Board of Education Meeting - 6/17/24

001I call the Lancaster Central School District Board of Education meeting to order. In the unlikely event of an emergency, if we do have to evacuate the room, please note the locations of the exits. At this time, I ask that you silence your cell phones and rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Please remain standing for a moment of silence and watching. 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. Move on to 4.0 presentation. We do have a student art show tonight. Miss Anne Perry-Smith. Hello. Hi. I'm so glad that there's such a great turnout. This is amazing. I know these young artists are going to be so excited to showcase their work and be able to give you a

002great glimpse of our fantastic art program, K-12. So this is the, obviously, the district-wide art show. We do it every year. And we obviously always want to give extra special thanks to our incredible Board of Education, Dr. Vallely. All the administrative teams that are, you know, at Joseph Roberts and obviously the high school, the elementary buildings, the middle school. None of this is obviously possible without the incredible support that they have given us, making this gallery for us to really showcase all the incredible work that the students have done. And as always, it is a... show of excellence. It is always incredibly difficult to pick these students because we are only picking one student for each grade level. So I'm sure you can imagine how difficult it is, but it really speaks to the fact

003that we have such an incredible curriculum. Our curriculum is second to none. Our teachers are second to none. Our teachers are second to none in general. We have such an incredible program and obviously we're so appreciative of all of your support today. So without further ado, I will get started on the wonderful artwork and the artists to kind of showcase what we have here. And I know I was going to say that our work husband, he is going to present the award. So as you hear your name and see your artwork, which will be obviously projected up there, please come up and accept your award. And as I said, it is really prestigious. So I hope that all of you understand the incredible importance of this program and what we're doing tonight. So celebration, like

004I said, of our wonderful young artists. Our first one is our kindergartner from Hillview Elementary, Ms. Kate Nair. Her student, Eleanora Lelanek. And this is Winter Landscape Box. I like that. We've got a whole bunch of ones. Support. I love this. So our last wonderful... is Haley Carlson, first grade, Piranha Plants, and that is from Court Street Elementary. Mr. Corbelli is the art teacher there, and he's one of our wonderful new art teachers, and as you can see, again, beautiful artwork. And we have Annabella Budwein, second grade, Rafael Lopez Mural Collage, Hillview Elementary again, and Mrs. Russo. I love it. Even the Art History t-shirt. That's a good winner right there. Excellent. Okay. All right. And Owen Parker, our third grade award winner, Autumn Sidewalk from Shirley Elementary with Mrs. Ranka. And we have Sophia

005Baraka, fourth grade, Forest Friends from William Street School, Mrs. Sigourney. And from fifth grade, we have Amelia Priester, Lily is the name of this piece, from William Street School, and that's from Mrs. Chambers. And for sixth grade we have Addison Waters. It's an untitled piece but obviously you can see the wonderful job on the perspective. From William Street School, Mr. Kostacki is the teacher. And from seventh grade we have Angela Zang and Mrs. Donut, Lancaster Middle School, from Mrs. Brody's class. And Jasper Sawicki from eighth grade and self-portrait, Lancaster Middle School, from Mrs. Berry. Ninth grade we have Bianca Jang And we have Terence Reyes from the 10th grade on Tiled Work and Lancaster High School with Mr. Miller. For 11th grade we have Anna Khabersky and the Edge of Night Lancaster High School and

006for the 12th grade we have Elizabeth Manns and this is Year Inside and Out Lancaster High School and she is my student and just as a little side note This is part of her AP3D submission. This is the first year we've been able to do AP3D. And so she was one of the two people that we had. And this was part of it. And so we're super excited about the program doing that. So I'll kind of give a thank you. And I just wanted to, of course, invite everybody next door. This show is obviously up in the gallery right next door. It is also up in the boardroom. So every time that they have board meetings, it's something that they get to enjoy and kind of remind everybody about what's happening. in our program, just

007like a little reminder that way. But obviously it's wonderful to display in our gallery for everybody to go over next door, photographic opportunities. But also we have the bottom frame that's there is in the gallery. And I just wanted to point out there's chalk next to it. So we would really encourage all of our artists to go up there and make sure that they autograph and maybe trace them hand. to kind of like have a little remembrance of a little signing ceremony perhaps for the evening and the wonderful job that everyone did. And I think I just saw Terrence come in. So Terrence, do you want to come down and get your award? I know that it's... This is our 10th grader, so. And I just wanted to, again, reiterate, thank you so much. We

