BUDGET MATTERS, spring 2024 edition. EL PRESUPUESTO IMPORTA 2024 (Spanish). ZAFÈ BIDGÈ 2024 (Haitian Creole).
Access information regarding the upcoming Budget Vote and BOE Trustee Election.
Use the BUDGET QUICK LINK on our website to find out more information.
Remember to exercise your right to VOTE on TUESDAY, MAY 21st.
Each year, the District calendar contains provisions for up to three emergency closings during the school year.
This year the District used only two emergency closings due to snow on January 16th and February 13th, and as a result, schools will be closed on May 28th .
We wanted to keep you informed in advance so that any necessary arrangements can be made in your family’s schedules.
District families and staff were notified of this announcement with a letter sent from the Superintendent on April 16, 2024.
Board of Education Statement
January 24, 2024
In October 2020, a lawsuit was filed by a former Nyack High School student against the Nyack School District alleging that 23 or more years ago a volunteer assistant baseball coach, Peter Recla, sexually abused the Plaintiff between 1996 and 2000. Mr. Recla has not served as a coach in the District since the spring 2007.
In May 2022, the matter was amicably resolved by the parties. Since the District’s insurance policy did not require the District’s consent to resolve the lawsuit, there was no authorization or approval sought from the Nyack Board/District. As such, the decision to resolve the lawsuit was made solely by the District’s insurance carrier.
In January/February 2023, two former students from in or about the late 1990s sent emails to certain Board Members in which they sought the removal of various recognitions in the memory of Dave Siegriest the then (now deceased) physical education teacher/head baseball coach as a result of the alleged wrongdoing by Mr. Recla. In response, we asked the attorney for the Board/District to conduct an investigation into whether or not the head coach knew or should have known of the alleged sexual abuse.
Due to the nature of the allegations against Mr. Recla, an initial step taken by the Board was referring the matter to the Clarkstown Police in April 2023 since the district does not conduct criminal child abuse investigations. The Board paused our investigation at that time so as to not interfere with the police. In June 2023, the Clarkstown Police informed the District’s attorney that the investigation was on hold and the matter was considered closed until any survivors came forward. To date, there have been no criminal charges filed or prosecuted as a result. We continue to encourage anyone who believes they are a survivor to contact Detective Chazan at the Clarkstown Police Department.
The attorney for the Board/District subsequently resumed his investigation. The Board’s attorney interviewed twenty-seven individuals. These interviews were conducted with former students, parents, community members, former teachers, administrators and coaches. In addition, the attorney for the Board/District had several brief telephone conversations with other former students and administrators, reviewed relevant records and also received over 100 communications sent to the Board from individuals providing their input on these matters. The information gathered through this investigation was shared with the Board over many months in executive session for the Board’s evaluation. This investigation is now complete.
We have been informed by the attorney for the Board/District that, based on the totality of the investigation, he cannot conclude with a reasonable degree of certainty that Mr. Siegriest knew or should have known of the alleged abuse. However, we, as a Board, seek the highest standards of excellence. The Board believes that anyone the District memorializes must be beyond reproach. Based on all of the information we have taken into consideration, concerns have arisen for this Board as to whether Mr. Siegriest met these standards.
Therefore, the Board voted on a resolution on January 23, 2024 that removed the name of Mr. Siegriest and all references to him from certain District facilities as well as cease the operation of certain District endeavors/events referring to Mr. Siegriest.
We would like our community to know that the Board appreciates, and takes very seriously, the many communications we received on both sides of this issue. Every Board Member thoroughly read every communication, knowing that it impacts many people deeply. We hope our community can heal and move forward together.
The health, safety and social/emotional wellbeing of our students is, and always will be, our first priority. We believe the adults in our buildings are responsible for the safety of all children in the District when in our care and expect all of our staff to ensure that students are free from any form of abuse or maltreatment. We, as a Board, will continue to review our policies and practices.
We understand that the painful effects of trauma can be lasting and be exacerbated by the silence and shame that so often surrounds incidents of child sexual abuse. We hope for the healing of anyone directly or indirectly impacted by any incidents of this nature.
Nyack Schools expresses its concern for any survivors of child sexual abuse and offers the following resources for anyone who may need them at Center for Safety & Change or 845.634.3344 for their 24 hour hotline.
January 8, 2024
Dear Parents/Guardians/Staff:
Safe and healthy school environments can foster healthy and successful children. To protect public health, the Public Health Law and New York State Health Department (NYSDOH) regulations require that all public schools and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES) test lead levels in water from every outlet that is being used or could potentially be used, for drinking or cooking.
