Two Schenectady elementary schools have been placed into state receivership, giving Superintendent Carlos M. Cotto direct control over both campuses as officials work to turn around years of poor test scores and attendance.

Pleasant Valley Elementary School and Lincoln Elementary School are now under the receivership designation, joining Keane Elementary School, which has been in receivership for at least eight years. The move places Cotto in charge of both schools, superseding the schools' principals and the local Board of Education.

Public hearings for both schools are scheduled for Wednesday (February 25). A gathering is planned for 4:30 p.m. at Pleasant Valley Elementary School, located at 1097 Forest Road. The hearing at Lincoln Elementary School begins at 5:15 p.m. at 2 Robinson Street.

What Is Receivership?

Receivership is a rare state designation triggered after three consecutive years of poor test scores and low attendance. It places schools on the state's Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) list. Both Pleasant Valley and Lincoln were already on that list before 2024.

Only six school districts in New York state currently have schools in receivership: Schenectady, Albany, Syracuse, New York City, Buffalo, and Rochester. If the list stays the same next year, Schenectady will have the second-largest number of schools in receivership statewide, behind only Rochester.

A Long History of Low Performance

The Schenectady City School District has struggled with low test scores for many years. In 2022, only 4% of Black students in the district passed the state math test, which is given to students in grades three through eight. Those results were worse than scores for Black students in more than 40 other districts the state classifies as high-needs, low-resources schools.

Black students make up one quarter of the district's student population. Asian and Latino students each represent another quarter. Scores have improved somewhat since 2022, but not enough at some schools.

During winter break, parents at both schools received identical letters from the district, which said the decision was based on "recent performance data," including attendance figures from this school year and scores from last year's English and math state tests.

What Happens Next?

According to reporting by the Times Union, each school must first hold a public hearing and then form a community engagement team. This spring, school leaders must complete a needs assessment and use it to build an improvement plan for the next school year.

Once the state Education Department approves the plan, the superintendent takes on the role of designated receiver with broad powers. Those powers include negotiating with the teachers' union to extend the school day or school year, removing or hiring teachers and principals, adjusting salaries to attract strong performers, requiring specific staff training, and focusing on school culture to boost attendance.

The district acknowledged the challenges in its letter to parents, writing: "While this designation indicates that our school needs to make faster progress in areas like student achievement and attendance, it also provides us with a unique opportunity to access additional resources and implement bold, new strategies to support our students."

Each school in receivership is also eligible for a $200,000 annual state improvement grant, which the Schenectady schools can apply for in the next school year.

However, receivership does not guarantee results. Keane Elementary has been under the designation since at least 2018 with limited progress. If Pleasant Valley or Lincoln fail to improve, the state Education Department has the authority to place either school under an independent receiver — removing them from the superintendent's control entirely.

A district spokeswoman declined all interview requests until after the public hearings are held.

Christa Cooper