008are just so grateful for all of your support, again. And we hope we are doing justice to the LRE with all the work that the students have put into it and all the hard work the art department has done, K-12, always. So thank you for all of your support. We really appreciate it. Thank you, Ms. Ann Perry-Smith. One of my favorite things of the year, we've done this every year since I can remember, and anything that has the kids come up and show us their work is probably the highlight of our day. So with that being said, I know that especially the young kids probably need to go home and either, you know. Get some ice cream, maybe? You know, I definitely give you permission to gracefully leave if you'd prefer. But, of course, you're

009welcome to stay. Right. Again, you know, whenever we have the kids present, it's just amazing, and I think that's what we're all here for. Let's move on to 5.0. We do have three emails on record. Yeah, two emails and a letter. 6.0, approval of minutes. 6.1, can I have a motion to approve the regular session from June 3rd, 2024? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 7.0, items from staff organizations. Do we have anyone from the Lancaster Administrative and Supervisory Association? Anyone from the Lancaster Central Teachers Association? Good evening. First, we would like to wish all the fathers on the board a happy belated Father's Day. We hope you enjoyed your day yesterday, the beautiful weather. Second, we would like to thank John Abraham for his years of service to

010the LCPO, notably the last five as president. And while I may hold the new title of president, this is a position you cannot do alone. You need good, strong people around you. So I'd like to take a few minutes and introduce the five other LCTA officers for the 2024 to 2026 school years. Mike Shaw. Mike Shaw is our secondary vice president. He's a 20-year veteran within the math department at the high school. He has served the LCTA as well as the district in many roles and in many capacities. He's been a past officer, treasurer for 10 years, recording secretary for one, and has served alongside four presidents. He volunteers on multiple committees, such as APPR and negotiations, just to name a couple. He has been the math department chair for 16 years and is a

011past recipient of the NYSET Leadership Award. We are lucky to have his expertise as secondary VP. Ian Cole. Amy Cole is back as our elementary VP after serving in this role for several years. She has also been a rep, an exec board member for many years. She's been a teacher in the district for 25 years, teaching both 6th and 4th grade. She also volunteers her time to be on LCTA and district committees such as APPR, Class Size Task Force, and District Transfer Rep. Her knowledge of process and procedures makes us very fortunate to have her back in this position. Kelly Eckler. Kelly Eckler has held the position of corresponding secretary for the past seven years and was a building rep before that. She has been a special education teacher at the high school for the

012past 13 years, as well as in other districts for a total of 28 years. She is also the newly appointed high school special ed department chair. Kelly has held many NYSET positions, as well as has shadowed the negotiations team, been a transfer rep, and has also received the NYSET Leadership Award. Kelly is an invaluable member of the LCTA for her tireless efforts to support as many district as well as community programs with LCTA donations. Chris Pollard. Chris Pollard has been our treasurer for the past five years and a math teacher at the high school for 10, I'm sorry, 16, sorry, 16. He has also served the union in many capacities, including serving as a building rep, and he works closely with Kelly. His role is vital in helping the LCTA to fund many scholarships, programs,

013and events for our Lancaster students, as well as managing the finances of a near 500-member union. Wendy Chapman. Wendy Chapman is our new recording secretary. She comes to us with much union experience already. She's a building rep at John Scholle. She's on the district health insurance committee. She's one of two district NYSTERS reps and a building transfer rep. She's taught third grade within the district for 19 years. We know she will keep us organized and the members informed. As for myself, I'm Beth Farrar. I have been an educator for the past 33 years, 30 of those in Lancaster. I have taught third and fourth grade at Hillview Elementary, fifth grade at William Street School, reading intervention services at William Street, and a reading intervention specialist at Como Park. I also teach college graduate and undergraduate

014education courses at Canisius for the past 15 years, as well as Buffalo State University for the past four. I've served as an LCTA rep, the LCTA reporting secretary, and elementary VP. I am proud and honored to work alongside these incredible individuals as the new president of the LCTA. And finally, you may notice a strong presence of teachers in the audience tonight. We are here tonight to support our colleagues. We are here tonight to support public education. We are here tonight to support the Lancaster Central School District. In a group of nearly 500 members, it is impossible to see eye to eye on every issue. But here are two things that we can, and always will, agree upon. First, the Lancaster Central Teachers Association will always stand by, support, and defend teachers who are doing their

