OCSD Community Focus Group meeting to be held Oct. 29

October 25, 2022

Dear Oswego City School District community,

I am writing to remind you that this Saturday, October 29, the district will be hosting a Community Focus Group from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Oswego High School Cafeteria. 

This focus group involves community members coming together to discuss the possibility of repurposing Frederick Leighton Elementary School and other recommendations which were put forth by study consultants. The goal of the focus group is to allow for community members to share their thoughts on these recommendations.
 
Information garnered from community stakeholders from this focus group will be shared with the BOE and the community at an upcoming November board meeting. It should be noted, in an effort to ensure transparency, this focus group will be live-streamed and recorded for the public to view.
 
We’d like to share with you the following information:

1. We had a total of 45 applicants for the community focus group.  
2. 32 of these applicants met the specific criteria that was requested to become a part of the group (i.e. 2 parents per elementary catchment area, 1 faculty member from each school, etc.) and/or sent in their applications before these specific slots were filled.
3. 13 of the remaining applicants were placed on a waitlist because the category that they signed up for was already filled.
4. After reviewing the applications again, we decided to allow for 5 of these 13 applicants (1 per elementary school) to participate in the community focus group (a total of 37 applicants). This allowed for more people to participate (equally amongst the five elementary schools — one person per elementary school) while reducing the waitlist.
5.  We have 8 remaining applicants who were placed on a waitlist. This list consists of 3 CER parents and 5 FLS parents.  We placed them on the list because there was a concern that there would be a disproportionate amount of people on the committee for FLS and CER if these persons were allowed to participate.
6. A copy of the full list of participants is attached.
7. All applicants will be notified of their status prior to the focus group meeting. We are sending out emails and calling them to inform them on Tuesday, October 25.

The feedback of the community is invaluable as we consider future decision-making.
Should any of you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 315-341-2001.
____
 
Community Focus Group Participants
 

1. Kathryn Fox-Groves, FPS Parent
2. Ebony Coleman, FPS Parent
3. Kathleen Fortunato, FPS Parent
4. Sarah Nelson, FLS Parent
5. Arvind Diddi, FLS Parent
6. Melissa Kubicki, FLS Parent
7. Thomas Carpenter, CER Parent
8. Ashley Fatiga, CER Parent
9. Shawna Vachon, CER Parent
10. Jennifer L.  Nicols, MIN Parent
11. Corey Metz, MIN Parent
12. Theodore Beers, MIN parent and CER Faculty Member
13. Allisa Evans, KPS Parent
14. Julie Chetney, KPS Parent
15. Telia Tamayo, KPS Parent
16. Michelle Willis, OMS Parent (lives in FPS catchment area)
17. Grace Maxon- Clarke, OMS Parent (lives in MIN catchment area)
18. Jessica Woodruff, OMS Parent (lives in KPS catchment area)
19. James Otto Ekman – OHS Parent (lives in FPS catchment area)
20. Karen Sime, OHS Parent – (lives in FLS catchment area)
21. Aimee Callen, OHS Parent – (lives in MIN catchment area)
22. Ben Richardson, OHS Parent and Faculty Member (lives in KPS catchment area)
23. Kelly Lagoe, Empty Nester (lives in FPS catchment area)
24. Donna Roman, Empty Nester (lives in FLS catchment area)
25. Lisa Potter, Empty Nester (lives in CER catchment area)
26. Edward Lonky, Empty Nester (lives in MIN catchment area)
27. Korena Mitchell, Empty Nester (lives in KPS catchment area)
28. Erin M. Sabatini, FPS Teacher and CER parent
29. Kate Bowman, FLS Teacher and parent
30. Ellen Rowberry, MIN Speech and Language Teacher and KPS Parent
31. Christy Stepien KPS Teacher and Parent
32. Margret MacLaughlin, District Substitute Teacher
33. Valerie Orr, MIN Teacher Assistant
34. Tom Stahl, Town of Oswego and Parent
35. Cecily Morrison, Business Owner – Philanthropist
36. Jolynn Dorsey, Business Owner
37. David Pauldine, Business Owner

 
Yours In Education,
Mathis Calvin, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools