Wallkill Central School District Superintendent of Schools Kevin Castle and the Board of Education announced their goals for the 2020-2021 school year at their meeting on Oct. 21.

Castle developed his goals prior to this school year. His main goal for the school year was to develop a reopening plan for the 2020-2021 school year in collaboration with district stakeholders that was aligned to state guidelines. He also wanted to collaborate with district stakeholders to ensure the 2020 reopening plan was effectively implemented. Castle hopes to revise the English/Language Arts Curriculum Maps in grades 7-12 to ensure that students are provided diverse learning experiences. He plans to collaborate with Assistant Superintendent for Support Services Brian Devincenzi to develop a budget for the 2021-2022 school year and plan for a potential reduction in State Aid.

“We have to continue to monitor our budget for this school year because we may have a reduction in aid for this year,” Castle said. “But at the same time what impact will that have for next school year if we develop our budget?”

He added that 17 teachers are set to retire at the end of this school year, which would save a significant amount of money in the budget.

“That’s something that may come in handy if in fact we have a reduction in State Aid,” Castle said.

Another goal of Castle’s was to provide teachers and special education teachers Orton Gillingham training. The Orton-Gillingham Approach is a way to teach literacy when reading, writing and spelling does not come easily to individuals, such as those with dyslexia.

Castle’s last goal was to present to the Board of Education the Special Education Academic Plan for the 2021-2022 school year that was developed by the Special Education Committee, which was presented at the meeting.

One option proposed during the presentation was adding integrated co-teaching programs in grades K-6 at Ostrander and Leptondale Elementary Schools. Integrated co-teaching is a classroom in which a general education and a special education teacher jointly provide instruction to a class that has students with and without disabilities. The plan calls for one additional elementary school teacher and three additional teaching assistants, which would ultimately create eight new programs. Hiring these would cost the District 255,000.

The second option would allow for every special education program at each of the District’s elementary schools. To make this possible, more teachers would need to be hired. The District would need 36 teachers, a vast increase over its current total of 19 elementary school teachers. These hires would cost the District $2.13 million.

The Special Education Committee also presented a third option, a continuum at each of the elementary schools. There would be a Life Skills continuum at Plattekill Elementary School, a Special Class continuum at Ostrander and the integrated co-teaching program at Leptondale.