Every three years, the District is required to test the lead levels in our water. Recently, NYS lowered the acceptable levels from 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 5 ppb. If lead is found at any water outlet at levels above 5 parts per billion (ppb), equal to 5 micrograms per liter (µg/L), the NYSDOH requires that the school take action to reduce the exposure to lead. The District must remove these outlets from service, and/or label them as “Do Not Use”, to indicate that the outlet is not to be used for drinking. After these outlets are remediated, they are re-tested by Rockland Count BOCES Health & Safety Department to ensure the levels comply.
NYS requires completion of initial testing from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2025. The District worked with Rockland County BOCES Health & Safety Department to conduct these tests. We have completed the testing of 101 outlets, 9 outlets tested above 5ppb were found.
Results:
The water outlets that exceeded the 5ppb standard are identified as 9 outlets listed below.
Immediate Actions:
Based on the most recent finding and recommendation by Rockland County BOCES Health & Safety Department all 9 outlets were taken offline to allow for further evaluation and remediation by installing filters. As of today, filters have been installed in 4 of the 9 specifically, Valley Cottage, Nyack High School, Liberty Elementary (island sink), and Administration Building. Tomorrow, January 9, 2024, the remaining filters will be installed in the Middle School, Old High School BOCES Riverview, Liberty Elementary (triple sink), and BOCES Mountainside. Despite the filter installation, the 9 outlets will remain unused until Rockland County BOCES Health & Safety Department retests the 9 outlets.
After these installations, the District will continue to work with Rockland County BOCES Health & Safety Department and the Rockland County Department of Health to ensure that our testing and remediation processes comply with the current guidance. Rockland County Department of Health has been informed of these results and remediation, and they will be reported to the New York State Department of Health as well.
In the meantime, we will continue to be proactive relative to the health and safety of our school community and we will continue to comply with all applicable regulatory requirements.
For comprehensive information relating to lead-in-water testing, please refer to the following informative resources.
3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools
New York State Department of Health Testing in School Drinking Water Program Guidance Manual
Respectfully,
Grace Chan, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations
Dear Parent/Guardian:
We are pleased to announce that all students enrolled at Nyack Public Schools will be able to receive a FREE breakfast and lunch meal at school beginning on December 1, 2023.
This implementation is a result of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) expanding access to the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). CEP allows eligible schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to offer school meals at no charge to all students.
What does this mean for your child(ren) attending the school(s) identified above? Effective December 1, 2023, all students enrolled at Nyack Public Schools will receive meals at no cost to your household. No further action is required of you.
If you have any further questions, please contact us at (845) 353-7036.
Sincerely,
Susan Yom, Superintendent of Schools
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad- 3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
email: Program.Intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
https://www.smore.com/y4gpq-
The link above contains an invitation to a World Cafe on Tuesday, November 28th from 6:30pm-7:30pm for Elementary Parents/Caregivers; and from 8:00pm-9:00pm for Secondary Parents/Caregivers.
Additional details on the Strategic Planning Process for community input are included in the letter from Ms. Yom. Phase one is the Discovery Phase. Ideas and input from parents, caregivers, staff and students are welcomed and we hope to see you will join us on November 28th!
Kindly RSVP to the World Cafe with this link: https://forms.gle/vocfBAD1XpyFXWt29.
Board of Education of the Nyack Union Free School District Statement
The Nyack Union Free School District Board of Education takes claims of child sexual abuse very seriously and is committed to ensuring none of our kids ever experience this harm.
In October 2020, a lawsuit was filed by a former Nyack High School student against the Nyack School District alleging that 23 or more years ago a volunteer assistant baseball coach, Peter Recla, sexually abused the Plaintiff between 1996 and 2000. Mr. Recla has not served as a coach in the District since the spring 2007.
In May 2022, the matter was amicably resolved by the parties. Since the District’s insurance policy did not require the District’s consent to resolve the lawsuit, there was no authorization or approval sought from the Nyack Board/District. As such, the decision to resolve the lawsuit was made by the District’s insurance carrier. We have been informed that the District’s insurance carrier resolved this lawsuit to avoid further litigation costs and they did not have any concern about fault on the part of the Board/District. There were no findings or admissions of wrongdoing made in connection with the lawsuit.
In January/February 2023, two former students from in or about the late 1990s sent emails to certain Board Members in which they sought the removal of various recognitions in the memory of the then (now deceased) physical education teacher/head baseball coach as a result of the alleged wrongdoing by Mr. Recla. They also made additional allegations against Mr. Recla. In response, we asked the attorney for the Board/District to conduct an investigation into whether or not the head coach knew or should have known of the alleged sexual abuse. Our attorney along with a District representative then met separately with these two former students in March 2023.
Due to the nature of the allegations against Mr. Recla we referred the matter to the Clarkstown Police since the district does not conduct criminal child abuse investigations. In June 2023, the Clarkstown Police informed the District’s attorney that the investigation was on hold and the matter was considered closed until any survivors come forward.
