001six o'clock. I will take a motion to go to executive session to discuss a personnel matter. >> I'll make a motion. >> Thank you, Dennis. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Don. All those in favor? >> I. >> We will return in 30 minutes. >> Are we going to the line? Um, we're very happy to be in Clear Center today. We took a great tour this morning and I'd like to call the meeting to order. Um, we're going to start with the pledge of allegiance. I'll stand the flag is behind us. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Um, just so everyone knows, we have
002a slight agenda change. We're going to do announcements right before the Red Devil recognitions. So, I will start with roll call. I believe we're all here, correct? >> Yep. Um, approval of the agenda. Do I have a motion to approve the agenda tonight? I'll make a motion. >> Thank you, Dennis. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Don. All those in favor? >> I The motion passes. Approve of the minutes. I know everyone read the minutes from the last meeting on September 22nd and the executive session. Anyone have any comments? >> Hearing none. I'll take a motion to approve the minutes. >> I'll make a motion. >> Thank you, Agent. Do I have a second? >> A second. >> Thank you, Cindy. All those in favor? I >> I All right. Correspondence.
003I don't believe we received any new correspondents since our last meeting. and we have no unfinished business. So, we're going to move on to announcements. And I have announcements first and then we'll move on. Um I am late in doing this, but typically we appoint a mentor for our student board representative. Um this year, um it's going to be Don Snder. So, Don, good luck in your mentor >> job. She's got your work. >> I have my work cut out for me. No, she's in a gain. >> She's coming >> after the fall season. There she is. >> Thank you. >> And then I need to appoint members to the wellness committee. And I'm appointing three members. They are, um, Adrian, Cindy, and Trisha to the wellness committee. So, um, good luck with that. Moving
004on to announcements. Dr. Frank. >> Thank you, Mr. Bleoli. Um, in just a second, we are going to recognize, uh, some really special red devils. The first is going to be connected with our uh NIS with a NSBA program and then some Red Devil recognitions. Uh but I just want to thank you all for being here. Uh there's a longtime practice for our board of education where on an annual basis they would visit each of our six schools and they would hold a meeting there and then during the pandemic um so many things changed around the world that we found one location and our board has every year toyed with the toyed with the idea of going back to buildings and this year said we can't wait any longer. We want to be back in
005buildings. And so this is the first meeting um since the pandemic when our board of education has held it back in buildings and walking in it's easy to see and feel why uh Clarence Center is such a special place and a special group here tonight. So we're excited to be back and we're so thrilled that you are a part of that. Um I'm going to head to the back with President Bleoli um with Mrs. Andrews, a board of education member and then in a couple minutes we're going to invite the rest of our board back. But before we do that, um, Brody Kaufman, we're gonna have you move to the back screen so that Miss Andrews can tell everyone here a little bit more about you and a really special recognition through NISBO. Good evening.
006For those that don't know me, my name is Trisha Andrews. Not only am I a Clarence School Board Trustee, but tonight I'm here as an awards and recognition committee member and New York State School Board Association Area 1 Ambassador. On behalf of NSBA president Sandy Ruffo and Executive Director Bob Schneider, I want to thank you for allowing me to present this prestigious award titled Tomorrow's Leaders Today. Over the past 100 years, NISBA has focused on recognition for excellent schoolboard service. More recently, we added recognitions for districts boseies community programming initiatives that bring change and positive influence on district culture. As we believe it is public education's mission to grow future leaders, NISMPA has decided to also focus on student leadership and created tomorrow's leaders today award to do just that. This recognition is unsolicited. NISMBA
007member relation team teams read Eclipse our daily news service for articles highlighting students acts of leadership that fit our criteria. All acts that fit the criteria are chosen to be recognized through a beautiful recognition plaque. Tonight on behalf of NISBA we are honoring an outstanding and well-deserving Clarence High School senior Brody Kaufman. Brody, with little time to act in life at stake, used his instinct, strength, and his emergency training to help bring a struggling kayaker to safety while traveling in Florida during spring break. Brody, an offensive and defensive lineman for the varsity football team, a junior member of the Harris Hill Volunteer Fire Company, had stayed in the his car, his family parked in the area of Marathon and Duck Key on April 19th so his parents could look at tarpoon feeding. While there, his
008mom Katie texted Brody about seeing an overturned kayaker kayaker in a fastmoving current. Using a rope borrowed from a nearby fisherman, Brody and other people on an overlooking bridge were able to lower the rope to the kayaker to secure himself, eventually getting three ropes down to help secure the man. Brody had one of the ropes wrapped around himself to ensure the kayaker's safety. After first attempting to drag the kayaker to shore, Brody and the other responders then decided that kayaker's fatigue and ill-fitting life jacket made it too risky to continue this approach. They would have to lift him up by rope 50 ft vertically to the bridge. The group was able to pull the kayaker to safety and the kayaker was safely taken to the hospital by ambulance. This remarkable water rescue was actually Brody's
009second emergency intervention he encountered during his family travels. While traveling through the Atlanta airport, Brody provided first aid to a man that had fainted at a restaurant until paramedics could arrive. These heroic actions were not a surprise to those who knew him through his school and extracurricular activities, including varsity football, basketball, and track. Paul Burgio, Clarence Middle School teacher and recently retired football coach, described Brody as a special young man both on and off the field. As a football player, he is larger than he is a larger than-l life lineman who dominates the line of scrimmage and possesses great leadership skills. Off the field, Brody is an intelligent, caring young man that has a heart of gold. According to Mr. Burgio, it does not surprise him one bit that Brody jumped into action to save
