The Waterford Board of Education has nine members. Four seats on the BOE will be elected on Nov. 7. The BOE operating budget is around 60 percent of the total town budget ($47,287,524) and the BOE employs 434 persons.

For comparison, the general government has 233 employees. It is responsible for the education of 2,502 students from pre-kindergarten to grade 12, according to the current BOE budget package.

One of the most important state budget mandates is a statute that requires a town to fund the BOE at no less than the same level of funding that was provided in the previous fiscal year. There are provisions for reduction if the student enrollment decreases significantly but, by in large, it is a hard and fast mandate.

Although the general government does not have a say in how the BOE manages the schools, there is very little left to the discretion of the local BOE or superintendent in managing the school district.

Teacher certification is the responsibility of the State Board of Education. The statutes outline what pesticides may be used on the grounds surrounding a school and how they should be applied.

Statutes set the standard for air quality in the school. There are also rules regarding the length of the school day, the number of days school is required to be taught, and what subjects are required to graduate from high school.

Beside the obvious requirements to approve curriculum changes and school administrative procedures, the BOE is also responsible for the condition of the physical plant of all the school buildings. There are Quaker Hill, Oswegatchie, and Great Neck elementary schools for grades K-5; Clark Lane Middle School for grades 6-8; and Waterford High School for grades 9-12.

This year, Great Neck School also hosts the new pre-kindergarten program due to the BOE’s withdrawal from the Friendship School starting this academic year.

To fulfill this requirement, the BOE has a large maintenance department that primarily supports the BOE but also provides services to the general government side when requested.

School buildings

A permanent School Building Committee has been established by ordinance to assist the BOE in planning, constructing and maintaining school buildings.

State statutes even control how the BOE and certified employees (teachers and administrators) conduct their negotiations and what is subject to negotiation, including salaries, hours and working conditions.

Statutes also direct what the arbitrator is able to consider during the timed arbitration process.

Arbitration rules

The whole arbitration process takes a maximum of 57 days. The Representative Town Meeting then has 25 days to reject the arbitration award by a two thirds vote.

If the contract is rejected, the Commissioner of Education selects an arbitration panel to review the reason for rejection and the response from the union and issue a final and binding award on each rejected issue. This entire process must be complete in time for a budget submission.

If you consider it important to select the persons that determine the level of education expenses in Waterford, you should vote on Nov. 7.

John W. “Bill” Sheehan is a former Democratic Town Committee chair in Waterford.