Jun 20th, 2025Less Is More: An Approach To Board Policies
Board policy manuals can become labyrinthine, running to dozens or over a hundred individual policies. Policy services provide sample policies on a broad array of subjects. Does that mean a school district or BOCES has to have a policy on each available subject, or are there reasons to use a more restrained approach?
Jun 20th, 2025U.S. Supreme Court Round-Up: Student Free Speech and Section 504 Claims
A number of cases are before the U.S. Supreme Court this term that have the potential to impact public schools. Of note so far are two cases; one which the Court intentionally did not decide and one which it did. We anticipate the Court’s upcoming ruling regarding a parent’s right to opt their child out of certain curriculum.
Apr 25th, 2025“Standardized” Purchases – Legal Requirements and Avoiding Pitfalls
One procurement tool available to schools and BOCES is “standardized” purchasing. Vendors often encourage schools to “standardize” on particular products for various reasons. While standardization may be the right tool in certain situations, its use is limited to narrowly tailored situations. In most situations standardized purchasing does not allow schools to avoid competitive bidding requirements.
Apr 25th, 2025Thorough DASA Investigations Help Protect the District
The Commissioner of Education recently handed down a decision that highlights the importance of thorough investigations and carefully following a district’s own policies in handling DASA investigations.
Mar 26th, 20252025 Election Worker Training
Join the Ferrara Fiorenza team for our 2024 Election Workers Training Session: Election inspectors are responsible for efficiently and effectively managing the school district annual meeting and general election, including the counting of votes after polls close.
Mar 24th, 2025The Comptroller Targets Electronic Security Issues
The Comptroller recently audited school districts and BOCES to address electronic access issues related to facilities and information. Security risks arise when former employees or non-employees (such as vendors and contractors) retain access to school premises, databases, or educational platforms after their association with the school district ends.
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