GD Families,

Reminder: there is no school tomorrow, Friday, October 3rd, for a staff professional development day. See you Monday!

To the Wynantskill Community,

Thank you to the many community members who joined us last week to review the results of the Optimization Study, which led the district to enter into a Feasibility Study with the Troy City School District.

Many of the questions raised about the Optimization Study have already been addressed in the posted Q&A. However, we have added updates and clarifications to reflect common questions and to address some misconceptions. You can view them here: https://www.questar.org/feasibility/

Schmitt Leadership Group, LLC to lead Feasibility Study

The Troy City School District and the Wynantskill Union Free School District are pleased to announce the selection of a search consultant who will lead both districts through a Feasibility Study as they explore a potential reorganization.

Following a Request for Proposal process led by Questar III BOCES, the Schmitt Leadership Group, LLC of Mendon, New York, was selected to conduct the study. The study will explore the following data points:

• Background descriptions of the districts; 
• History and projections of pupil enrollments; 
• Instructional Programs for students; 
• Extra-curricular offerings; 
• Facilities; 
• Transportation; 
• Personnel and  employee contracts; 
• Timelines and processes associated with reorganizations, and
• Finances, including tax implications

Troy Superintendent John Carmello noted that, “The Schmitt Leadership team provided a comprehensive proposal that met the needs of both districts.” Wynantskill Superintendent Mary Yodis added, “We were impressed with the availability of the Schmitt team, including their engagement with our community, during the Optimization Study performed last year.”

The Feasibility Study will be led by Robert Breidenstein and is anticipated to take approximately seven months to complete. For more information about this process, please visit https://www.questar.org/feasibility/ 

Attention Wynantskill Community:

Please note that next week’s Board of Education meeting, scheduled for Thursday, September 18, will begin at 7:30 p.m. instead of the regular 7:00 p.m. start time.

Thank you for your understanding!

Wynantskill UFSD is pleased to announce that we will immediately begin using the Raptor Visitor Management
System to strengthen school safety. With this system, all new visitors entering the school must show a valid form of identification, which will be scanned into the Raptor System. The system will check the ID against the New York State Sex Offender Registry and our internal databases.

Once cleared by the system, it will print a visitor badge to wear for the duration of the visit. The badge includes name and ID photo, as well as the time entered and destination. Once a person’s ID has been scanned into the system, the visitor’s name and photo will remain in our system for future visits. The picture ID is only needed for the first visit. The whole process takes less than 60 seconds, and it’s time well spent to ensure the safety and security of those in our building.

The Raptor Visitor Management system allows us to quickly identify those who may present a danger to our students by checking the visitor’s name and date of birth against a national database of registered sex offenders. The sex offender registry is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the ID is gathered or recorded, and the information is not shared with any outside agency.

The safety of our students is our highest priority, and the Raptor visitor management system is a valuable asset to support a higher level of school security. Thank you in advance for your understanding and support in enhancing our school safety protocols.

Check out the Raptor website for more information. https://raptortech.com/

A reminder to all parents and visitors to GD:

We are a nut-free facility; please take note when packing lunches and snacks. We appreciate your attention to the safety of our students with allergies!

You may now view your tax bill online by clicking here: https://www.wynantskillufsd.org/district/school-tax-information/

Please note a message from our bill distributor, NERIC:

Dear Wynantskill Families and Community Members,

At last night’s Board of Education meeting, both the Wynantskill UFSD and Troy CSD Boards unanimously voted to move forward with a Reorganization Feasibility Study between our two districts.

This important step follows the completion of Wynantskill’s nine-month Optimization Study, which engaged hundreds of students, families, staff, and community members. The study affirmed the many strengths of our district while also identifying fiscal challenges (please click here to view Dr. Rick Timbs’ financial summary) and limited opportunities that come with our small size. One of its key recommendations was to explore a potential partnership with Troy CSD through a formal feasibility study.

We invite you to attend one of our upcoming community conversations with Dr. Mary Yodis and consultant Bob Breidenstein to learn more about the optimization study process, its findings, and the data supporting the recommendation to proceed with the feasibility study:

Tuesday, September 9 –Two sessions at The American Legion Hall, 111 Main Avenue, Wynantskill

• 8:15–9:45 a.m. – Light breakfast served

• 6:45–8:15 p.m. – Light refreshments served

Short informational sessions will also be held during the Middle School and Elementary Open Houses for parents/guardians already attending those events.

During last night’s meeting, Mr. David Elliott from the New York State Education Department outlined the process and timeline for the feasibility study and any potential reorganization vote. He confirmed that New York State incentive aid for a newly reorganized district would total $241,339,387 over 15 years, and in addition will receive 98% building aid for any renovations to the Gardner-Dickinson building within the first 10 years.

Mr. Elliott’s PowerPoint presentation can be found here, and the full meeting transcript here, which includes remarks from Board of Education Presidents, Superintendents, Questar III BOCES leadership, and NYSED representatives.

The Boards of Education will work with Questar III BOCES to secure a consultant this fall to begin the Reorganization Feasibility Study. There will be many opportunities for community involvement, including public forums, committees, and other discussions.

We will maintain a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document that will be updated continuously with questions from meetings, emails, and phone calls. All information available is on the Questar III BOCES Feasibility Study webpage: www.questar.org/feasibility.

We are committed to working together to explore every possibility to ensure our students have the best opportunities for success. Thank you for your continued engagement, thoughtful questions, and dedication to the future of our children.

Sincerely,
The Board of Education
Wynantskill UFSD

Dear Wynantskill Community,

As you know, Wynantskill UFSD recently completed an Optimization Study that engaged hundreds of students, families, staff, and community members. The study affirmed the many strengths of our district while also identifying fiscal challenges and limited opportunities that come with our small size. One of the study’s key recommendations was to explore a potential partnership with Troy CSD through a formal Reorganization Feasibility Study.

To consider this important next step, the Wynantskill UFSD Board of Education will join the Troy City School District Board of Education for a Joint Board Meeting on:

Wednesday, August 13, 2025
7:00 p.m.
Troy Middle/High School Auditorium, 1950 Burdett Avenue, Troy, NY

At this meeting, Mr. David Elliott from the New York State Education Department will present information on the process and scope of the approximate six-month study, which would begin this fall and examine:

• Projected enrollments and staffing for both districts 
• Educational program offerings and curriculum alignment 
• Transportation and facility considerations 
• Fiscal impacts, including state aid, expenditures, and potential local tax implications

Following the presentation and discussion, both Boards of Education will vote on whether to formally enter into the joint feasibility study. This is not a vote on merging districts at this time, but a vote to study the possibilities, opportunities, and challenges in detail, with full transparency and community engagement.

We encourage all community members to attend, learn more about the process, and hear directly from both Boards of Education as we consider this important decision for our students and our future. Information gathered from the meeting will be posted and available as soon as possible afterward.

Please see the agenda for the August 13th meeting by clicking here: https://go.boarddocs.com/ny/wynantskillufsd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=DKAHGX487FEE

Thank you for your continued support of our school and our community. Your feedback is vital, and we will be planning additional opportunities in the coming months for stakeholders to share their thoughts, ask questions, and stay engaged in this process.

Sincerely,

Wynantskill Union Free School District Board of Education