Answers To Your Questions

Question: What grade level will the Before/After School programs start at?
Answer: The before and after-school programs will most likely be focused on grades 3-6. However, there may be programming available for students in K-2. These before and after-school programs are not long-term childcare options. Rather, they are intended as an opportunity for staff to share their interests with their students for a set number of sessions. The after-school programs are really nothing new, for years LCSD staff have held programs and clubs (gym hockey and running clubs come to mind). What is new is the opportunity for students in grades 3-5 to have the ability to be transported to school approximately a half-hour early to take part in before-school programming with a teacher. It is our hope that Fine Arts options will be added over the next couple of years.

Question: How does the Before/After School program impact the budget?
Answer: For the next couple of years, the before and after-school programs will not impact the budget because we have Federal “COVID” money is earmarked for the programs.

Question: How does the Before/After School program impact teacher contracts?
Answer: The Before/After School programs will not impact teacher contracts.

Question: How does the Before/After School program impact extracurricular activities, such as sports?
Answer: Generally, the students that these programs are targeting, students in grades 3-6, are not eligible to participate in district-sponsored extracurricular activities, such as sports. As students reach the grade when they are eligible to participate in sports, they will need to decide which activities they would like to participate in.

Question: Why a 6-day rotation?
Answer: The six-day rotation allows students the opportunity to most closely receive the mandated NYS physical education mandate and LCSD BOE Policy regarding physical education by having PE three times in a six-day cycle NYS PE Mandate (no such mandate exists for any other NYS special area class), LCSD BOE Policy – 8000 - Instruction, Title: Instruction in Certain Subjects, Code: 8240.

When different models were examined, a five-day SAS schedule would cause SAS staff to travel each day to a second building, acting more as an itinerant staff. In the five-day model, all K-2 SAS would have been held in the mornings and all 3-5 SAS would have been held in the afternoon. This model would have been disruptive to the flow of the buildings because SAS staff would only be in buildings for half a day. The feedback we received from teachers and principals helped shape the decision to have teachers in a single building each day allowing the K-2 and 3-5 daily building schedule to flow very nicely. The six-day rotation allows for the most even sharing of staff between K-2 and 3-5 buildings. Special Area Subject (SAS) staff are able to instruct students in the K-2 building on A, C, and E days while a different SAS teacher can instruct students in the 3-5 buildings on B, D, and F days (and vice versa). It is important to note that other models are still being looked into. One model being discussed will allow us to transition to the six-day cycle by using a cycle similar (but slightly different) to what the elementary schools are currently doing by using a modified five-day cycle that consists of a four-day cycle and a “flex” day. This option will allow an increase of physical education for all students, while at the same time reducing the number of being deducted from art, music, and library.

Question: Could a FAQ be provided for communications with the Education 2020 Team with responses?
Answer: Yes. In addition, anyone with questions is encouraged to speak with building principals or contact Doug Lawrence, Executive Director of Secondary Education or Rick Chapman, Executive Director of Elementary Education.

Question: What are the start times for the schools in the 2022-2023 school year?
Answer: Below are the tentative bell times for the schools during the 2022-2023 school year. These times may be adjusted a few minutes, either way, depending on the specific transportation needs an individual route may have.

All K-2 primary schools (Elmcrest, Donlin Drive, Long Branch, Willow Field) will operate from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

All 3-5 intermediate schools (Soule Road, Morgan Road, Liverpool, Chestnut Hill) will operate from 8:30 am to 3 p.m. - Students will ride home with students from the middle school.

All 6-8 middle schools (Chestnut Hill Middle, Soule Road Middle, Morgan Road Middle, Liverpool Middle) will operate from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Students will ride home with students from the intermediate schools.

Question: Are Fine Arts or other special areas being cut in our K-5 elementary buildings?
Answer: Under our current system, schools typically have a four-day cycle with a “flex” day that changes throughout the year, which effectively makes the cycle a five-day cycle. 

Special Area teachers have the ability to teach six, 40-minute classes a day each of the five days of the cycle (Monday-Friday). This allows a total of 30 sections to be taught over five days.  

Some of our smallest buildings have 17 K-6 classroom sections in a building and our largest buildings have 25 K-6 classroom sections in a building. This causes a large inequity between the teaching load for some of our special area teachers when some teachers are full-time in a building and are teaching 17 sections out of 30 sections, while other special area teachers are teaching 25 out of 30 sections.  