010a complete stranger's life. That's the kind of young man he is. Chief Pard from the Harris Hill Volunteer Fire Company described Brody as an outstanding kid. While some would have just stood there and filmed the incident, Brody went and there and made a difference. I am now happy to present Brody Kaufman this plaque which read tomorrow's leaders today. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. This recognition is presented to Brody to honor and commemorate the extraordinary leadership shown through your initiative to assist citizens and professionals in a local water rescue. We recognize your efforts and hope that they serve to inspire other students to bring additional positive change to New York school districts and communities. Please join me in applauding and congratulating Brody on this prestigious award
011for all his hard work to make our community a better place. One last thing, not only has Brody won this prestigious award, the Clarence School District was recently notified that Brody was selected as a top student in the state and will be honored in a video at the NISPA conference in a few weeks. I would also like to thank the administration and the Clarence School Board for creating an environment and culture where students can flourish. Thanks to all my fellow board members for your service and dedication and allowing Nisba to present at tonight's meeting. Right, [Applause] we're going to have our board come up to uh grab a photograph. One thing that NISSBA asks is that we share information back with them. It's an organization that represents thousands of schoolboard members and districts from across
012the state. And we're really really proud uh Brody of of you and and all you accomplished. So, we're going to get um we're going to squeeze in a lot tighter so that Mrs. Sutton and Miss Buffamanti can grab a picture. [Music] And Brody, what elementary school did you go to here in Clarence? That's what we thought. That's what we thought. All right. [Music] Next up on our agenda are something called Red Devil Recognitions. And this started with a board initiative a couple years ago. Uh we sometimes forget that we work in a a place that is incredibly special and we're surrounded by really talented well uh well-intended individuals and we need to be purposeful about expressing appreciation and care. And so this is I believe the third year where we've had Red Devil recognitions and
013we had reached out to our school community and said of all the different attributes that are important, what are the ones that are most special if you're a Clarence Redevil and it was actually really clear the four different things were we're looking for individuals who are hardworking, respectful, kind, and compassionate. And so we take nominations throughout the year and you can nominate students, you can nominate staff members, you can nominate parents or community members, uh but they have to be individuals that really go above and beyond when it when it comes to representing uh what it means to be a Red Devil. So if you haven't been with us before, you're not familiar with them, uh we're actually going to call up the individuals who are receiving Red Devil recognitions. We're going to call up
014the individual who nominated them. And if the person's family or supervisor is here, they're certainly more than welcome to join them. We um have a a the more the marrier philosophy up in front of the the screen and we're going to read from the nominations that we received and then we have a certificate, a mug, a pin uh for the individuals. We'll grab a photograph and we'll turn it into a story that can we that we can share out with our our wider community. Um so the first recognitions tonight actually go to three educators at Ledge View Elementary School, Katie Partridge, Subushain, and Sherry Gangloff. If they would come up with Mr. Rob Bacio who is not only our Harris Hill principal but he is also a Ledge View parent. Um so if folks would
015come up and join me at the screen with Mr. Bioli and I'll tell you a little bit about these three incredible educators says Mrs. Partridge, Mrs. Buchane and Mrs. Gangloff made a remarkable impact on my son this past year in their integrated co-eing classroom. As a child with autism, he often struggles with math and ELA, but his passions are unique, especially his love for the Wizard of Oz and Wicked. These educators didn't just see it as a special interest. They saw it as inspiration. They built on his joy designing a classroom project centered on the Wizard of Oz where every student had a part. My son wasn't just accommodated, he was celebrated. The culminating performance showcased confidence, collaboration, and belonging for all students. He came to school motivated and proud, feeling truly seen and valued.
016These teachers understand that when we reach the heart, the learning follows. They honored my son's individuality while teaching every student the power of inclusion, creativity, and empathy. For a child who doesn't always experience success easily, they created a place where he could shine. Truly, no one needs to see the wizard when we have teachers like Mrs. Partridge, Mrs. Buchane, and Mrs. Gangloff who remind children they have the brains, heart and courage inside themselves all along. Congratulations and thank you for always going above and beyond for students. And if you join me and we're going to scrunch for a photograph before people go. All right, next up, I'm looking for Mrs. Fleming. Is Lauren here? We're going to get Lauren her Red Devil recognition tomorrow, but thank you, Mrs. Fleming, for being here. Uh, next up,
017we have Mr. Hardick, who is a Clarence Center member of the faculty, and Mrs. Lefals, who had nominated him for a Red Devil recognition. So, if you would join me at the screen, so I'll read from the nomination. It says, "My son John has loved being in Mr. Hardick's fourth grade class. Mr. Hardick creates a respectful, engaging classroom where students learn both academics and how to treat others well. During their social studies unit on the Hodnosani, he emphasized cultural respect and even the importance of correct pronunciation, something my son proudly taught me at home. Mr. Hardick also encourages good choices, teaching students to surround themselves with peers who help them grow. John's reading and math skills have improved significantly under Mr. Hardick's guidance. Mr. Mr. Hartick goes above and beyond volunteering his time after school
018to run floor hockey lessons and the annual Stilly Cup, teaching teamwork and sportsmanship beyond the classroom. John comes home eager to share what he learned each day. A wonderful change. Mr. Hardick's kindness, respect, and dedication have helped my son thrive academically and personally. Congratulations and thank you, Mr. Hardick. Next up is Mrs. Bedora, a member of our high school facult faculty and an Jan who had nominated her. if they would join me at the front screen. So, I'm going to read from uh the nomination. It's that if I had to describe Mrs. Bador in two words, they would be kind and masterful. Clarence High School truly won the lottery in hiring her. She is communicative, thorough, and collaborative, researching every issue and keeping parents informed while always focusing on student success. Mrs. Mrs. Bador works
