Updated 12:21 p.m. June 8 to include new date of June Board of Education meeting and extended ballot deadline.

BY MATT LINDSEY
North Country This Week

CANTON -- The Canton Central School Board of Education approved eliminating several positions and the cancellation of a meeting planned later this month.

Board President Victor Rycroft said the 2020-21 organizational meeting will be held July 9, at 4 p.m. “That’s in keeping with our tradition here with of summer meetings,” he said.

He said they were required by law to have the meeting before July 15.

The board cancelled its planned June 18 meeting. However, the school board will hold a meeting June 18. It will be at 6:45 p.m. and streamed on the district's Facebook page. Ballots for the school budget and Board of Education elections will be accepted until 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 16.

The results of the 2020-21 school budget vote will be accepted at that meeting, according to CCS Superintendent Ron Burke.

The board voted to approve the eliminating the human resource communicator position, as well as two cleaner positions. The cleaning positions are open and unfilled, and the Budget Committee recommended not filling them at this time.

School board members also approved terminating the contract between the Village of Canton and the district as it pertains to a student resource officer.

“It will save us substantial money going forward in the budget next year,” Rycroft said.

The board approved creating the position of occupational therapist and to advertise filling the position.

“Currently we have this as a contracted item with North Coast Therapies, and with North Coast, the 2018-19 total cost exceeded $101,000,” Burke said.

He expects the hiring of their own occupational therapist would save an estimated $20,000 to $30,000 per year.

Burke said occupational therapy is a required service for many CCS students who have Individualized Education Program(IEPs).

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