Seniors from Donald R. Kline Technical School pose for a group photo after the SkillsUSA National Signing Day ceremony.

On May 6, 22 Career and Technical Education students from Donald R. Kline Technical School participated in the SkillsUSA National Signing Day. These students signed letters of intent, showing their commitment to pursue skilled career paths after graduation. Each student has already secured post-graduation employment related to their studies, with some also planning to attend college in the fall. Of these students, three will be employed by the same company in which they participated in the Youth Apprenticeship Program last summer.

Hear from one of our students, Logan DeLease:

Congratulations to our seniors, we can’t wait to see where your skills take you!

Automotive Services

• Dominick DeVito, Hudson CSD, AutoZone
• Cory Landry, Ichabod Crane CSD, Yonder Farms

Automotive Technology

• Logan DeLease, Taconic Hills CSD, Columbia County Highway Department*
• Gavin Heusdens, Ichabod Crane CSD, Walmart Automotive
• Nico Scionti, Taconic Hills CSD, Columbia County Highway Department
• Tyler Secor, Ichabod Crane CSD, Allegiance Truck Center*
• Seth Sprague, Greenville CSD, Eagle Auto
• Hunter Welch, Greenville CSD, Simmons Auto

Aviation

• Randall Albertson, Ichabod Crane CSD, Richmor Aviation
• Ava Noel, Schodack CSD, Richmor Aviation

Building Trades

• Lewek Reynolds, Catskill CSD, Wennstrom Electric Security and Automation

Culinary Arts

• Tyler Boyles, Taconic Hills CSD, High Falls Pizzeria and Tap House
• Sebastian Dermott, Hudson CSD, Whale Belly Food Truck
• Nicholas LaBounty, Ichabod Crane CSD, Subway
• Emilie Macchi, Taconic Hills CSD, OK Social
• Faith Morrissey, Ichabod Crane CSD, Stewart’s Shops
• Madison Paul, Ichabod Crane CSD, Jackson’s Old Chatham House
• Rebecca Van Allen-Hamm, Ichabod Crane CSD, Harvest Smokehouse

HVAC

• Edward Bailey, Ichabod Crane CSD, Robert Bradway’s Plumbing and Heating*
• Kalib Becker, Ichabod Crane CSD, S.T. Hudson’s Son Plumbing and Heating

Welding

• Kennedy Boughton, Chatham CSD, Local 5 Boilermakers Union
• Trevor Flensted, Greenville CSD, BMW Fabrication LLS

*Denotes employment with the same business that they participated in the Youth Apprenticeship Program with last summer.

Use the Coffee Talk link at the top of our website. 

CPE/CTLE
CPE Attendance Form
PowerPoint 

Use the Knowledge Café link at the middle of our website. 

CPE/CTLE
CPE Attendance Form 

Additional information and a list of districts required to collect NAPD data in the 2025-26 School Year (to be reported in the SAMS 2026-27 Claim Year) is available.  

List of School Districts
NAPD Data Collection Instructions
NAPD Worksheet  

SED has updated their Gold Star Report, and it can be viewed here. The report is as of April 1 and the next update will be published in June. Any changes to an approval may require reverification, so review the Gold Star reports frequently.  Additionally, the records reflect what is currently in the STAC online system. Be sure to communicate with the special education department to ensure all eligible students are in the system and verified to comply with the Statute of Limitations.   

It is no surprise that our nursing shortage continues to grow nationwide. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has shared that the country will need more than 189,000 new registered nurses each year through 2034 to replace workers who leave healthcare or retire.  Programs such as ours help address this need by giving high school students a head start in a nursing career or a jump start on their continued education.

Dezeray Brandow (left) checks the vitals of her classmate at Donald R. Kline Technical School.

One of those students is Dezeray Brandow, a senior at Donald R. Kline Technical School from Catskill Central School District. Dezeray, who has been working in a nursing facility since last spring as a dietary aid, shared how she joined the program.

“I always knew I wanted to get into healthcare, I just didn’t know what kind,” said Dezeray. “My counselor recommended I come to Questar III’s open house to see what I liked. I was between EMT and this program, but when I stepped into the nursing assistant classroom, I just felt a click.”

As to why it clicked, Dezeray believes it’s a combination of her nurturing personality and a personal experience. During her grandfather’s illness, she witnessed her aunt, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), care for him, and it helped shape her path.

Through this one year program, students learn essential patient care skills, including taking vital signs, assisting with daily living activities, infection control, and basic nursing procedures. Students also participate in clinicals at local nursing homes, gaining first-hand, real-world experience. Dezeray and her classmates visit two locations, The Pines at Catskill Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation and the FASNY Firefighter’s Home in Hudson.