019collaboratively or cooperatively with families and students, ensuring strategies are in place for learning and growth. She's organized, knowledgeable, and deeply dedicated to helping every student feel capable and confident. Whether providing resources, gathering information, or offering academic and organ organizational support, she's always willing to help. She's a trusted advocate praised by students and colleagues alike. For parents, it's often hard to get details from our children. So hearing my son say she's his favorite teacher because she's nice speaks volumes. I'm beyond grateful for her guidance, professionalism, and above all her kindness. Congratulations, Mrs. Pador. [Applause] And finally, we have Mrs. Paitress, who was nominated by Mr. Dailyaly. So, if Lynn, you would join us up here and the Daily family who I think are in attendance. There's a nice Clarence Center theme running through this evening. This
020is really wonderful. So, I will read uh from the nomination. It says, "We have two boys at Clarence Center and I want to share my deep appreciation for nurse Pitus. She's been an incredible source of care and support for our oldest son as he manages type 1 diabetes at school. Since his diagnosis two years ago, Miss Pitus has combined excellent medical knowledge with genuine compassion. She goes above and beyond to make sure our son feels safe, confident, and supported each day. Her calm, caring approach gives our family tremendous peace of mind. We are truly grateful for her dedication and the comfort she provides. She makes a meaningful difference in our son's daily experience and in our trust that he's in good hands. Thank you to Miss Pitus and to Miss Buffamonte and all of Clarence
021Center for creating an environment where staff like Lynn can shine. Thank you and congratulations. [Applause] [Music] If we can have just one more round of applause for all the recipients here tonight. And we always take a moment after our Red Devil recognitions just to extend a note of thanks and also to recognize that this is a really busy time of year. So if uh the folks that were receiving Red Devil recognitions or their nominees want to take a minute to scoot out, we won't hold it against them. We know it's dinner time, homework time, and it's only Monday evening. So thank you again for being with us. [Music] You always notice [Music] I know. Okay, moving on. We're going to move on to board reports. Districtwide safety team. >> This is mira. >> I have
022that for us. Yes, so um the district-wide safety team met um September 24th. Um we started with some welcomes and introductions. Um we had the introduction of the safety team members and the titles. We went over the SRO updates. We um welcomed and introduced Scott Peele and Rob Ellis onto the team. They are the two new SRO that were added to the district this year. We went over the SRO roles and how they play and are integrated into the day of um at all the different buildings. We also had updates from building level safety teams from all of the um buildings within the district. Heard a lot about um just being aware of where keys are, the doors, being vigilant about seeing something, saying something and um a lot of the procedures are being passed
023along to kids at Harrisil through their news. Um and the relocation plans were discussed about um for the high school if the high school is not accessible um where the uh relocation plan would be. Um we also discussed that panic buttons um are now in uh the buildings and the appropriate trainings will be taking place. Um it was questioned where are the buttons located and they are in main entrance entrances and the main offices. Um, summer safety trainings. Uh, we went over those for the summer of 2025. Um, CPR, stop the bleed, opiate overdo overdose, uh, front door support staff protocols. Um, there was also discussion uh, we had a presentation about the details of, uh, DEA's law along with the implementation of this and the timelines to go along with that. Um, and then
024we will also be discussing before and after safety planning guidelines and uh the faculty use and request forms for doors being locked and unlocked by buildings and grounds. And that was the uh the overview of our meeting. >> Thank you. Anyone have any questions for Miss Fgera? Hearing none, I will move on to the finance committee meeting. >> Thank you, Mr. Baglioli. Um so this evening right before the board meeting uh the finance and audit committee met uh with Dr. Gupka um and uh Dr. Frame and our auditor. Uh first off, we reviewed the draft uh annual audit uh from our auditors Lumpson McCormack. Uh discussed deliverables, areas of focus and the MA management letter, comments and observations focused on fund balance, extracurricular activities, um the FUD balance in the food service fund and capital
025assets. We went over detailed accounting of the reserves and the fund balance both assigned and unassigned and reviewed general fund expenditure and revenues from the previous year. Overall uh positive audit the district remains in strong financial position uh and uh following a management letter being issued uh the full board should get a a electronic copy of the audit uh forthcoming. Uh then Dr. Grupka reviewed our reserves and fund balance in a little bit more detailed uh reviewing some more detailed allocations aligning those with our district's financial priorities. uh we reviewed key components uh that are providing for financial stability and ensure that the continuity of programs and services are maintained into the future. We had a brief conversation uh to continue on an action the board took last meeting uh to pro approve the solar
026uh pilots versus exemptions. Uh we reviewed those uh in more detail and uh Dr. Grupker reviewed how the district has more value in pursuing a pilot than an exemption which is the direction we're taking. Uh we received an update on state and federal funding given some of the things happen at the federal level and what concerns uh we have as what might cascade down to impacting the New York state budget which we rely heavily on uh for a financial uh stream every year north of $16 million. Uh so talked a little bit about concerns and where we may see some impacts and what we should plan for at this early stage. And then we finished off by talking about 2627 budget priorities. It's hard to believe uh but soon Dr. Grupka and the staff will
