Utilization Study Team

The Utilization Study is a major district initiative designed to evaluate how NSCSD uses its facilities and resources to support student success. The committee is made up of diverse stakeholders including parents, staff, students and community members. The group is working with nationally recognized educational consultants, Deb Ayers, Jen Heckathorn, PhD and John Wisniewski, to explore opportunities for long-term sustainability and growth. The consultants have supported similar successful studies in districts across New York State. 

Educational Consultants

	Deborah (Deb) Ayers (Lead Consultant) retired in October 2017 from the position of Assistant Superintendent for Administration for the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES in Syracuse after nearly forty (40) years in public education. Prior to the seventeen (17) years in her position at OCM BOCES, Ms. Ayers served as the Business Administrator in Tully CSD for nine (9) years and the Business Manager in DeRuyter CSD for seven (7) years after beginning her career as a teacher at DeRuyter CSD.   She has served in a variety of leadership positions at the state and local levels of Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) New York. Additionally, Ms. Ayers has been an adjunct professor in the educational leadership program at SUNY Cortland, teaching courses in Public School Finance, School Business Management, and Capital Project Administration. Over the course of her 33 years as a school business official, she has had extensive experience with business operations, transportation, facilities, school food service, and capital projects. Ms. Ayers has recently worked as an education consultant on enrollment, facilities, building utilization, operational, and merger studies listed separately below. In the North Syracuse project, Deb will have primary responsibility for areas of study involving enrollment analysis, transportation, and financial data.
	Dr. Jennifer (Jen) Heckathorn (Consultant) received her PhD in teaching and curriculum from the Syracuse University School of Education in May 2022. She holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration from SUNY Buffalo, a Masters in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Bachelor’s in Adolescent Education and English from Houghton College. She currently works for an independent consulting group that assesses the efficacy of grant programming and has worked on projects with funding from the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Education, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and New York State’s Education Department and Office of Mental Health. Prior to her PhD studies, Dr. Heckathorn served in the position of Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Support Services for the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES in Syracuse, as the Program Manager for Learning Resources and a Curriculum Coordinator/Professional Development Facilitator in the Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES in Olean, and as a middle school English-Language Arts teacher in Cattaraugus-Little Valley CSD.   Dr. Heckathorn has taught courses in inclusive elementary, special education, and curriculum at Syracuse University. She has published extensively, including a book about the use of lesson study with preservice teachers in mathematics and science, and articles and conference papers on lesson study, preservice teacher education, and in-service teacher professional development.  In the North Syracuse project, Jen will have primary responsibility for areas of study instructional programs and trends and staffing analyses.
	John Wisniewski, CDF (Consultant) retired from Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES as the Director of Facilities III in April, 2023. Prior to his eighteen (18) years at OCM BOCES, Mr. Wisniewski served the Solvay Union Free School District in a similar role for 4 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and has over twenty-two (22) years of direct school facility management experience including knowledge of NYSED regulations and procedures.   Following his retirement, Mr. Wisniewski was a member of the consultant team that produced the study report for the Baldwinsville CSD Funding Improvements and Building the Future project.  While working in public education, Mr. Wisniewski initiated many current and long-range facility improvement projects, monitored and directed construction phase activity, and collaborated with architects, engineers, and construction management team members to ensure successful capital project completion. Mr. Wisniewski has served as chairman of the Facilities Assessment Committee for the New York State School Facilities Association (NYSSFA) for many years. In this role, he has led a team that has conducted comprehensive facilities assessments, including a final written report, for more than thirteen (13) school districts across New York State. In the North Syracuse project, John will have primary responsibility for areas of study involving the analysis of facilities.

Committee Members

Dave Babikian - NSCSD Faculty and Staff
Tary Bakal - Parent of Student(s) in Grades PK-6
Brian Berlin - Parent of Student(s) in Grades PK-6
Sophia Burden - Parent of Student(s) in Grades 7-12
Katie Burke - Parent of Student(s) in Grades PK-6, Parent of Student(s) in Grades 7-12
Liz Cannella - Parent of Student(s) in Grades 7-12, Community Member, NSCSD Faculty and Staff, Graduate of NSCSD
Nancy Congdon - Community Member, NSCSD Faculty and Staff, Graduate of NSCSD
Kate DeBottis - Community Member, NSCSD Faculty and Staff, Graduate of NSCSD
Andrew Dolson - Student
Rosemary Farfaglia - Community Member, Graduate of NSCSD, elementary teacher 1987-2017
Molly Gaeta - Parent of Student(s) in Grades PK-6
Sara Garvey - Parent of Student(s) in Grades PK-6, Parent of Student(s) in Grades 7-12
Kelly Glashauser - NSCSD Faculty and Staff
Sarah Jones - Parent of Student(s) in Grades PK-6, Parent of Student(s) in Grades 7-12, Community Member, NSCSD Faculty and Staff
Jill Knapp - Parent of Student(s) in Grades PK-6
Cheryl McDonald - Parent of Student(s) in Grades 7-12, Graduate of NSCSD
Sara Morrice - Parent of Student(s) in Grades 7-12
Donna Marie Norton - NSCSD Faculty and Staff
Nicole Parah - Parent of Student(s) in Grades PK-6
Phil Smith - NSCSD Faculty and Staff
Heather Stauffer - NSCSD Faculty and Staff, Graduate of NSCSD
Sean Sullivan - Parent of Student(s) in Grades PK-6
Jamie Sullivan - NSCSD Faculty and Staff
Naomi Trivison  - NSCSD Faculty and Staff
Shannon Vaillant - Parent of Student(s) in Grades PK-6, Parent of Student(s) in Grades 7-12
Emma Warren - Student