To be fair, it needs to be acknowledged that the special area teacher often supports the building in other areas during some of the sections they are not teaching. 

It should also be pointed out that these teachers are typically not able to meet and work with students during their open timeframes due to the fact the students are engaged in curriculum or support services.

• 180 School Days/6 Day Cycle = 30 Class Sessions a year * 40 minutes = 1,200 minutes/year
• 180 School Days/5 Day Cycle = 36 Class Sessions a year * 40 minutes = 1,440 minutes/year
• 1,440 minutes - 1,200 minutes = 240 minutes decrease (4 hours/year)

In addition, the new 3-5 schedule in Education 2020 has time for chorus and band/orchestra built in without interrupting instruction.

Question: Why is there a minor reduction of Fine Arts in the new elementary schedule?
Answer: LCSD has not met the New York State mandate for Physical Education for the past few years.  

The six-day cycle allows us to be closer to the NYSED Physical Education Mandates by increasing PE time for students. The increase in PE instruction will allow for PE teachers to address new state standards that now include overall wellness and responsible personal and social behaviors. Art, Music, and Library do not have any type of required time mandates. Read the NYS PE Mandate - Regulation 135 

Question: Are any art or music teachers being cut due to Education 2020?
Answer: One elementary art position will not be filled due to a teacher voluntarily transferring to another level and an elementary building closing. An additional part-time music position at the middle level will not continue next school year because it was a temporary position to fill a scheduling gap for this school year only. 

Question: Why did the district decide to change the middle school schedule for next year? Why didn’t the district keep the same schedule in place for next school year?
Answer: Throughout the Education 2020 process the district gathered feedback from parent, staff, and student stakeholder groups.  This feedback was used to create new opportunities for our students. It was evident that our stakeholder groups were looking for more career focused, STEAM, hands-on, high interest, and innovative learning options for our students. As a result, the district created a middle school schedule that allows our 7th and 8th grade students to select up to three of the following elective classes: Studio Art, Music Production, Theater Workshop, Band, Chorus, Orchestra, Food Tech, Future Educators, Media Arts, Materials Processing and Robotics.

These classes are directly linked to CTE, career, and college pathways offered at Liverpool High School. Having our students participate in these opportunities at the middle level exposes them to career pathways early on, which will hopefully help guide their future course selections and career interests in the years to come. We are very excited to provide our students with elective choices at the middle level, as this is something that is often lacking in most school districts at this level.   

Question: What is the plan for reading teachers when Education 2020 commences?
Answer: The plan was to add three reading specialists in the 2022-2023 school year. We were fortunate to receive funding that allowed us to add these specialists during the 2021-2022 school year. 

Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year there will be three reading teachers in each of our four K-2 buildings, two reading teachers in each of our four 3-5 buildings, one reading teacher in each of our four middle schools, and one reading teacher at the high school. 

The K-2 and 3-5 buildings have time built in for the reading specialists to work with the students. The district will continue with CKLA as the ELA curricular resource. 

The majority of LCSD Reading Specialists have already been LETRS trained. We are providing training for any Reading Specialists who have not been trained.  

Question: How is special education changing as a result of the changes of Education 2020?
Answer: All current programs and services will continue. Education 2020 will allow most students to attend their home (neighborhood) school and allow for shorter bus times. The three grade level configuration allows for more efficiency when grouping students for therapies. There will be an integrated co-taught team in each grade level in each quad K-6. This will allow effective teacher teams to remain together in their co-teaching partnerships and better collaboration. In lieu of resource room support at the K-2 buildings (a rare service at these grade levels), additional speech/language and reading support will be available. Early intervention in these areas will likely prevent referrals to special education. A 3:1 model for related service delivery will be implemented in K-8. This innovative method of related service delivery allows for greater generalization of skills and collaboration among students’ educational teams. There will be a full time school psychologist in each building. Additionally, there will be a school-based mental health clinic (ARISE or Liberty) in each building and Promise Zone Student Support Specialists. A Social Emotional Learning Coach will support the implementation of NYSED social emotional learning benchmarks and a Behavior Integration Specialist will be available to support struggling students K-12. The District has also partnered with Onondaga County Child Welfare to establish Child Welfare Liaisons assigned to the district who work directly with families to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Question: Are teaching positions being added as a result of Education 2020?
Answer: Yes, it will be necessary to add some teaching positions due to the addition of elective opportunities such as Theatre, Music Production, Media Arts, and Robotics. We are still collecting student course requests, which will guide us in knowing how many new positions will need to be hired. Any additional positions will not result in an increase to our budget, but will be filled through not filling some positions open due to retirements. This is the same practice the district has been following for years by assessing and shifting new staffing hires based on where our current scheduling needs are.