The attorney for the Board/District resumed his investigation into whether or not the head coach knew or should have known of the alleged sexual abuse. The investigation has included meeting with various constituents present between 1996-early 2000’s - such as parents, former players, former Nyack Public School Staff, community members - to gather as much information as possible. As of today, the investigation is still ongoing.
This is a process that takes time and we understand that this can be deeply frustrating. As Board members, we need to be thorough in our approach, so that we can make our decisions with careful consideration and integrity.
At this time, Nyack schools has taken or plans to take the following actions:
Other actions may be taken and will inform the public if or when those have been solidified.
In general, we understand that the painful effects of trauma can be lasting and be exacerbated by the silence and shame that so often surrounds incidents of child sexual abuse. We hope for the healing of anyone directly or indirectly impacted by any incidents of this nature. Nyack Schools expresses its concern for any survivors of child abuse and offers the following resources for anyone who may need them at Center for Safety & Change or 845.634.3344 for their 24 hour hotline.
Any questions, concerns or additional information can be directed by email to BOEmembers@nyackschools.org or our individual contact information on our website or the school calendar.
The safety and wellbeing of our students is of the utmost importance to the Nyack Board and District.
Board of Education of the Nyack Union Free School District
Statement
November 9, 2023
The Nyack Board and District take claims of sexual abuse very seriously and are committed to having a safe, healthy and positive educational environment.
In October 2020, a Summons and Complaint on behalf of the Plaintiff, a certain student alumnus, was received by the District in a lawsuit against Nyack Board of Education, Nyack School District and Nyack High School (collectively referred to as “District Defendants”). In it, the Plaintiff alleges that, approximately 23 or more years ago, a then/former volunteer assistant baseball coach sexually abused the Plaintiff between 1996 and 2000. The Summons and Complaint was subsequently sent to the District’s insurance carrier and the District Defendants were defended in the lawsuit by such insurance carrier’s designated defense counsel. As part of such lawsuit, in April 2021, a Third-Party Summons and Complaint on behalf of the District Defendants was commenced against the then/former volunteer assistant baseball coach. In May 2022, the matter was amicably resolved by the parties. The decision to do so on behalf of the District Defendants was made by the District’s insurance carrier and the insurance defense counsel since the District’s General Liability Policy does not have a consent to settle provision. There was no authorization or approval sought from the Nyack Board/District.
The safety and wellbeing of our students is of the utmost importance to the Nyack Board and District.
Nyack High School - Grades 9-12: 7:30 AM
Nyack Middle School - Grades 6-8: 8:05 AM
Elementary Schools - Grades K-5: 8:50 AM
Entry Plan Findings - August 2023 Presentation to the BOE
Visit the Office of the Superintendent page for additional information.
The Nyack Public Schools will be reinstating Anonymous Alerts, a communications tool that makes it easier to anonymously report suspicious, threatening or other concerning behaviors. A tab entitled Anonymous Alerts has been added in the navigation bar at the top of our website to easily access this tool.
Anonymous Alerts allows students or parents to quickly, easily, and anonymously report urgent information to school officials across all of our school campuses. The system encourages students, parents and staff to confidentially report bullying, cyber-bullying, and other sensitive topics through private messages to our administration.
How do I place an incident report from Internet connected computers/tablets?
How do I place a report from an iPhone or Android phone?
Please read the attached letters, which were emailed to parent/guardians on 12-14-21, for additional important information.
WATCH THIS VIDEO: Thank You BOE !
WATCH THIS VIDEO: STREAM Dream Team
March 2023: Welcome Superintendent Yom!
Being Strategic for All Students' Success
Athletic Name Change
For the 2023-24 school year - We have renewed vision for equity, innovation and optimism. We are building on strength with renewed energy. We are reaffirming our "why" we do what we do in Nyack Public Schools. Equity means ensuring that every child receives what they need to succeed every day, in every way by eliminating barriers that prevent equal access or full participation. The Board of Education and administration stand committed to achieving the District’s racial equity goal of creating a District-wide and building-based climate and culture that demands and supports systemic equity and improved student achievement for every student, while narrowing the predictable gap in measurable outcomes. (Policy 0105)
We are Uniquely-Nyack, defined by a proud history that guides a moral imperative towards providing the best multi-cultural, anti-racist, equity-driven education for our children that we can.
We are Nyack-Strong; a microcosm of the United States, reflected in our diverse demographics and the many cultures celebrated within the Nyacks and Valley Cottage.
We are RedHawks Rising. Let us uplift each other as we raise up our children in this beloved community we call Nyack Public Schools.
Throughout the year, please be sure to stay connected with us. Mark your calendars to be reminded of important information and events that will keep you and your family engaged in your child’s education. Check our district website on a regular basis for updates and announcements from your schools and principals. And be sure to follow us on social media to capture a glimpse of our daily narrative, educational stories and photos that will make you smile.
Our teachers, staff, administrators and BOE trustees are here for you.