027begin talking about budgeting for the next school year. Uh we discussed a list list of priorities as well as funding concerns and again the focus continues uh to be on maintaining essential district programs services supplies and equipment. >> Thank you Mike. Anyone have any questions, comments hearing none and we will move on to CES. Dawn >> I'm going to keep this quick so we can get to the kids. Um, just reminding everybody that the CEF Carnival is this Saturday from 9:00 to 11 after the fun run and we're looking forward to seeing everyone out there. >> Thank you, Don. >> Got it. >> Next is PTO meetings. I will just give my update. I attended the Clearance Center PTO meeting. I know there's intervening in between, but we're in Clearance Center and you have a
028great PTO and they do a lot of events for the kids in the school including western night, the book the book fairs, the color run and if you want to help out, it's a great organization to join. I also heard something from your principal which stuck with me to this day and what she said is I take really good care of adults so they took take good care of your kids and um I think I my kids went through clearance center and you could see it in the building. So you have a great principal and a great PTO and I ask that you join. >> Anyone else? >> Uh James, I attended the SEPSA. They had basically a reathering meeting on September 30th. Um so they uh voted all new board positions in their president,
029their treasurer, their secretary. They're still on the lookout for a vice president for their um organization. Um they talked they had a really good showing I will say for their for for a reathering meeting so to say. I was really happy to see how many um parents and admin were there. Um they talked about the inclusive playground that Clarence is going to be getting. Uh it's 14,000 foot playground. It's going to be the largest inclusive playground in the area. Um so they discussed that. They discussed uh having a presentation at f future meetings for the ties program. They talked a lot about the unified programs. They had a presentation from the student support service staff as well. >> Thank you, >> James. Sharon Hill had their first PTO meeting last week. I wasn't able to
030attend, but I did provide a report on board and district operations. >> Thank you, Dennis. Anyone else? I'll just add that the first high school PTO meeting will be held on October 21st at 700 p.m. >> Thank you. >> Moving on. >> Harris Hills meeting is tomorrow night at 7 p.m. >> All right. Erie County Association of School Board Representatives updates. >> Um I know a few of us are attending tomorrow night's dinner with the Commissioner of Education um for a conversation and dinner. >> Anyone else? I just had we had an executive board meeting um before our last meeting and we just updated some financials and some program information. >> Thank you. All right, moving on to my favorite part of the night. Um Clarence Center update. Dr. Frame. Thank you, Mr. Bleoli. We
031have three different reports this evening. Um first and foremost, the most important is our Clarence Center update. We had a great start today. uh members of our board team were able to meet with a group of student leaders and then spend some time in classrooms and Miss Buffamonte and colleagues and students are going to talk in just a minute. We're going to talk about our third recommended strategic priority area and then Avery Collins will have our student representative update um as always after that. So, Mrs. Buffammani, I'll turn things over to you. >> Sounds good. Good evening. Thank you so much for this opportunity for us to share points of pride with you. I want to share who I'm with before we start our presentation. Heidi Buffammani, your school principal. Kim Zable, math interventionist. >>
032I'm perfect. >> I'm Andrew has Gabrielle. >> Hi, I'm Michelle Barkley, first grade teacher and cheetah leader coordinator with our fabulous Ben. >> So tonight you will hear from our teachers and most importantly our cheetah leaders. Uh together we'll highlight three areas central to our growth. Instructional technology, safety and belonging, as well as a program highlight, our connection cafe. At Clarence Center, our strength comes from working together towards a shared goal of being rooted in care while also striving for rising achievement. This fall, we asked the faculty and staff how they use technology to enhance teaching and learning. This baseline survey revealed exciting strengths and opportunities. First, it revealed that we as teachers believe technology is a tool that should be used to complement, not replace traditional teaching teaching methods. There's a clear recognition of
033the importance of finding a balance between the digital and the hands-on learning. As you can see here in the photographs of a kindergarten classroom, there's a whole group instruction began with modeling pattern blocks and identifying patterns on a Smartboard. Teachers then uh led small groups to reinforce the patterning skills while students practice making patterns with manipulatives independently. The scaffolded approach allowed for multiple opportunities for student engagement of and incorporated various modalities of learning styles. Another item the survey data revealed was the overwhelming majority of faculty integrate instructional technology into their classroom instruction on a daily basis. More specifically, 100% of classrooms and intervention teachers reported daily use. Other responses by our counselors, psychologists, and special area teams reported a few times per week. This indicated that the use of instructional technology is not a sporadic
034event but a regular and for most a fundamental part of the daily teaching and learning process in their classrooms. From the student from the students perspective here are the our ways we enjoy using technology in the classroom. In fifth grade we use interactive we will write tool and Mrs. Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Zel's ELA class to practice our skills, making a claim and coming up with details to support that claim. We like this way of learning because you get creative with your ideas and do out of the box thinking. [Music] Our te our teachers always find fun and engaging videos to help us learn. They also use apps, smartboards, and even techbased brain breaks that get us up and
035moving. In fourth and fifth grade, we learn how to use Schooly and is where we get our homework assignments. Our teachers, though, have found a good balance of when to use pencil and paper versus technology. One student enjoyed the technology so much he can name all the tools we used. Seesaw, Reflex, Typing Club, Research, Epic, Quizlet, EXL, Cahoot, 99 Math, Scratch, and Pebble Go. We also know you can't just go on anything. You have boundaries. So, these baseline survey results showed a trend at Clarence Center that it's clear and consistent that daily technology is the norm. There's desire from teachers also for more time to learn and experiment with these new technology. So within the slide, it shares some of the actions I did as your building leader. I shared these with the tech department
