State takeover of the Buffalo city schools could be in the offing, reports Mary Pasciak at the Buffalo News. The hints are coming from Assemblyman Sam Hoyt:
Hoyt said Tuesday that he is researching the possibility of a state takeover of the district. "I am fed up with the leadership in the district and the leadership of the board," Hoyt wrote in an e-mail. "I believe that both the superintendent and the board have shown an inability to seriously address the crisis facing our inner-city youth."
University at Albany
There's a forum taking place today to discuss how UAlbany can be included in legislative changes that would give the University at Buffalo more flexibility in how it partners with private businesses. Albany-area business leaders are worried their school is being left out of the discussion, according to the Business Review:
SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher last year pushed for similar legislative changes that would have applied to all 64-campuses in the State University of New York system. Now, there are concerns that a summit scheduled for next month could potentially give more autonomy to Buffalo, while leaving UAlbany behind. Thirty local business leaders and politicians signed a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo on April 13 outlining concerns that a May summit focusing on Buffalo was not expected to include any voices from the Capital Region.
Binghamton University
A Binghamton developer broke ground yesterday on a $12 million housing project aimed at students, reports Nancy Dooling at the Press & Sun-Bulletin. Twin River Commons will open in August 2012 and will house 373 students:
Of course, these apartments are not the shabby, bare bones student housing options of decades past. Instead, they feature private bedrooms and private baths, a living area with leather couches and stainless-steel appliances in the kitchens. A variety of apartments are being offered, including those that have one, two, three and four bedrooms. Two-bedroom units are the most popular, the developer said. Windows in building look out over the city and along the two rivers, including the city's Confluence Park where the Chenango River meets the Susquehanna River.
Cayuga Community College
Cayuga Community College's acquisition of 45 acres has been approved by the county legislature, so the school will be able to expand, reports Scott Rapp at the Post-Standard. For $495,000 the college gets parcels it can use for athletic fields and other services for a student population that's doubled since 2001.
Student robots
Rochester students are heading to St. Louis to engage in some robot-a-robot competition, reports Bennett Loudon at the Democrat and Chronicle. The FIRST Robotics Competition, started by the inventor of the Segway, hosts students from across the country every year:
About 2,200 teams competed in preliminary competitions around the country, but only about 350 qualified for the main event in St. Louis. The robot kit and registration fees cost about $6,000, plus teams have the expense of traveling to competitions. Most teams have corporate sponsors and apply for grants from public and private groups. But the students usually have to raise thousands of dollars on their own. The Penfield team has 30 students who received some funding from Harris RF Communications, but they still had to raise about $20,000 on their own.
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