Community Update: 1/17/25

Dear RCSD Community,

It looks as if we are going to get some of the white fluffy stuff over the weekend Sunday night into Monday morning. Fortunately, we are off on Monday (see below), so you will not be hearing from me bright and early!

MLK, Jr., Day

This coming Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, and schools and offices are closed in observance. This year, MLK Jr. Day is also Inauguration Day. It is not often that these two events coincide, and it has only happened one other time in history (1997 when former President Bill Clinton was sworn in for his second term) as Martin Luther King, Jr., Day is a relatively young holiday. The next time Martin Luther King, Jr., Day falls on January 20 during an inauguration year which will be the 2053 Inauguration Day.

The Governor’s State of the State

In Tuesday’s State of the State address, Governor Hochul mentioned very little about funding for public schools, but she did speak about upcoming announcements with regard to a few items: a potential ban on cell phones in schools, information literacy, agriculture education, and school meal funding. The Governor is expected to unveil her budget proposal next week. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the proceedings and will keep the community informed as the Governor’s proposed budget will certainly impact the development of our 2025-2026 budget.

Superintendent Survey

The District’s Superintendent Search Consultants, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, have been busy meeting with administrators, staff, parents, students, and community members to develop what they call a “leadership profile” - basically it’s the community’s wish list of qualities for the next Superintendent. You can contribute by completing the survey linked here. It closes next Wednesday at 5 p.m., so don’t wait too long!

Have a great weekend, and stay warm!

Sincerely,
Eric Byrne, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools