Members

• Chair: N/A
• Trustee(s): Entire Board
• Ex-Officio: Donna Marable

Members

• Chair: Chris McDonough 
• Trustee: Warren Mitchell 
• Ex-Officio: Donna Marable

I. Purpose & Mission 

The Budget Committee is established by the Board of Education to provide focused oversight, analysis, and recommendations related to the financial planning, budgeting, and fiscal management of the Mount Vernon City School District. The Committee’s purpose is to support the Board in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities by promoting transparency, accountability, and alignment of financial resources with the district’s educational priorities and long-term strategic goals. The Committee shall also monitor external fiscal factors, including tax abatement programs and economic development initiatives, that materially affect the District’s financial stability. 

II. Authority 

The Budget Committee operates under the authority of the Mount Vernon City School District Board of Education. The Committee serves in an advisory capacity—it reviews, evaluates, and makes recommendations to the full Board but does not have independent decision-making authority. 

The Committee is empowered to: 
• Review budget development processes, assumptions, and forecasts. 
• Request relevant financial data and reports from the Superintendent or Chief Financial Officer. 
• Collaborate with the District’s administrative staff and NYS Monitor in the performance of its duties. 
• Recommend fiscal policies, practices, or corrective actions to the Board. 

III. Composition 

• The Committee shall consist of at least two (2) but no more than four (4) Board members, appointed annually by the Board President. 
• The Board President shall designate a Chairperson. 
• The Superintendent of Schools, the Assistant Superintendent for Business, and other relevant administrators shall serve as staff liaisons. 
• The NYS Monitor may attend and participate in Committee meetings. 
• The District’s representative to the Mount Vernon Industrial Development Agency (MV IDA) shall serve as a liaison to the Committee, providing updates on IDA actions that may impact District revenues. 

IV. Responsibilities 

The Budget Committee shall: 

1. Guide Budget Development 

• Review the annual budget calendar, process, and assumptions. 
• Monitor enrollment trends, state aid projections, and expenditure patterns. 
• Ensure alignment of budget priorities with the District’s Strategic Plan and academic goals. 

2. Promote Fiscal Accountability 

• Review monthly financial statements, budget-to-actual reports, and fund balance updates. 
• Monitor compliance with Board policy, state law, and NYS Comptroller guidance. 
• Track implementation of NYS Monitor recommendations and any corrective action plans. 

3. Enhance Transparency and Communication 

• Facilitate public understanding of the budget through clear, accessible reporting. 
• Recommend community engagement activities such as workshops or budget summaries. 
• Promote two-way communication between the community, administration, and Board regarding fiscal priorities. 

4. Support Long-Term Financial Planning 

• Review multi-year financial projections and capital planning documents. 
• Identify potential risks and mitigation strategies related to fiscal stability. 
• Recommend measures to strengthen reserves, efficiencies, and sustainability. 

5. Monitor External Fiscal Impacts 

• Review and monitor the fiscal effects of actions by external entities—including the Mount Vernon Industrial Development Agency (MV IDA)—on the District’s revenue base. 
• Evaluate the cumulative impact of Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) agreements and other tax abatement programs on school tax revenues and long-term financial sustainability. 
• Collaborate with the District’s administration, the NYS Monitor, and the Board’s representative to the MV IDA to ensure the Board of Education is regularly informed of pending or approved PILOT projects that may affect the District’s finances. 
• Recommend, as appropriate, policies, board resolutions, or advocacy positions to protect the District’s fiscal interests while supporting responsible economic development. 

V. Meetings 

• The Committee shall meet at least quarterly, with additional meetings scheduled as needed during the budget development season. 
 

VI. Reporting 

• The Committee shall report regularly to the Board of Education, providing updates on budget development, financial trends, and recommendations. 
• The Chairperson shall present a written or verbal summary at Board meetings following each Committee session. 

VII. Annual Review 

This Charter shall be reviewed annually by the Committee and the Board of Education to ensure it remains aligned with NYSSBA guidance, state oversight requirements, and the district’s evolving fiscal context. 

Members

• Chair: Sakai Brown
• Trustee: Randy Scott
• Ex-Officio: Donna Marable

The Board of Education of the Mount Vernon City School District has established a Facilities, Health and Safety Committee to assist the Board of Education in ensuring that our schools provide a safe and secure environment for all students and staff in accordance with New York State Education Deportment Laws and Regulations.

Mission

The Board of Education of the Mount Vernon City School District has established a Facilities, Health and Safety Committee (FHS) to advise and report to the board matters pertaining to the District Wide School Safety Plan and subsequent Plans as it pertains to our school buildings. In this capacity, the committee shall monitor conditions of and complete inspections, walk-throughs, safety ratings of all occupied school buildings, report complaints about health and safety, monitor and report on safety during construction projects and conduct a post construction inspection, when applicable.

Committee Membership

The committee is composed of members of the district and community. The committee shall strive to be comprised of a minimum of 9 members, including district officials, staff representatives from each bargaining unit, and parents. No more than 3 administrators shall serve on the committee, and the committee shall strive to be comprised of membership that is representative of our diverse district stakeholders. The board committee will comply with the Open Meetings law. The committee members collectively should:

• Possess the requisite knowledge and experience necessary to advise the Board about health and safety initiatives, facilities assessments and procedures.
• Be committed to serving the unique needs of all students.
•  Have the ability to work as a group.

The Board of Education will discuss among themselves which(# ) number of board members should serve on this committee with the board president making the final appointments. lf a board member drops out of the committee, the board president shall ask another board member to volunteer to fill the position. lf no one volunteers, or if more than one (1) member volunteers, the board president will determine the appointment.

The superintendent of the district, or the superintendent's designee {administrator), will chair the Health and Safety Committee. If more than the suggested number of administrators desire to serve on this committee, the superintendent shall designate which administrators will join the committee.

All members except the superintendent will serve a one {1) year term, with a maximum of 3 consecutive years for any board member to serve, unless otherwise affirmatively approved by the Board of Education.

The committee secretary will be responsible for keeping minutes at each meeting. This individual will be appointed by the board president.

Staff members, teachers, community members, and parents wishing to serve on the Facilities/Health and Safety/Buildings and Grounds committee may contact the board president for consideration, with priority offered to those with a specific/ institutional background. Participation will be limited to (# ) staff,(#_) teachers, (#_) community members, and(# ) parents.

Authority

The Facilities, Health and Safety Committee will have the authority to conduct pre-scheduled walk-throughs of buildings and grounds, review existing district data, policies, practices, when applicable to ifs charge, and advise the Board on their recommendations. The committee may also provide guidance on and recommendations for new health and safety initiatives or local laws pertinent to the school buildings that do not currently exist in the district. District technology resources may be utilized, if necessary, for research purposes. With administrative, committee, and Board approval, committee members may visit school buildings for observational purposes only. Committee members are not authorized to conduct audits and/or evaluations, alter the educational program and/or facilities management plan, or otherwise hold district staff accountable in any way.

Responsibilities

The membership duties of the committee include the following:

• Good Faith - Members shall perform their duties in good faith, in a manner they reasonably believe to be in the best interests of the committee and the district with such care, as a generally prudent person in a similar position would use under similar circumstances.

• Conflicts of Interest - The committee expects that each member and each individual asked to serve on this committee in the future disclose any/all relationships with the district (financial and other interests) in the spirit of total transparency.

When the question of a conflict exists, it will be fully discussed, with each side given the opportunity to state why they believe a conflict does or does not exist. The final decision on whether the individual has a conflict of interest will be made by a majority vote of the committee. The member alleged to have a conflict of interest shall be disqualified from voting on the question and shall leave the meeting before a vote is taken on an issue.

• Confidentiality - During the exercise of duties and responsibilities, the committee members may discuss confidential information. The committee members are obligated to maintain the confidentiality of such information.

The duties and responsibilities of the Facilities, Health and Safety Committee include:

• Ensure district compliance with the District Wide School Safety Plan.

• Conduct pre-scheduled walk-throughs of all district buildings and facilities annually.

• Monitor the condition of all occupied school buildings and facilities.

• When applicable, monitor and report on safety during construction projects. When applicable, conduct a post-construction safety audit.

• Report complaints related to health and safety to the superintendent and the Board of Education.

• Research and develop initiatives related to health and safety as requested by the Board of Education.

The committee chairperson will ensure that all committee members have an opportunity to speak and share their thoughts and ideas. The committee will make every effort to achieve consensus in its decision-making process. Failing consensus, the chairperson will call for a vote. A simple majority of the membership present will determine the vote. A quorum constitutes a simple majority of the total membership, and meetings will not be conducted unless a quorum is present.

The Facilities, Health and Safety Committee has the duty and responsibility to report its

activities to the Board of Education. Periodic written and oral reports of committee activities are an important communication link between the committee and the Board on key decisions, responsibilities, and recommendations. The members of the Committee, who also are members of the Board of Education, will communicate the decisions, findings, and recommendations of this committee to the Board of Education. The committee's reporting requirements are to:

• Report on the scope and breadth of committee activities so that the Board of Education is kept informed of its work in progress.

• Provide the Board of Education with minutes or a summary of minutes of meetings that clearly record the actions and recommendations of the committee.

Meetings

The Facilities, Health and Safety Committee will meet on the second Wednesday of the monthly(virtually). The Facilities, Health and Safety Committee is encouraged to prepare an agenda for each meeting and meeting minutes will be recorded by the committee secretary and submitted to the Board after each meeting. The superintendent, district clerk, or designee will make their best efforts to provide the Committee with supporting documents in advance of each meeting for review and consideration. If a committee member misses more than 3 consecutive committee meetings, the member may lose their seat on the committee.

• The chairperson may call and facilitate all meetings.
• The chairperson may set the agenda and direct the meetings and activities of the committee to serve and advise the Board or Education.

The chairperson will monitor the attendance of its meetings and give e-mail notice to any member that misses 2 consecutive meetings that they may lose their seat on the committee if they miss an additional meeting.

The minutes of each Facilities, Health and Safety Committee meetings should include the following: The meeting agenda Date, attendance, and location of the meeting:

• Except as otherwise provided by law in connection with executive and privileged sessions, summaries of the topics discussed, and all proposals and other matters formally voted upon and the vote thereon, including recommendations agreed to by the committee.

The minutes will be posted on the website.

Review of the Charter: The committee shall assess and report to the Board of Education on the adequacy of this charter no less than on an annual basis or as necessary. Charter modifications, as recommended by the Facilities, Health and Safety Committee, should be presented to the Board of Education in writing for their review and action.

Members

• Chair: Donna Marable

Members

• Chair: Erica Peterson
• Trustee: Warren Mitchell
• Ex-Officio: Donna Marable

Members

• Chair: Chris McDonough
• Trustee: Sakai Brown
• Ex-Officio: Donna Marable