The Fayetteville-Manlius Board of Education is the official policy-making body of the school district. It is responsible for carrying out the laws and regulations pertaining to the education of the community’s children. It adopts school district policy, curriculum and programs of study, approves the hiring of all personnel and establishes the conditions of employment.
In addition, the board has the responsibility of maintaining facilities, establishing an annual budget and setting a tax levy. The school board adopts a proposed operating budget each year at a public meeting. Eligible residents then have the opportunity to vote upon the proposal.
The board is comprised of nine school district residents who are elected by voters to three-year terms in an annual election. Terms are staggered so that three members are elected each year. Board members are not compensated for their work.
In addition to the elected members, the board includes a non-voting student member selected each year by the administration to serve a one-year term. The student, who must be a senior at F-M High School, attends all public meetings and is allowed to participate in all public discussions.
2020-21 Board Goals
The board will strive to better educate itself about diversity, equity, inclusion, and the impact of discrimination in the Fayetteville-Manlius School District, and engage in a board retreat and other discussions to evaluate how the board may support the district administration in further embracing acceptance and action against prejudice and discrimination of all forms.
In November 2020 and February 2021, the board held retreats focused on diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) that were facilitated by Ithaca City School District Superintendent Luvelle Brown. Dr. Brown is a member of the AASA, The School Superintendents Association, commission on student-centered, equity-focused education. Board members read “How to be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi, and their first retreat centered around what it means to be an antiracist and how each member’s personal experiences shape their perspectives. The second retreat dove into how the board could lead an antiracist culture through such efforts as reviewing and, if necessary, rewriting district policies.
The board’s policy committee is in the process of developing a DEI policy statement that will serve as the foundation of the district’s work in this area. The New York State Board of Regents has established a framework for districts to use in creating DEI policy statements. The framework includes such topics as governance, teaching and learning, family and community engagement and workforce diversity. F-M’s policy committee is reviewing the framework to incorporate relevant elements into the district’s policy, which will go before the full board for adoption once complete.
Throughout the school year, a number of students and their families from the district’s Black, Brown, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities reached out to the board of education so that they could share their ideas about how the district could better support them. Board members and administrators listened to their concerns and are looking for more opportunities to connect with families and students in meaningful ways that promote open, honest conversations.
The board will examine ways the district can promote a healthy climate when addressing student discipline and how restorative justice practices can be incorporated into policy and our code of conduct.
In May, June and July 2021, district administrators participated in race, diversity and educational equity training led by two OCM BOCES staff members who have significant experience and training from New York University’s Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools. The trainers have also worked with schools on the implementation of New York state’s Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework. District officials are also networking with other local area school districts in order to partner and learn from each other.