Question: Can you elaborate further on the quadrant model that was announced on June 23? Specifically, which elementary schools and neighborhoods will attend which elementary schools and middle schools. If this has not yet been determined, what is the expected timeline for this mapping to be decided?
Answer: The district has determined the feeder patterns for schools once the quadrant model is implemented.

• Students attending Donlin Drive Elementary for K-2 will then move on to the Chestnut Hill Complex (currently Chestnut Hill Elementary and Chestnut Hill Middle).
• Students attending Long Branch Elementary for K-2 will then move on to the Liverpool Complex (currently Liverpool Elementary and Liverpool Middle).
• Students attending Elmcrest Elementary for K-2 will then move on to the Morgan Road Complex (currently Morgan Road Elementary and the LHS Annex).
• Students attending Willow Field Elementary for K-2 will then move on to the Soule Road Complex (currently Soule Road Elementary and Soule Road Middle).

The specific neighborhoods that will attend DDE, LBE, EE and WFE have yet to be determined. That will be discussed as part of the sub-committees that will be formed this fall.

Question: Where will current Nate Perry Elementary households be reallocated? Is there any truth to NPE being sold to North Syracuse? If so, would my children be part of that district due to our close geographic proximity to the building?
Answer: There have been no decisions at this point regarding where students will go to school once NPE is closed and the buildings are reconfigured in the Fall 2022. Those decisions will be explored further when sub-committees are formed this fall. There is no truth to the rumor that NPE is being sold to CNS and that children living in that area will become North Syracuse students.

Question: I have a soon to be first-grader at Liverpool Elementary. How will her schooling be affected? I am misunderstanding the notice because it does not clearly say that LE is closing for K-2.
Answer: Students will not be impacted by the reconfigured school buildings (K-2, 3-8) until the Fall 2022. Liverpool Elementary - as well as Chestnut Hill Elementary, Morgan Road Elementary and Soule Road Elementary - will become part of the 3-8 complexes at that time (so yes, K-2 will no longer be going to school in those buildings). Where students will attend school has yet to be determined and will be explored further when sub-committees are formed in the fall.

Question: How much notice will be given if sixth grade is moved to the middle school? Will schools (and parents) receive ample notice to plan for end of the year events, especially for fifth and sixth-graders?
Answer: Yes, the community will receive ample notice regarding any changes so that everyone (parents, teachers, etc.) can plan accordingly. The district also will need this time to finalize plans such as student placement, teacher placement and transportation. We don’t anticipate any changes taking place prior to September 2021, however that timeline could change. We will continue to update families throughout the process.

Question: How will goals be re-evaluated to ensure they are met? Will there be a team in place to look at this? I’m specifically thinking about the extra mental health support as well as reading support.
Answer: As superintendent, Dr. Potter submits annual goals to the Board of Education - some academic or facility improvements, while others may be more aligned with behavioral expectations for students. As such, the district has an obligation to find mechanisms to measure these initiatives with data. The district does not see that process changing. What would be different would possibly be the outcome expectations. The district will continue to support and monitor all of the school’s responsibilities for student success.

Question: Can there be one easy access page to view questions and answers that have all come in rather than only see them a few at a time?
Answer: All of the questions the district has received and answered have been posted on the Liverpool Central School District Web site. You can access those questions and answers by visiting http://www.liverpool.k12.ny.us/community/education-2020/answers-to-your-questions/. We will continue to update that page as we continue to receive questions from the community.

Question: Is it true that Nate Perry Elementary would most likely be the elementary school to close?
Answer: At this time, no decision has been made regarding which elementary school will be closed. This is part of the decision-making process the Board of Education is exploring and ultimately will vote on by June 2020.

