Leading off today: Athletic director duties in Geneva would be split between a teacher and several administrators under a cost-cutting measure in the proposed 2009-10 budget,
The Finger Lakes Times reported yesterday.
On Wednesday, district Superintendent Robert Young rolled out a "worst case" plan for cutting $2.4 million from the budget that would keep taxes flat if there is no additional state aid forthcoming from Gov. David Paterson’s budget. Some 65.2 positions, nearly half of them teaching jobs, would be lost.
The position of AD now held by Dave Whitcomb (also the football coach, director of physical education and director of extracurricular activities), which pays $140,000, would be wiped out. Whitcomb's job would disappear in June, and he would be hired back at a $18,000 salary to continue through Jan. 1 to train his replacement, the paper reported.
Young estimated savings of $92,000 in the first year, and a district advisory committee has recommended adopting the plan. Young's formal recommendation to the school board is expected on April 6.
Merger in the works? Christian Brothers Academy in Albany and LaSalle Institute of Troy are weighing a merger because of the recent economic downturn, according to a joint letter released by the schools Thursday.
A letter mailed to CBA families said the boards of trustees have been informally discussing opportunities to share "collective strengths" and "collective potential," The Times Union reported. The letter from CBA Board of Trustees Chairman J. Timothy O'Hearn and La Salle Board Chairman David Stackrow says no decision has been made.
"Private schools, particularly Catholic schools are facing significant challenges," the letter states.
CBA and La Salle are both grade 6-12 all-male schools dating to the 19th century. Both are privately run, meaning they receive no funding from the Albany diocese.
Wis. association sues Gannett: The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) is suing Gannett Co., Inc., whose holdings include several New York newspapers, asserting that it owns the rights to any "transmission, Internet stream, photo, image, film, videotape, audiotape, writing, drawing or other depiction or description of any game action, information or commercial