036so we can prioritize our needs. I focus professional development that's upcoming with Bob Erni. So at faculty meetings, he'll be talking about advanced parent square features for conference signups, event coordination, uh and upcoming PD will also address high demand tools like Canva that were revealed on the survey results. We'll also leverage some in-house expertise and teachers will be encouraged to lead short flash PDS on tools such as Reflex, Active Inspire, Schoolagy, and Google Suite that they noted is positively impacting student learning. [Music] >> We just know that Dr. Fram is piloting us to a new era where technology isn't just a tool, but the wings that help our students soar. And of course, with our board president, Boglei behind the wheel, we know we're in for a smooth ride, driving innovation and excellence straight into
037the future. >> To see that I'm looking right at >> you guys, though. >> You go into a sports car. They knew all about your passions. >> Look at that. [Music] >> He's behind the wheel. I'll remember that. >> So, next I'd like to highlight one of our signature traditions at Clarence Center, our faculty and staff connection cafe. Three years ago, we reimagined the back- to-school faculty meeting into something more meaningful. A space designed to prioritize connection before content. My goal as their leader was simple. It was to care deeply for our adults so they in turn could provide exceptional care for our students. At the Connection Cafe, the faculty and staff return to school, welcomed by the aroma of fresh donuts from our local farm, Greg's Upic, the sight of fresh cut flowers on
038high-top tables. They find inviting spaces where they can relax, catch up with colleagues after the summer, and feel a genuine sense of belonging. I share a speech from the heart that celebrates the accomplishments of the prior year while also centering us on a collective goal and our shared why, our students. This approach has worked. For example, in 24-25, we set the collective intention to have a healthy and high achieving school year. And together, we truly lived that promise for health. From a quarter mile challenges uh across our school to weekly movement Mondays filled with pickle ball, walks, and even dodgeball to joining community wellness events like Mind Over Matters. Achievement. Our students soared. Fifth grade proficiency rose from 56% to 76% in one year in ELA with level fours nearly doubling. Grade four cohorts grew
039by 19 points in ELA and 20 in math. Grade three jumped 43 percentage points in ELA and 22 in math. Benchmarks reflected similar growth. 97% of kindergarteners and 92% of first graders at or above proficiency. Clearly, when adults are cared for, students thrive. Oh, that made me so emotional in such a good way. That's such a great things. I know their achievement of kids, but I'm looking out in the audience, the layers. I just wish you were here to experience what we're experiencing. It's really special. Um, yeah. So, clearly when adults are cared for, students thrive. At our third annual connection cafe this year, we began with our why. It was a video of our students across the entire district sharing what brings them pride at school. From there, we dove deeper into connection activities,
040and we set our goal to be rooted in care, but rising in achievement. The roots are relationships with students, families, and one another. They keep us steady, grounded, and strong. The rising is the achievement, the competence, the skills, the remarkable results our students deliver. We believe in setting high expectations alongside care and the unwavering belief that our students are capable of so much more than we can even imagine. Equally important is that our students feel safe and they know they belong. At Clarence Center, safety isn't just procedures, it's relationships. Our cheetahs feel safe because routines are predictable and trusted adults are always there to help when needed. They feel they belong because their names and identities matter. They participate in traditions that bring them joy and know their voices make a difference. When we asked
041when we asked when we asked our students why they feel safe at Clarence Center, they shared things like teacher teachers around you keep you and make you feel safe. We take fire drills and practicing lockdown seriously. Our friends comfort us when we feel sad. Officer Rob Elvis is here a lot. Miss Pointress, she takes care of you when you don't feel well and makes us feel safe. Miss Buff makes me feel safe because she makes sure the whole school is safe. Not just anybody can come into the building without seeing Miss Moro and having a key card. having rules and procedures in our building. We have cameras all around. When we asked our students how they feel like they belong at Clarence Center, they shared things like the way we all show kindness. My friends
042always make me feel included. We all show respect, responsibility, and kindness to others, and others show the same to us. My teachers make sure everyone is included. Building community is not only important for our students, but also for the adults. Showing our students that we enjoy spending time with each other allows students to see positive adult interactions. We have several building activities throughout the year such as secret pals, monthly lunchins and breakfasts, quarter mile walking challenges and more that brings the adults together which gives us all a sense of belonging at Clarence Center. One of the most successful examples is our kindness cart. Each month, a small group of teachers and staff sign up to host the cart. They select a secret day and bring in a cart full of snacks for the other adults
043in the building. People light up when they hear the card is making its way down the hall. We're overachievers at Clarence Center, so the carts usually have themes and costumes to go along with it. The kindness card has allowed all of the adults to bring a little joy to each other. >> At Clarence Center, we know we are safe. We know we belong. >> And we know we can achieve more than we thought possible. So together rooted in care and rising in achievement >> we are CL center. [Applause] >> Awesome job. Any questions or comments from members of our board team tonight? >> Great job every >> Great job. Great job. >> Just incredible. Thank you so much for being here for a wonderful tour this morning and a fantastic presentation tonight. And holy smokes,
044you're proving that you uh it's not just fun or achievement, but you can do both. Um so keep up the good work. What a great presentation tonight. Um and as we always say to our families and our students, thank you for being here. You should be proud. Um and if you need to get your sons and daughters home for dinner and homework, we completely understand. So it won't be offended if you take off. And thank you for being with us tonight. >> All right. And I'm going to head up to the microphone for our second presentation this evening. All right. If you've been following our meetings this fall, you'll know that we're taking our recommended strategic planning areas one at a time. We have spent the last two meetings going over people first always. Uh
