two of our senior captains in particular. While I am sure the piece was intended to be a "feel good story" about an underdog program, there are several inaccuracies in the article that I feel need to be addressed.

The article states that our softball team "has no field to call home." The team has always had a home field here on our district property and has only been displaced for the 2010 season while their brand new field is being constructed as part of a comprehensive capital project that was approved by our voters two years ago.

The article also goes on to state that the annual budget for the softball program is a mere $200. This is a grossly incorrect statement, as $200 doesn't even cover 5% of the coach's salary. In fact, the budget for our softball program in 2010 is $21,000.

The funding of our sports teams has nothing to do with their win/loss record as the article implies. This is why I also take issue with the statement that there was ever any discussion of softball being dropped here in Watervliet. In the five years that I have been Superintendent this has never been suggested and our commitment to this program and our students is evident by the fact that a new field is being constructed to ensure the future of this team.

I do however agree with the title of the article. There are no losers on any of our athletic teams, regardless of record. In fact, there are no losers among the over 1500 students who walk through the doors of our schools in the Watervliet City School District every day.