Question: We know that students in grades 3-8 will go to campus schools, but where would the K-2 students be dispersed?
Answer: Right now the district has nine elementary schools with five of those buildings being stand-alone elementary schools (Donlin Drive Elementary, Elmcrest Elementary, Long Branch Elementary, Nate Perry Elementary and Willow Field Elementary). If the Board of Education approves the proposed reconfiguration, K-2 students will be dispersed into four of those buildings.

Question: How will transportation (pick up and drop off) times be impacted, especially for elementary families who may have children in both a K-2 and 3-8 building? Will one set of grades start earlier than the other? In turn, will one set of grades arrive home later than the other?
Answer: Currently the Liverpool Central School District has a three-tiered transportation system. High school students are assigned to the first tier; middle school students and four elementary schools are assigned to the middle tier; and the remaining five elementary schools are picked up during the third tier of the transportation schedule. The tiers then work in reverse after school. The Transportation Department would continue to follow that three-tier scheduling model in the future, however, at this time we do not have specific details regarding which schools would be assigned to the second or third tiers.

Question: What is the estimated difference in class size with this proposal? You mentioned during a presentation that this proposal will decrease class size. With current numbers as they are, what do you suspect class size to be?
Answer: Based on the details included in the Education 2020 presentation, both the staff and community want the district to adhere to the District Regulation to maintain class sizes. Currently, we have elementary school buildings that are capped in many grade levels (requiring students to be transported to alternative school sites), while we have elementary buildings that may be significantly below the district's class-size expectation. The proposal would allow for more consistent class sizes and allow students to attend the schools closest to their homes. The opportunity presented within the Education 2020 proposal that looks at a quadrant-style re-zoning would help maximize the sections within each of the specific building sites. We don’t have the ability to specifically identify the enrollment changes or shifts, but based on our enrollment projections it is anticipated we will continue to see subtle enrollment reductions over the next two to three years. It’s hopeful the enrollment will bottom-out over the next three to five years.

Question: What are the projected cost savings for this proposal? I realize the government funding varies year to year but can you estimate savings if two buildings close? Can you also estimate the number of FTE’s that will decrease as a result of this change?
Answer: The district estimates that closing two buildings (meaning the sites no longer have student programs) would mean a savings of $300,000. This number is obviously contingent on how the building is being used after it’s closed (based on the amount of maintenance requirements - heating, lighting, plowing, mowing, etc.). The FTE question is a bit more elusive. As you point out, state funding is a significant unknown. As many folks may be aware, there is a state funding requirement that has not been followed since its inception in 2006. The Governor has the ability to modify and change public school funding at his discretion. Given the proposal is likely two or more years away, the true data on Liverpool’s revenue would [at best] be a guesstimate. Further, the district intends to utilize the reduction in classroom staffing costs (by reducing the number of sections) with increased program and staffing needs based on student needs (i.e., mental health, reading, literacy, special areas, CTE, etc.).

Question: Will school start times change with this new proposal so that high schoolers actually start later, to support the research out there?
Answer: Modified School Start Times are not a part of the Education 2020 initiative at this time.

Question: I would like to know if the committees looked back at prior studies that were done regarding grade configuration. Several years ago the district spent $50,000 and one year researching various grade configurations and making recommendations regarding phasing out an elementary school. I understand that things change in education and demographics, but are you just trying to reinvent the wheel?
Answer: We have looked at some of the previous recommendations (specifically grade configuration recommendations) as well as reviewed some of the current data from neighboring school districts that have changed or have existing configurations for supporting evidence with models of success. Obviously, the complex sites in Liverpool provide a highly unique scenario that may not exist in other district settings.

Question: Will these changes mean my child will stay at their current elementary or middle school or will they change schools?
Answer: Where students will go to school will be determined after the Board of Education votes on the proposed changes.

Q: How would the proposed campus (3-8) schools be set up?
A: The Liverpool Central School District currently has what it considers four combined campuses: Chestnut Hill Elementary/Middle, Liverpool Elementary/Middle, Morgan Road Elementary/Liverpool High School Annex and Soule Road Elementary/Middle. Two of those campuses feature connected buildings – MRE/Annex and SRE/SRM - while the other two campuses - CHE/CHM and LE/LMS - feature two separate buildings. If the Board of Education approves the proposed reconfiguration, students in grades 3-5 will be housed on what has traditionally been the elementary side of those campuses, while students in grades 6-8 will be housed on what has traditionally been the secondary sides of those campuses. For the two buildings that currently are connected, curriculum and scheduling keep the younger students and the older students separated during the school day. That would continue to be the case if those buildings become campus schools.

