A Google Sheets document is acting as a road map for Poughkeepsie City School District administrators as September approaches.

The document includes several dozen rows, with anywhere from one to five tasks in each row. All of the tasks represent a different detail pertaining to the district’s Elementary Reconfiguration plan.

Since the Board of Education approved the plan in February, district leaders have met regularly to discuss the many logistical details and questions that must be answered in order to make the change a reality by fall. Major progress has already been made, though more rows on the document are marked “In Progress” than “Completed.”

“Each of our department leaders have responsibilities to carry out in preparation for the reconfiguration,” said Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education Greg Mott, who has spearheaded the effort and is poised to become interim superintendent July 1. Under the plan, all five district elementary buildings are being restructured so that all pre-K to grade 2 students will attend one of two schools – Morse (soon to be renamed Sojourner Truth) or Krieger – and all grades 3 to 5 students will attend one of three schools – Warring, Clinton or Smith. Bus service will also be provided to most elementary students, pending voter approval. Visit a dedicated reconfiguration website to get caught up on the rest of the plan.

No detail is going unconsidered, with concerns ranging from what building improvements are needed, to which buildings should have what physical education equipment, and how to transfer everyone’s phone lines. “For example, over at Krieger we have to make the serving line in the cafeteria lower so the pre-K to 2 students can walk through seamlessly and not hit their heads on counters,” Mott said. “These are the things we’ve been working on since February up to now.”

As the process continues, you can expect frequent updates in the form of articles in future Superintendent’s Briefs, posts on the district website and social media, and a series of video updates directly from the team leading the reconfiguration. The district’s Division of Instruction has also held informational events at different schools for families to learn more about what to expect and have the opportunity to ask questions in person. It’s important that you as the parents, students and families of our district feel engaged and informed of these changes in order to feel comfortable when coming back to school in the fall. Here’s what’s been happening lately and what has been settled:

• There have been numerous internal logistics meetings between administration directors and executive directors in which the list of necessary tasks was built and checked in on. The Reconfiguration Task Force, which is composed of administrators, parents and other school leaders, has also continued to meet weekly.
• Boundary maps for which students will attend which school were finalized, improving upon rough maps used as the plan was being considered. Tied to this, the district has pushed families who may have moved recently to update their address information with the district registration office. If you need to update your address, visit this link.
• A draft of teacher and support staff assignments for each building is complete and has been circulated to principals. Teachers can expect to be notified next week. The list was created in consideration of building/programming needs, as well as teacher preferences.
• Interviews have been conducted for the additional academic intervention services positions worked into the reconfiguration plan.
• The district has been working with BusRight to finalize how many buses would be needed to augment transportation services if it is approved by voters May 20, and to draft bus routes. The district plans to issue a request for proposals from bus companies interested in supplying the additional buses needed. BusRight will supply route information to any of the companies supplying the buses, which will enable families to use BusRight’s app for real-time updates on timing and any delays the bus may be experiencing.
• Discussion has continued on how teaching and technological materials will be transferred and who is responsible for moving each. This includes not just teachers changing buildings but also those changing classrooms.

Mott noted plans are also in the works for orientation events at the end of August, at which students and families can walk through their new buildings and speak with principals, as well as enjoy festival elements.

More details are, of course, still to come. After all, the dates on that Google Sheets document continue until the first week of September, when classes resume. Check out our social media channels Poughkeepsie City School District on Facebook and Poughkeepsiecityschooldistrict on Instagram next week for the first in a series of update videos and check back often for new details as they are solidified.

Live informational sessions

Two more live informational sessions regarding the Elementary Reconfiguration plan are scheduled for next week. All are welcome to come learn more about the plan and ask questions. Both begin at 4:30 p.m.

May 13 at Clinton Elementary

May 15 at Warring Elementary