Osbourne to stay on as ELCS super

ELIZABETHTOWN | The Elizabethtown-Lewis Central School (ELCS) Board voted unanimously last month to extend the contract of school Superintendent Scott Osborne. His current contract is set to expire on June 30, 2020. The extension sustains his leadership through June 2023. "Our school district has been moving in a very positive direction, and we're supportive of Mr. Osborne's vision," school board president Karin DeMuro said in a statement announcing the decision made with unanimous board support. "We'd like to promote stability to continue this forward movement and he's a huge part of that." The board's vice president, Doug Spilling, said Osborne will help the district face budget challenges expected in the coming years. "Mr. Osborne will help us overcome those challenges as well as choose the right opportunities. The potential merger with Westport Central School is a great example where we need Mr. Osborne's strong leadership," Spilling said. Osborne began working as school superintendent here in October 2012, having served as principal at ELCS from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he served Peru Central School District as the primary school principal. The Sun asked Osborne what he sees ahead for ELCS and to reflect on the unique charge of rural public school education. "We've done well to add programs at ELCS in the last few years by way of grant opportunities," he said. "We need to use those opportunities, as our budget doesn't afford a lot of flexibility to bring a new program to school on our own. If we did that, the burden on the tax levy would be immense." ELCS' pre-K collaboration with ACAP — the "Early Bridges Program" — has been a huge success, Osborne said. "We plan to apply to the state for an expansion grant in order to serve more children. This past year, we helped 20 children become more ready for kindergarten, and our partnership with ACAP is essential." Health and Wellness grant monies have also brought in new programs for ELCS students. "We've expanded health and wellness at our school by way of the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities Grant, bringing new hydration stations, mountain bikes for physical education, and a grab-and-go breakfast cart to our school." Recently ELCS submitted application materials to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, which would allow the school to offer free breakfast and lunch to every single student, every single day, for the next four years, Osborne said. "We're hoping to be approved shortly so we can plan for serving more food to our students next year." ELCS is also looking to add a tuition option for out-of-district families. Currently, there is no provision for tuition-based access for students who live outside Elizabethtown or Lewis, other than for children of teachers or staff. "Later this summer, I intend to recommend to the school board that ELCS consider a policy that would allow non-resident students to enroll at ELCS for a tuition. We feel that we've demonstrated strong improvement to our programs and services in the last six years, and we can offer a fantastic education to non-resident students, particularly for parents who might commute into the county seat for employment. We can offer space in our grade levels for a very nominal tuition cost." Asked if he was concerned about budget planning challenges ahead, Osborne said he was quite concerned. It is a major reason why he feels it's important for the community to consider the advantages of a district merger with Westport Central. "Together we could offer more quality to our students and raise the bar for all children in both communities. Earlier this spring I published a report called 'Planning for the Future' showing the financial outlook for our school, given the current trends." As for the unique qualities of rural education, Osborne pointed to individuation with small class sizes. "Smaller class sizes create a much more personalized environment for building relationships among students and staff," he said. "This also means that every student may have a greater opportunity to participate in a variety of learning and extracurricular activities." Necessity, he said, is the mother of invention. "The small size of rural schools and communities like Elizabethtown and Lewis create opportunities — and often the need — for innovation that are not available to urban schools. Because of limited access to outside resources, things get created, repaired, and accomplished in ingenious ways, people really come together and they rally. I'm proud to be a part of that!" Closing in on a decade of work with the district, Osborne said measurable gains are evident. "I'm grateful to the board and community for their trust; I very much enjoy being a part of this school community and the larger educational community in Essex County. We have more great things to come in the years ahead."

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Osbourne to stay on as ELCS super

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