KINDERHOOK – Cheryl Trefzger of the Ichabod Crane Football Committee told the school board this week that her committee has raised $19,000 toward the goal of $34,000 to fund the program for the 2012-2013 school year.
At the regular board meeting Tuesday evening, October 4 the board also looked at updating its policy on identifying students by their full names on the district website, discussed the newly organized Athletic Committee and heard from outside auditors.
Once again, the district was told its books – the financial ones — look good. “It was a very, very clean audit,” said Amy Cecelia from the audit firm of West and Company. She did mention some federal funds in the budget that the district will not receive for the next school year, but said the district has kept its reserves and fund balance at appropriate levels.
Ichabod Crane is currently conducting a merger study with the Schodack Central School District, and ICC Board President Andrew Kramarchyk said that effort is exploring ways the two districts can save money “up to and including a merger.”
The two boards have planned a joint meeting for Tuesday, October 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the Ichabod Crane Middle School Cafeteria. Mr. Kramarchyk encouraged community members to attend the meeting and hear the discussion. Facilitators working with the community committee on the merger study will be at the meeting to answer board members’ questions.
The board also read through different district policies at the meeting. One of the policies the committee plans to change is the “ICC World Wide Web Site Safeguards.” Board member Anthony Welcome, a member of the Policy Committee and a long-time administrator in the district who recently retired, said that when administrators started using the Internet and the district created a website, the board worried about not putting too much information on the web about students. So when students were identified on the website it was only with their first names and the first initial of their last names.
Mr. Welcome said when the policy committee members reviewed this rule they realized that students got recognition on the website for achievements. “Why not reward them by having their first and last names,” he told the board.
Parents who do not want their children’s full names used on the district website will be able to sign a form requesting that, according to the new policy. All board policies are online at the district website, www.ichabodcrane.org.
The Athletic Committee, which was originally very involved helping start the football pilot program three years ago, is now a board committee looking at all the sports in the district. The board is looking for a male athlete and a community member to serve on the committee, which already has several board members, administrators, the director of the Athletic Department and a female athlete. The Athletic Committee will meet Monday, October 24 at 7 p.m. in the Middle School Library.
The football program, which started as a privately funded pilot program, is still privately funded after being cut from the contingency budget adopted by the board for the current school year. The Football Committee raised enough money to fund this year’s program and is well on its way to the $34,000 for next year’s. The money is due to the board by April.
Ms. Trefzger said the $19,000 was raised through a Duck Derby fundraiser and charging admission to home games. This Friday ICC will play Hudson High School, and Mr. Trefzger said they expect to see 2,000 people turn out for the game. Congressman Chris Gibson is expected to be there and to speak at half-time.
The next regular board meeting is November 1 at 7 p.m. in the Middle School Library. There will be a board workshop meeting at 6pm on Tuesday October 18, also in the Middle School.