015job, including those teachers who are asked to and follow New York State curriculum. Second, The Lancaster Central Teachers Association will always work in a way that supports the welfare of all members of our school community. Our teachers will promote inclusion and diversity in all of our schools. Additionally, the Lancaster Central Teachers Association feels it is important to clarify a concern that was presented at the June 3rd board meeting. A question was presented in a class on a note-taking guide. It was not on a quiz, it was not graded, nor was it used for a grade. Students were not instructed to change their answers. Simply put, it was information that was presented based on a guidance document in achieving New York State standards. The very same information that is presented in other local school districts. As

016teachers of the Lancaster Central School District, we will continue to carry out our professional responsibilities by implementing the New York State standards as directed by our district officials in order to educate our students. While we can agree to disagree on personal opinions and choices, the LCTA will not allow any of its members to be falsely vilified on any social or other media platforms. Thank you. reminder as this is you know a meeting held in public that we can't have any outbursts from the crowd I really do appreciate that I know there's some differing opinions on things but we can't have any outbursts okay I appreciate that anyone from the and Mrs. Farrar thank you so much anyone from the Lancaster Association of Service Personnel anyone from the Lancaster Association of Substitute Teachers on to 8.0

017board reports. Before we get into board reports. Customarily at the last meeting of the year if there are any members that are retiring, we like to give them a little send off. And Mrs. Cohen, you're in the audience, we weren't able to properly give you a send off because you need to retire before the last meeting. So I want to again thank you for your years of service to Lancaster. why I say we got you something. I'm sure Mrs. Janik did all the legwork to get this for you. So we appreciate Mrs. Janik as well. Mrs. Pong, come on up, I'd love to present you something. Today is Mrs. Fesher's last day as well. Mrs. Fetcher has served the district for six years. I want to extend my sincere gratitude for all the work that

018you've done for Lancaster kids. Did you want to say a few words? I want to thank everyone for coming for my last meeting. Last time, best time. And this is the biggest crowd we've had in six years. And so I also just want to say thank you to all my fellow board members and the administrators here at Lancaster. Our second to none. I really learned so much about the education system in New York State, about all of the issues that teachers, students, parents are dealing with every single day. I know that everyone sitting at this table has had one unified focus for many, many years, but for the last six years that I've been involved, and it's been on the kids. We want to support our teachers. We want to support the parents and the

019families and the communities. But when it comes down to it, every single decision we make is what is best for all of the kids in this district. And I think that we've all really done that, and I know that this board will continue to do that. And it's been hard at times. There's been meetings where I've left in tears and where I've lost sleep and where people have come and yelled at us and said divisive things and frankly made up some things that haven't happened for the sake of having a platform to speak. And that's really hard because I know that everyone wants the best for their kids and they want the best for this district. But there's been a lot of really great times too. I'm really proud of all the progress we've made,

020all of the capital improvements that we've made, like the Black Fox Theater, the turf field, all of the things that have expanded our district in the last several years. I'm proud to support all of the academies and the LAP program and all of our English as a Second Language initiatives. All of those are just amazing things that Lancaster has that not every district can brag about and be proud about. This past couple years, the implementation of our Culture, Climate, and Inclusivity Director, Bonnie Blattner, has made such a difference in our schools, and everything that she comes out with, I think, is amazing. Some of my favorite moments were learning about the wheelchair basketball game as part of one of those initiatives, and seeing what everyone's doing in the schools for all of those initiatives and

021seeing the teachers come together has been amazing. This meeting, this annual art show, is... My favorite meeting of the year. I love seeing the kids being proud of their artwork. I love celebrating them K through 12. It's awesome. So I have a lot of really great memories of being on this board, and I'm happy that this community has elected me to serve for two terms. And I'm going to miss everybody here, but I'm still going to be a part of the Lancaster community, and I will always be cheering on this district. So thank you so much. Mrs. Fetcher? I also have something to report. Go ahead, Mr. Tallarico. Talk back to follow overall, all around. So Jill, I want to start off by saying thank you so much for your years of service. We greatly

022appreciate it. I would just like to say a couple things. So I had the pleasure of being invited by a student in Ms. Lima's first grade class to, and here's the actual, here's the invitation. To her first grade play, there's Miss Lemus here, so thank you very much for the invites from your student. To her first grade play, Make Worms Great, Earthworms Make America Great. There we go. I learned so much about earthworms. I am now an expert in earthworms. It was an adorable play. You guys did great, so thank you very much for the invite. I was super happy that I was able to go. So keep the invites coming, and if I can come, I will come again next year as well. Lastly, I also was able to go on a field trip

