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William A. Baldino, MD, FACS
Mill Hall
I am writing to provide some clarifying information in regard to the article entitled: "KC board OKs charter agreement, public hearing to finalize set for April 17" which was published on March 19, 2025. In the article, it was mentioned that at the Board meeting which took place on March 13, 2025, I, along with Mr. Tom Cannon, Miss Elisabeth Lynch and Mr. Chris Scaff, voted against the resolution to renew the agreement between the Keystone Central School District (KCSD) and the Sugar Valley Rural Charter School. This information is indeed correct.
I have become aware that some are under the impression that I, and we, did so because we did not support the renewal of the Charter School's charter. In my case, and for certain in that of Mr. Scaff, this impression is totally erroneous. I cannot speak definitively for the others since I have not discussed their reasoning with them, but believe that they were in general support of the Charter School. My opposition was an attempt at removing what I considered harmful restrictions on the Charter School in the resolution as presented. I supported the renewal of the charter in committee, as did Mr. Scaff (the committee chairman) where the consensus was to allow an increase in enrollment at the Charter School by 20 students without restriction on the origin of those students. This was the recommendation advanced out of committee but the resolution voted upon by the full board contained restrictions on the number of students from KCSD.
I am bound by a confidentiality agreement and cannot discuss more of the committee discussions or the full Board discussions since some of them were held in executive session at the insistence of the Superintendent, Dr. Redmond. Mr. Scaff and I voted against the resolution as it appeared at the open voting meeting because it contained restrictions on both the total number of students allowed to enroll in the Charter School, and also the number of students from KCSD allowed to do so.
I considered these restrictions to be inappropriate, intrusive, unnecessary and unfair to both the Charter School and the students of the KCSD and the other districts in the area for whom the Charter School would be a better source for the provision of their education. The Charter School clearly met its obligations for renewal of their charter, Dr. Redmond has acknowledged this.
I am in favor of the renewal of the charter. I wish the Sugar Valley Rural Charter School well and am in full support of it as it goes forward.
William A. Baldino, MD, FACS, is the School Director for Keystone Central School District Region VI