Welcome back, Crusader families! 

On behalf of the Monroe-Woodbury Board of Education, I welcome you to the 2025-2026 school year. We are excited to see all that is in store for our students and families this school year. School years are marked by many memorable activities, including musical and drama productions, recognition and award ceremonies, athletic competitions, and more. Each school celebrates their students' accomplishments in fun and exciting ways and I encourage you to embrace these moments. As the saying goes, "days are long but years are short." Enjoy every part of your child's educational journey in Monroe-Woodbury. 

As your Board of Education, we are committed to serving our students and families to help all students identify their strengths, take chances to learn new things and grow each day. There are many opportunities for students to experience programs and classes in our upper grades and ways our youngest students can stretch and grow. Our teachers are committed to giving each student an experience that helps develop the person they are and who they are meant to be.

Enjoy the school year! 

Dawn Tauber
Board of Education President

Dear Monroe-Woodbury families,

It is my true pleasure and privilege to serve as your Superintendent of Schools, a position that I have held for one year to date.  After a year of listening, learning and spending time with many of our staff and students, I can wholeheartedly share that this is a very special place. I am deeply honored to be a part of the Monroe-Woodbury community.

I hold close to my heart many special snapshots from my first year as superintendent—moments shared with our incredible students in classrooms, hallways, and out on the athletic fields. Each interaction reaffirms what I’ve always believed: Monroe-Woodbury students are truly exceptional. It is an honor to partner with our passionate leadership team as we continue to create meaningful opportunities that encourage our students to learn, grow and dream big.

The 2025-26 school year promises brings with it some changes, including two state laws that directly impact our schools: the Distraction-Free Schools law and the Heat Index law. Information about both of these is included in this newsletter and school leaders will maintain regular communication with families as the school year progresses. Rest assured that our administrators have researched and planned in preparation for these changes. We ask that you bear with us during the first few weeks of school as students and staff make adjustments as necessary. 

I want to recognize our staff and administrators who have spent the summer preparing our buildings and facilities for the return of our staff and students. When you look around campus, you will see newly paved and freshly lined parking lots, newly constructed vestibules, sparking floors and more. Please join me in sending appreciation to our hardworking team.

We eagerly await the return of our students and their high energy to our schools. Enjoy your final days of summer!

Warm regards,

Tracy Norman, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools 

The Distraction-Free Schools New York State law, which was passed as part of the 2026 state budget, aims to promote student mental health and student success by prohibiting student use of personal electronic devices from the time students arrive at school until dismissal. This law goes into effect at the start of the 2025-26 school year. School-specific information will continue to be shared by building principals.

The law applies to students in grades UPK-12 and bans the use of smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, earbuds, wireless headphones, and other internet-enabled devices. School-issued devices are exempt and will continue to be an important instructional tool in the classroom.

At the Board of Education meeting on July 23, the Board approved the Students and Personal Electronic Devices Policy. This policy addresses how the law will be enforced in our schools, as well as exemptions and exceptions. Families may request an exemption under specific circumstances, such as for documented medical or disability reasons. If you believe your child qualifies for an exemption, please complete the online Exemption Request form. All requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the district's Exemption Review Committee. Submission of this form does not guarantee approval, but it is the first step in the review process. 

District leaders have conducted two Crusader Chats designed to share information with M-W families and discuss the impacts to our schools.

Important links for parents/guardians:

Crusader Chat: District leaders recorded a Crusader Chat, during which community questions were answered. View the Crusader Chat.

Exemption Requests: Families may request an exemption under specific circumstances, such as for documented medical or disability reasons. A committee will consider each request on a case-by-case basis. Please complete the online exemption request form if you would like to request an exemption for your child. Submission of this form does not guarantee approval, but it is the first step in the review process.

Visit the Distraction-Free Schools page on the district website for updates as well as a Q&A, which addresses questions the district has received from parents and students. This page will be updated regularly and is the best source of information for all families.

Check out the videos below for a sneak peek at school procedures!

Since October 2024, a Strategic Planning Committee has been working to develop the framework for a strategic plan process to be launched during the 2025-2026 school year. Approximately 40 individuals, including administrators, teachers and parents, met as a group six times throughout the school year and conducted the following work:

1. Evaluated the work done as part of the 2018-19 strategic planning process and defined four draft focus areas for the new process: 

   1. Achievement: Perseverance & Growth

   2. Community: Relationships & Connections

   3. Opportunity: Equity, Access & Wellness

   4. Safety & Security: Physical, Instructional & Environmental Care

2. Worked in small groups (each focus area) to develop draft versions of:

   1. Overall 5-year goal

   2. Individual annual goals

   3. Strategies to meet these goals

3. Reviewed the District’s current mission and vision statements and created drafts to share with all stakeholder groups.

4. Conducted environmental scan to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats from the federal, state and local levels, which will impact district decision making.

The summer months have been dedicated to identifying a strategic planning partner, Generation Ready, who will support our efforts during the 2025-26 school year to gather data and insights from all stakeholder groups. Families will hear more about the strategic planning process in the months to come as the district prepares and conducts an outreach program. 

As the new school year approaches, we’re reminding parents and guardians of the district’s School Bus Safety Program. The entire fleet of district school buses are outfitted with BusPatrol's stop-arm safety technology to make the ride to and from school safer for students. 

BusPatrol uses automated enforcement technology to detect and deter reckless driving behavior around school buses. A law enforcement officer reviews every incident before a violation notice is issued to the offender. After a summer without school buses on the road, it’s important to remind the community to stop for school buses to ensure the safety of students when loading and unloading.

Before the school year starts, we encourage parents and guardians to review school bus-stopping laws. Take time to revisit safe boarding and disembarking tips with children. We can work together to help create safe travels for our students and bus drivers.