023at Williams Street today to Old Fort Niagara. Very cool. A lot of fun. Students had a blast. They got to go through the floor. They got to see how we used to trade with Native Americans and the French and how everything kind of interworked on that waterway. They saw a musket get fired off. They saw a mortar get fired off. Overall, just excellent. And it's just one of the really cool things that we do at Lancaster that enriches the students' ability to learn. So overall, very cool. I just wanted to touch base on both of those things. So thank you so much. And I just wanted to mention that my son is graduating this year. And from the start of pre-K, he was in the special education department. He's done such an amazing job. The

024work that they did with my kid and all of our kids is second to none. So I wanted to, you know, I sent an email to Mr. Armstrong, but I wanted to publicly recognize the special education department because, you know, it's been an amazing ride. I truly love this district and I thank every single teacher. He even got a letter from his sixth grade teacher today thanking him or congratulating for graduating. I just, I love this district. I want to thank the teachers, all of them, special education department especially, but all the teachers. I really appreciate it. Any other board members have anything to report? All right. On to 9.0, the superintendent's administrative report. Thank you, Mr. Sage. Every year I sit here and I watch that art show, and it's really special and absolutely

025fantastic. My daughter is in a master's program in Dusseldorf, Germany, and she had every single one of those teachers. And they were all fantastic. I think we're crucial and critical to inspiring her to get into those programs and to do what she loves and to follow those things. So similar to Mr. Sage, I'd like to thank all of them. And also remember that I had four kids in the school district, so most of my kids went three-year classes. And so I'd like to thank all of you for everything you've done. I didn't expect an army of red shirts and teachers to show up today, but this was perfect, actually, because I get to say that to you personally, as I also tell you this. After 33 years in education and the last 18 and a

026half in Lancaster, at this evening's board meeting, I'd like to announce my plan to retire on December 1st, 2024. I can't imagine a better school district to have built a career, done a dad, and served as superintendent. As I reflect on the school's remarkable accomplishments and progress over the years, I feel a deep sense of pride and gratitude. In my 11 plus years as superintendent, Lancaster schools have always stood strong, prepared, and ready for whatever came our way. Of all that we've accomplished, I am most proud of the ways that we will always remain focused on kids, committed to our district's mission, and driven by doing what's best for the parents and children we proudly serve. Today, Lancaster Central School District is operating at peak academic performance and financial strength as well, enhancing our ability

027to keep our promises to our students and reinforcing the value we deliver to the entire Lancaster community. I truly believe this is the golden age for our Lancaster schools and further greatness is also on the horizon. I have never felt more confident in and more appreciative of an outstanding Board of Education and our district's bright future because of them. I want to personally thank the Board of Education for all they've done for me, this district, and this Lancaster community, and most importantly, all our children. Year after year the community comes out and elects great people, caring people, who for free serve, take hits and abuse, but always put kids first when making difficult decisions. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve them collectively. Finally, to all the faculty and staff and administration

028and everyone in the Lancaster community, thanks for taking care of our kids. Thanks. I don't typically read, but I... is having trouble being able to get this out. But Dr. Valley's dedication to the Lancaster Central School District, our students, the families, it's really unparalleled. His knowledge, his understanding that he's gained throughout the entire time that he's been here as not only superintendent, but assistant superintendent, he's going to be very difficult to replace. On behalf of the board, our students, and the Lancaster community, we extend the most heartfelt thanks to you, Dr. Valley, for the 11 plus years as superintendent and all the time before that in this district. I wanted to open it up to the board members to say a few words. So again, just to echo what Mr. Sage said, it's tough to

029replace, it's going to be tough to replace someone like Dr. Galloway. One thing I can unequivocally say is before I became a member of the Board of Education, and I think like most people, you don't know a lot about what it takes to run a school district. Some of the inner workings what the teachers deal with on a daily basis with the faculty and the administration deal with on a daily basis A lot of things you think can just be changed right away Decisions can be made mountains can be moved overnight But what I can always say is that decisions that were made and what I've learned from Dr. Valladolid is as long as you keep the main thing the main thing and the main thing for him has always been the students of this