Q: What about transportation? Will students in grades 3-5 have to ride the same bus as students in grades 6-8?
A: Interestingly enough, many Liverpool Central School District elementary students already ride the school bus home with middle school students. This is particularly true at Chestnut Hill Elementary/Middle, Liverpool Elementary/Middle and Soule Road Elementary/Middle. Each building follows a system at the end of the day where the elementary students are dismissed first, followed approximately five minutes later by the middle school students. This allows the younger students to get settled on their school bus before the middle school students join them. It also allows each building to create a well-ordered atmosphere at dismissal time.

Question: Is it true that LCSD will soon stop providing students with their class ranking and no longer have a Top 60 list or a valedictorian? If so, what is the reason for this change?  
Answer: This topic has been discussed at the high school and district levels, but no decision has been made at this time. Eliminating class rankings is a growing trend nationally, however there is a misconception about this practice. Schools will still weigh courses, have GPAs, and rank internally so that students can use that information when applying for scholarships. In addition, class rank is not viewed as an important attribute for acceptance into colleges and universities. Instead they look at grades, rigor of classes, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and SAT/ACT scores to determine acceptance. Currently several districts in the area – including Fayetteville-Manlius, Jamesville-DeWitt and Skaneateles – do not rank their students and North Syracuse decided to stop ranking students this past year. 

Question: Are you considering moving sixth-graders to the middle schools along with seventh- and eighth-graders?
Answer: Moving sixth-graders to the middle schools is just one of the grade reconfiguration options that the Education 2020 Committee has been exploring. All of the options the committee is exploring will provide students with more opportunities and allow the district to take advantage of a more efficient use of facilities.

Question: Are you considering closing the Annex and housing all ninth-graders in the main building along with grades 10-12?
Answer: If the district decides to reconfigure the middle schools to include students in grades six through eight, there will be a need for an additional middle school. Moving the Annex students up to the main building would open up space for that middle school, and the current set-up at the Annex would accommodate the curriculum needs for those students.

Question: What is the earliest any changes will go into effect?
Answer: The earliest any changes would take place would be the 2021-2022 school year.

Question: Has any decision been made on the possibility of switching the high school hours with the elementary schools?
Answer: No decision has been made in regards to modifying start times for students at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Question: Will the results of this poll taken by 760 district employees be released to the public?
Answer: We will publish the results of both the staff and community surveys in the fall. 

Question: When will Elmcrest Elementary close?
Answer: No decision has been made in regards to closing ANY Liverpool Central School District building. The purpose behind the Education 2020 Committee’s Community Survey is to see if the community supports the ideas the committee has been exploring, which includes the possibility of closing school buildings. The committee will make its recommendations to the Board of Education in late fall or early winter 2019.

Question: If the district changes the current grade configuration at the elementary and middle school levels, will my child still receive the same services that he or she currently receives?
Answer: Any service a student receives as part of their education in the Liverpool Central School District continues with them regardless of the grade level or building they attend.

Question: Why do some buildings have summer programs while others do not? Could that change in the future?
Answer: Currently four Liverpool Central School District buildings (Chestnut Hill, Donlin Drive, Liverpool and Long Branch Elementary) participate in the Summer Bridge Program. This program was made possible through a federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant that enabled Contact Community Services to provide these programs in our schools. These programs began in 2017 and will extend through the 2021 school year (although that is dependent upon federal funding allocations). The four schools currently participating were selected because they met the criteria of the grant. One of the topics the Education 2020 Committee has explored is expanding the number of summer opportunities for our students, however no official decision has been made.

Question:  Will curriculum be streamlined from building to building at the elementary level? I am referring to reading, writing and math curriculum across the district.
Answer: The Education 2020 Committee is looking to streamline a number of topics with its proposed plan, including curriculum, mental health & security, and extra-curricular opportunities. A streamlined curriculum would be a top priority for the committee.