045the presentation area that we focused on last meeting was uh learning for a changing world. And tonight we're going to talk about a third recommended strategic planning area, progress with purpose. And so we've spent a couple meetings going over some of the content and recommendations that have come out of our strategic planning team and then tried to connect them with a sliver that falls within the strategic planning area. So again, we've gone over the first two of those strategic planning areas uh and previously and tonight we're going to focus on progress with purpose. I want to give just a a a little bit of history or context around this one. When we were putting together uh the preparation activities and materials for our strategic planning team, we looked at a lot of quantitative information, we
046also had surveyed members of our school community, really listening in terms of uh what they felt we did well, where they thought that we could improve. And then we had different focus groups really comb through the data and make different observations. And there was an interesting tension and dynamic uh around this idea of technology, the concept of technology in schools. And on one hand, families, students, faculty, and staff recognize that we are living in a fast-paced world and that our students graduate and go on to do any number of incredible things and they need to be competitive in those areas. So, we have to have learning environments that are um personalized, they're differentiated, they're dynamic, and our graduates when they end up in higher education, the armed forces, or the world of work, they can
047use technology, they understand things like AI, and they can go toe-to-toe with anyone. In that same uh topic area, we took in a tremendous amount of feedback from people uh feeling like we uh can go too far when it comes to instructional technology and there are things that just can't be replaced with regard to traditional instruction. And I actually think that schools in New York State are experiencing uh that right now with internet enabled devices. uh talking with people here in Clarence and talking with individuals in in area schools, the feedback on not having cell phones in schools seems to be pretty consistent and it certainly is not universal. People still hold their individual viewpoints, but the feedback from students and staff and families has been overwhelmingly positive. And people not wanting to give up
048a cell phone, but recognizing that having a block during the day where they're not feeling the need to be checking in with peers and family and on different apps and social media is a nice break. And it has led to reconnecting as people at school. And so what we're trying to do is take this idea of instructional technology and find that same balance where we can have students that are incredibly um competitive and talented but also healthy in how we approach different things. So I have um behind the board uh if people are watching at home or in the audience you'll see a slide that's titled progress with purpose and it's to find this balance uh this balance innovation and wellness when it comes to instructional technology and really focusing conversation and a action on
049four different points. The first is alignment and impact. So for example, when we think about a piece of instructional technology or we think about something like AI, we need to be looking at its impact on actual instruction. Is it something that is a basic substitution? Is it something that's redefining a part of the learning process? And how can we find the appropriate balance? So it's being really thoughtful about uh tools that exist with regard to technology. We know that we can find a tool or two for just about anything, but being really purposeful and thoughtful about what we choose to embed in our learning experiences. The second one is talking about training and support and recognizing that for our faculty and staff, we have different comfort levels and different proficiency levels when it comes to
050instructional technology. And we have to be able to offer a robust um number of professional learning opportunities where people can figure out how to best use these different pieces of technology um in their in their uh classrooms and workspaces. The third one is really thinking about wellness and responsibility um and recognizing that we may have to have policies, curricular expectation and different supports um to have um healthy and well um students and a school community. So thinking about things like for example um different uh programs in place to support mental health whether that's in our counseling offices, our family support center, having different policies or guidelines around things like screen time, when it's appropriate, when it's not appropriate in learning environments, and again uh when we're choosing to learn different things. And the last one
051is thinking more about expectations and guidelines. There are times with technology where we'll try to look at a technology and we'll try to provide education and recommendations. And then there are times where it's appropriate to be consistent from one classroom to the next, from one building to the next. And so we're lucky to have different teams in place. We have a technology team. Uh we have different curricular teams that meet on a regular basis. And so we have structures in place that can u be reviewing and talking about some of these things and making recommendations at a district level with u some of the content that I've I've shared tonight. I want to drill a little bit deeper in the in the area of AI of artificial intelligence. And my guess is that if you're
052in this room tonight or you're watching from home that we know that AI is dramatically reshaping how we think and learn and live as people, but wondering about how we're thinking about this and moving forward as a learning organization. And so I want to provide a couple initial thoughts, but I'd like to put a disclaimer. If you're tuning in tonight and you're saying, "Boy, I want to hear what the 15-point plan is in terms of how we move forward." We're just not there. Uh what we're really focused on is how can we go slow so that we can go fast and how can we move forward in a thoughtful way and we had talked about a NISBA convention last year. I know that we had members of our board team travel to the NISSBA convention
053last year and the theme in many ways was AI. Um and I remember I'm I'm wondering if our board members remember the two keynote speakers that NISBA had last year. Day number one was a robot >> and day number two was an AI expert. and they did a really good job in terms of provoking thought and reaction in terms of the power of AI and then there was less detail in terms of how do you move forward in a thoughtful way so that you can leverage AI and you can avoid some of the pitfalls that may be involved in it. So uh the first slide really goes through framing the issue. Uh again we know that AI is shaping how people think, how they interact as humans, how they work. Uh we know that that