“We get to do everything we learn in class,” Dezeray stated. “We feed residents, care for them, position them in bed, get them ready for the day, take them to activities. I’m learning how to care for people, how to remember simple things, like their favorite shirt, or wearing their hair a certain way.”

Dezeray went on to share that she enjoys her time at clinicals and how it’s a real learning opportunity. Staff at both facilities are appreciative of their help and are also willing to teach students along the way. She also shared that she is grateful to have her teacher, Ms. Beth Hulbert, and clinical instructor, Ms. Susann Kropp.

“Ms. Hulbert is a great teacher,” Dezeray said. “She explains things well, and she gives us the reality. Not many people will hold our hand in the real world, especially in nursing school, so I feel like this step prepares me for what’s next. It’s not like in your home district where they’ve known you all these years. This is the real world.”

“I’ve only known my teachers for a year, and I feel really close to both of them,” Dezeray shared. “I love their work ethic, and they’re really good examples of who I want to become as a nurse.”

With graduation around the corner, Nursing Assistant students at both our Hudson and Troy locations are preparing for the upcoming NYS Certified Nursing Assistant licensing exam. Those who earn their license will have the ability to enter the workforce immediately as a CNA. As for Dezeray, she plans to continue her education next fall.

“I am going to college at SUNY Delhi to pursue nursing and my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing),” Dezeray said. “I’m hoping I can work as a CNA while I’m in college because I want the experience.”

Experience is something Dezeray already has plenty of. Alongside her time in our program, she has spent the past year working part-time at a local nursing home as a dietary aide. Looking ahead, Dezeray plans to shift her focus from caring for the elderly to welcoming new life into the world as a labor and delivery nurse.

“I’m a very hands-on learner,” Dezeray said. “I’m glad that I chose to come here because I think this is going to prepare me to become a better nurse.”

Every spring, school districts across New York State embark on a vital financial and civic exercise – crafting a budget subject to voter approval that tries to balance the needs of students with the economic realities of taxpayers.

To meet the legal requirements for this year’s statewide budget vote and school board election on May 19, boards of education were required to adopt proposed budgets and propositions by late April. This ensured that school districts could submit property tax report cards to the state by the April 27th deadline, officials could prepare and distribute military and absentee ballots, and residents had time to review the details before voting.

This year’s process also carries the challenge of local school boards having to lock in numbers and adopt proposed budgets prior to the finalization of the state budget.
When the state’s fiscal plan is still under development, districts must rely on initial projections provided earlier in the year. These figures, released as part of the Governor’s Executive Budget proposal in January, serve as the baseline for local financial planning.

For some districts, there may be a considerable difference in the amount of school aid proposed by the Governor and the one-house budget proposals from the State Assembly and State Senate. However, to ensure stability, many districts adopted a conservative approach, making careful assumptions about their revenues for next school year.

According to the New York State Educational Conference Board – a coalition of seven statewide organizations representing parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, building administrators, business officials, superintendents, and board members – school districts have not faced a budget that was this late and uncertain since 2010, a few years before the implementation of state’s property tax cap.

The delay in the final state budget is impacted by the complexity of the non-school issues being discussed – auto insurance, immigration and delaying climate mandates. However, state leaders must also decide on significant questions regarding Foundation Aid, the state’s primary mechanism for funding public schools. This includes the “Hold Harmless’ provision, which has historically ensured that districts do not see a year-over-year decrease in aid. As enrollment patterns shift across the state, policymakers need to decide on how to modernize these formulas to ensure resources are distributed fairly.

Tax levy caps, which limit the amount that school districts can raise through local property taxes, constrain their ability to generate local revenue. Some school districts are now feeling the compounding effect of cautiousness, when they did not maximize their tax levy in previous years. This has led to revenue gaps while the cost of everything, from fuel and food to health insurance, is increasing for school districts and residents alike.

Beyond the columns of numbers and percentages, a school budget proposal, at its heart, should be a blueprint for student opportunity. It is the engine that powers everything from the bus ride to and from school to the afterschool opportunities that follow the regular school day. This year’s proposed funding is also critical as districts work to expand pre-K access, provide mental health support, and begin to implement changes called for by NY Inspires.

Ultimately, it’s up to you, the voters, to decide. Unlike state or municipal budgets, which are decided by elected representatives, school district budgets are one of the few places where New Yorkers can vote directly on how their money is spent. Between now and May 19, I encourage you to visit your school district’s website, review any budget materials mailed to your home, and learn more about the candidates running for the board of education. Don’t forget to exercise your right to vote for your school district budget and board of education candidates who will make policy and budget decisions for your district.