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School Client Conference Webinar Series 2021

January 15
22
and 29
Webinars
January 15, 22, and 29
8:30 - 11:30 a.m.

We look forward to seeing you (virtually) for our firm’s 36th annual School Client Conference. Although our Conference - like so much else - will look a bit different this time, what will not change is our commitment to provide you with the most up to date and useful guidance as you respond to the unprecedented challenges facing school districts. We will present the 2021 Conference using a three-day webinar series format, which will kick off on our usual Conference date of Friday, January 15, 2020, and will then continue over the subsequent two weeks. Each of the three Conference days (which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.) will consist of a related topic “track.”  We hope that this format will enable as many school district representatives as possible to participate with regard to those subjects most relevant to them.

Who should attend: Board of Education Members, Superintendents, Business Officials and School District Administrators.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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PART 1: JANUARY 15
Employee Track
​​​​​​​8:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Click here to view a recording of the presentation.  
Click here to view a PDF of the presentation.

Part 1 of the webinar series will focus on topics related to your employees. We will address new developments regarding employee leave laws, collective bargaining, and employee benefits, including a specific focus on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and coronavirus related legislation on the operations of school districts.

Presenters: Peter Bradley, Elizabeth McPhail, Jeffrey Swiatek, Amy Walters, Luisa Bostick, Kinsey O'Brien

  • ​​​​​​​Employee leave laws and accommodation rules in the midst of the pandemic
  • Collective Bargaining, COVID-19 and Beyond
  • Employee Benefit Update

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PART 2: JANUARY 22
Finance & Facilities Track
​​​​​​​8:30 - 11:30 a.m.​​​​​​​

Click here to view a recording of the presentation.
Click here to view a PDF of the presentation.

Part 2 of the webinar series will focus on school district facilities/capital assets and related financial matters. We will address a variety of questions and issues relating to school district buildings, facilities and sites, including the legal and financial ramifications of purchasing, owning, leasing, selling, expanding and improving such properties. Because many actions with respect to District properties require a public vote and a carefully structured environmental compliance regimen, we will be covering annual and special vote matters and SEQRA, as well as a number of familiar topics on the capital project front. We will conclude with a discussion of tax certiorari challenges, and the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have in that arena.

Presenters: John Alessi, Emily Dinsmore, Andrew Drilling, Andrew Freedman, Elizabeth Holden, Paul Meosky, Michael Risman, Jeffrey Stone, Brianne Szopinski, Marla Waiss

  • Capital Projects/Financings:  Your Issues for 2021 (Including Facilities Planning Update)
  • Annual and Special Meetings and Votes: Procedures and Pitfalls
  • Property Transactions: Purchasing, Selling, Leasing, and Improving School District Buildings and Sites (Remember SEQRA)
  • Environmental Compliance/SEQRA Overview
  • Tax Certiorari Cases After COVID

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​​​PART 3: JANUARY 29
Student Track
​​​​​​​8:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Part 3 of the webinar series will focus on current issues affecting students in the educational environment. First, we will discuss how to conduct Title IX investigations under the new Federal Regulations. The new requirements apply to investigations for both students and employees. We will also learn how to protect your district against a Child Victims Act case and defending a lawsuit. Second, as a result of COVID-19 and the increased use of online learning platforms, we will address school district obligations regarding data privacy including Education Law 2-d. Finally, COVID-19 continues to impact how schools provide educational services to students with disabilities. We will review best practices when recommending or considering a request for compensatory services and discuss the most recent case law.

Presenters: Ryan Everhart, Andrew Freedman, Julia Hilliker, Lindsay Menasco, Patrick Fitzsimmons

  • Investigating Title IX complaints and Defending against a Child Victims Act Case
  • Review of Education Law 2-d obligations and other privacy implications
  • Mitigating exposure to compensatory education claims and an update on COVID-19 case law​​​​​​​

January 29 registration here.
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CTLE credit is available.

​​​​​​​If you have specific questions for the Q&A sessions, please email them to hrsocial@hodgsonruss.com.
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