054needs to be reflected in different ways in our learning spaces. We certainly can't avoid uh AI and we want to make sure that our students are able to use it as a tool to avoid different pitfalls and to leverage it as they grow and as they learn. So part of it for us is acknowledging that we have a responsibility to move forward in an intentional way. There are some districts that have come out of the gates like a thunderbolt and they have started to use AI with students. more often than not uh K12 systems have said before you start really using AI with students really focusing on uh the work of adults. So making sure you're providing professional development that you're very clear in terms of policy work so that you can build the competence
055and skill level of adults and then begin to engage in a productive thoughtful way with students. And we like all schools recognize that we have daily regular users when it comes to AI and we think about the 750 employees in our district and we have some people who probably have never used uh an an AI based tool before. And so that's a lot of ground in the middle to cover. And so I've listed on this slide up in front of you uh some of the in uh professional learning opportunities that were provided at our summer mini conference as a credit to Dr. Overhalt and her team. If you're able to attend any or all of these presentations, some were led by in-house experts, some were led by outside partners, and we have different professional learning
056opportunities that are embedded throughout the course of the year so that we as adults feel like we are uh in a position to really in embed and engage AI in our learning experiences. Um when we think about how we've moved forward successfully with different tech tools in the past, maybe the most success uh the most successful initiative has been how the district moved forward with Schooly several years ago. And what it did was put together a team of experts that were made up of faculty and staff and they did a lot of the working and thinking together as they rolled it out across the district. And so as we've talked, that is our recommendation to solicit interest uh for an AI integration team and to task this group of faculty and staff with really exploring
057AI's potential with regard to instruction, identify needed professional development, talking about different um uh AI tools and platforms that we can use, and then making recommendations to the district and the board. So we had sent this out about a week and a half ago to our faculty and staff. We had had close to 20 people say that they would be interested in serving on this AI uh integration team and we'll be in the process of planning a half day in November, a full day in the winter and then meetings as needed from there and to be able to come back with some recommendations in terms of AI tools, professional development and how to engage students in learning. So part of that is recognizing that if we have this group of people in the room, we
058could probably move the ball down the field. Not as much as when we really tap into members of our faculty and staff who are users and our thinkers in this area. There is a really important role for our board of education. However, and that's not just in supporting different AI initiatives and professional development, but also in the area of policy development and have outlined that here that we're starting to see more and more districts around the state adopt policies on AI that are very clear with when we would want to provide uh different AI supports uh and when different cautions and ethical issues emerge. So as a policy committee to begin reviewing potential policies to make recommendations back to the full board of education to consider and as a board team to really do some
059deep learning in the area of AI. Uh so our board of education periodically host uh retreats to learn and think about future planning. Uh there's one schedule that will focus on uh the um the impact of AI and that priority area. Uh and then I'd also message the board saying we've been able to establish um an important connection with the University of Buffalo and one of their graduate programs where they've developed an AI innovation center. They've invited us to tour. They have agreed to help provide professional development to serve on this AI integration team. Uh and they also had invited board members to tour. So they had just responded with a potential date. I will email that out to you and for any interested board members. we'd invite you to join because for all of
060us uh it's such a dynamic and important area that we need to be going back to school and making sure that we're on the cutting edge when it comes to K12 and AI. Um so with that I'll pause to see if there are questions or feedback before turning the microphone over to Avery Collins. So questions, comments from members of our board team. >> Just I'm looking I'm looking forward into the professional develop that we're going to get and the tours that we may be taking >> and the retreat. So thank you for that. Matt, do you have a sense of sort of where we fit as a district with the pacing? I know you mentioned some districts kind of charged out ahead, which isn't usually where I want to be, >> but I I don't
061think it it's good to be at the very back either. So, where's your sense of where we fit? >> That's a really good question. Um, I would maybe offer two comments. One is that when you look at maybe New York State as a whole, I think we're probably middle of the pack. When you look at the region in terms of Western New York, I think we're at the front of the pack. And so we had a meeting of superintendents, for example, last week. Dr. Overhalt meets regularly with uh instructional leaders from the 19 component districts in Erie County. Um, and when we talk about how we're focusing uh our priority areas and some of the first steps in this corner of the world, we're toward the front of the group. uh but also for us
062that means finding uh leaders in other parts of the state that can provide some support. So for example uh when we had the mini conference over the summer when we had our administrative team we had members from a a Monroe County school that had already adopted learning models. They have come through policy they provided professional development and they've been really honest in terms of what worked well from them what some of the stumbling blocks were. So we there actually is a model that talks about the roll out of tech and I think for us to sort of be um thoughtfully in the middle of the pack where we can learn a little bit from people who are a bit ahead of us uh but certainly pushing up against things in this corner of the world.
