Local busing update - Great News - Support Assembly Bill 1276 and Senate Bill 4414

• We have been trying to get get local busing for our Community Schools for close to ten years. The State's reimbursement regulations only pays for rides of 1.5 mile or longer. This has damaged our neighborhood schools and our neighborhoods. This year we finally have Assembly Bill 1276 and Senate Bill 4414 working their way through the NYS Legislature. The bills would reduce the the 1.5 mile requirement to 0.5 miles.

• If you do a Google search for "NYS Senate Bill 4414" it will take you to the NY State Senate page for that Bill. The same applies to a search for "NYS Assembly Bill 1276". After reading what the Bills do (provide for 0.5 mile busing in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, and Yonkers) please support the bill by checking "AYE" in the "DO YOU SUPPORT THIS BILL?" box on the right side of the page.

• Children’s Zone: Child Safety Zone being explored as it relates to local busing. Reading the minutes of our special January 14th meeting with Mayor Warren (SWCC Education Committee Minutes 2021-01-14 Mayor Warren) will explain what the approach was that Mayor Warren thought of using. The meeting was recorded in video https://youtu.be/m48RtQHQIao.

  • The April 28th meeting reviews what the Child Safety Zone map completed by Erik Frisch in Mayor Warren's staff shows. See the "Child Safety Zones Map for slide.jpg". The minutes for the April meeting are at SWCC Education Committee Minutes 2021-04-28 Child Safety Zone Map. The YouTube video of this meeting can be found at: https://youtu.be/m48RtQHQIao.

  • In the suburbs, children in Child Safety Zones would qualify for busing even from a few blocks from the school; that is not an option in the City because the City can't raise school taxes to pay for it. The issue of equity would be used to force local busing.

  • We should determine if the child safety zone is a way to accommodate children who really need less than a half a mile busing.
    

Rochester Coalition for Public Education News (RCPE)

• RCPE is having meeting with Shaun Nelms, Principal at East High, on 2/25 at 4pm on Zoom to discuss educational models and can the East model be replicated in other High Schools. Mary Coffey. asked for Zoom link to Friday 2/25

• Meeting with Joe Morelle 3/25

• Held a meeting with Bronson a few weeks ago and learned about the short-distance busing bills being proposed at state level

• RCPE been highlighting videos, meetings, books, etc. that addresses racism in Rochester. Group itself is mostly white educational professionals.

Walk in items

• CFC is now CCFCS - Catholic Charities Family and Community Services

• YouthBuild is recruiting for a new class to start 4/11; contact Reg Walton, Recruiter, for orientation schedule at 585-766-7344

Scribe Services: Eleanor Coleman, CFC YouthBuild & Rotary, 224 -5119, eleanor.coleman@gmail.com

SWCC Education Committee Chair: John Boutet, 328-4271, jboutet@frontiernet.net