063We are lucky to be in a place where we have different partners that can provide support. We had a zoom this past Friday with folks from the graduate business school at UB and they're excited about the possibility of partnering with K12. Again, they've invited us to come visit. they'd love to be a part of what we're doing here and to finding different ways to support. I think for us it's just saying yes, please, and thank you that we would love to be working together as we uh as we help our students be as competitive as possible. That's a really good question. >> Any other questions >> with regards to the uh the crosssection of teachers, leaders, and staffs that you're going to pull together? You said you had 20 uh express interest. >> Yeah. Uh,
064are you happy? Do we have a cross-section of positions, grade levels group? >> I'm sure it's not. >> Um, it's an incredibly talented group. When we were um talking about an approach and sort of drawing it up on paper, what we had envisioned were a couple elementary school reps, a larger number at middle school, and a larger number at high school just based on the enrollment and the number of faculty and staff. What we didn't take into account is that when we think about uh where AI most what might uh be most frequently used, it really is at the secondary level. So if uh when we look at the survey results and the statements that people submitted, they're incredibly thoughtful. It's a really really talented group of educators. The vast majority come from the middle
065and high school level. And so for us, it probably will go be um going back out to see if we can have at least one representative from each of our four elementary schools and then a larger number at the middle school and probably a larger number still at the high school. One area to focus on that that isn't always as explicit is that when we think about schools, we think about becoming more efficient. We think about becoming higher achieving in the areas of our instructional work. Operations is an area that we can't forget about. So when we think about clerical work, we think about our transportation department. think about our facilities work, buildings and grounds. We need to be thinking operationally about how we can leverage the power that's in AI as well. Um so
066we will be generating participation from um folks that represent those parts of our learning organization. >> All right, thank you for the questions and I'll turn things over Avery to you. Homecoming week kicked off at the high school today. This week is lined up with activities including a flag football team or flag football game between the junior class and senior class, a spikeball tournament, a pep rally, a football game, and a homecoming dance to wrap it all up. The girls varsity tennis team clinched the team section six championship this past week. The team had to win four individual games in order to win the championship. They defeated Orchard Park and is the first clearance team to win sectionals this year. The varsity field hockey team participated in high fives at Ledgeby Elementary School and welcomed
067these children into school. The event was full of fun and laughter and a great way for players to connect back to their elementary schools. They also played botchi ball with unified club where each player was matched with a buddy. This day was filled with competition, but more importantly teamwork and of course fun. Trumpet players from the middle school and high school had the opportunity to receive a master class from the professional trumpet player Ry Riley Connley who is the principal trumpet of the city music Cleveland chamber orchestra and has also performed with other orchestras like the local Buffalo Philarmonic Orchestra. Sheridan Hill had their annual cider run where elementary school students raced around the school and celebrated with donuts and cider afterwards. They were cheered on by their fellow classmates and had a fun day
068to kick off fall. Congratulations to James Jen for being the only student at Clarence High School to be named a National Merit Scholarship Program semi- finalist for his high performance on the PSAT test. We are also proud of his achievement. >> Thank you. >> And that really that's it for reports tonight. >> We have no public comment cards. So there's no public comment. Moving on to finance. Dr. Grupka. >> Thank you. Today I'm asking for approval of our financial reports for um August 1st through August 31st, 2025. Also, bills and check warrants for the same dates. I'm asking for accept uh acceptance of a grant for $10,360 from the Talman Curtis Family Foundation, also known as for team Brock. This is for both the athletic department and for our family support center um for wellness
069initiatives and counseling services. And then finally, I'm asking for approval of a resolution to participate in a data privacy agreement consortium with our Bose with other Boseies. >> Thank you, Dr. Any questions? >> Hearing none, I'll take a motion to approve items F1 through F4. >> Make a motion. >> Thank you, Dennis. Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Thank you, Cindy. All those in favor? >> I. The motion passes. Personnel, Mr. Michelle. >> Uh, instructional P1. We have an amendment of department chair rate. We have one resignation this evening. Kathy Sapella has announced her retirement after 18 years of service to the district. Thank you, Kathy, for all you've done for our students. Uh P4 isformational only. It's notification of tenure of one of our middle school teachers. P5 is a resolution
070to provide support to our students in the absence of a psychologist and a guidance counselor. >> Thank you, Mr. Michelle. Any questions for Mr. Michelle on items P1 through P5? Hearing none. I'll take a motion to approve items P1 through P5. >> I'll make motion. >> Right here. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. All those in favor. >> I. Motion passes. Non-instructional. Uh we also have resignations in the non-instructional one monitor and also another retirement. Kathy Loren, who is one of our high school clerks, announced her retirement. She's been with us for 17 years. Thank you, Kathy, for your service. Our prior appointments, we have some aids, a bus driver, and a bus monitor appointments. we were able to be a hall monitor for the high school. Uh P9 is just
071listing a shift differential that was not previously noted in the board packet and P10 is changes to our substitute list. >> Thank you. Any questions for Mr. Michelle items P6 through P10. >> Just one thing and for the previous item as well only um P9 and P4 areformational. >> Yeah, P9. Yes, P4 isformational. So I will make a note of that. All right. Do I have a motion I approve items P6, P7 through P8, and P10? >> I'll make a motion. >> Thank you, Don. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Trisha. All those in favor? I I The motion passes. >> Special needs and student activities, Miss Shushka. >> The committee on special education met for 5 days and is requesting the approval of recommended services for 15 students. The committee
072on preschool special education met for one day and is requesting the approval of the recommended services for one student. >> Thank you, Mr. Any questions? >> Hearing none, I'll take a motion app to approve items S1 and S2. >> I'll make a motion. >> Thank you, Trisha. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Don. All those in favor? I The motion passes. We have no board development policies this month. Committee, the whole items, there is a schedule planning meetings in your packet and upcoming events. I hearing no further information. I'll take a motion to adjurnn. >> I just like to thank the students for coming. I see there's quite a few out there. >> Yeah. >> Thank you for coming. Is this public policy? >> Yeah. >> Welcome. >> I'll take a
073motion to adjourn. >> Thank you, Dennis. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Trisha. All those in favor? >> I motion passes. The meeting is adjourned.