030district and putting them first in every decision, you can't really go wrong. So it is a difficult job. I've said it multiple times. I wouldn't do his job for double the salary. Maybe double the salary. It's pretty good. But I think when you look back at your tenure as superintendent, you will be able to look back and say, You did some good things. You were an excellent leader and leadership is a tough thing to replace. But the future of Lancaster is bright. This district is excellent. The staff of this district is excellent. And a lot of that is because of the people you've put in place to continue to lead the district. So thank you from me. And I know more of that will be coming from the other board members as well. So, thank

031you. I just want to say thank you. Obviously, I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum as a lot of the other individuals on the board. My son just started kindergarten. My daughter is starting pre-K next year. And I just want to say thank you. A big reason we came to Lancaster is because of the school. And I feel like the school is indicative of the person who runs it. And you are who you surround yourself with. And I feel like that's very positive to who you have. the teachers, the administration, a lot of what's going on here makes it a destination district. Especially coming from a small town like Attica, New York. It's a small town, small school. I feel like here, you have that small town feel. Everyone kind of knows everything. There's

032something for everyone. And that's a big reason I chose this. And I would say that you're a big reason for that as well. So I appreciate everything you've done. I know sometimes it can be a thankless job, but there's a lot of people that really appreciate what you're doing. And thank you again for everything. With that decision, I always interject and say, what's best for the kids? And that's going to stay with me. Number two is who impacts the life of the kids in front of us? And how do we support them the best we can to create the best experiences for our students and our kids so they can go change the world? Three, he was a man of little words, sometimes the wrong words, every single time to learn from his leadership. I've

033never known a more humble, modest, soft-spoken leader that led through empowering others. We're here for that. And I want to thank Dr. Valli for that. I'm excited for you. I'm glad you can step away. I want to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Your legacy is going to be studied and learned for a long time. And I don't think a lot of folks will truly understand what you've done here to lay a foundation of inclusion to build the best district in Western New York. We're all here. because we care about our kids. Every single person here today, I trust and I believe that. And I'm thankful that while we're one of the best districts in this area, we can have hard conversations and agree to disagree. That speaks volumes of the culture we built here,

034of the culture that Dr. Valli has helped to instill in all of us. So thank you for that. Well, I have to follow all these guys in. I just want to repeat what everyone said, that you've done an amazing job. And I know I said it earlier, that it is all on the kids. And the reason we've all said that is because every meeting that we've ever had, every conversation that we've ever had, every time that we want to talk about an issue, it is always what is best for the kids. And that is his leadership, and that is your legacy, and that is what you've instilled in all of us. And I know that that will continue. And you've done an amazing job. And you've taken the heat for a lot of things. And

035you're always the one that the buck stops with. And we all really appreciate you. And I hope you know what a legacy you've left. Thank you so much. So I've only been on the board for a few weeks. So I don't have the same type of... report probably than everyone else does or the same type of experiences. But from being on parent boards for the greater part of the last decade, I just want to say thank you. Month after month, you listen to these parents at these meetings and we ask you questions over and over trying to understand just truly the complexities of the district and what goes into every aspect of it. Always patient, always kind, no matter how many times we may ask the same question. So I just want to say thank

036you, and we truly, truly appreciate all the work that you've done. Also, I have one thing to add. I hope that in your retirement you get to know pop culture references and watch any movies, just like a few. All right. Thank you, all. I just want to reiterate that we still have them until December 1st. And after that it would be helping. So after the Board of Education was informed of Dr. Valli's plan to retire in February, we wanted to really put a lot of thought into this, a lot of consideration. and we unanimously concluded that there really wasn't a need to perform an in-depth search because Lancaster's next superintendent was already among us. It was overwhelmingly clear that the most qualified candidate, a proven leader here in Lancaster, and an integral part of the

037Lancaster administrative team. The Board of Education is excited to announce and looks forward to supporting Dr. Andrew Kufel. who possesses all the qualities and characteristics essential for a superintendent. We believe that he will be a strong leader dedicated to our district's mission and pursuit of excellence. The board has continuously been impressed with Dr. Kufel's record of collaboration, communication, and accountability. His experience provides a solid foundation to lead our district into the future. And I'd also like to open it up to board members. Before I do, I just want to let you know that Mr. Davenport is excused from this evening's meeting, but he did want to relay to me his support of the choice of Dr. Koufal to lead us into the future. Dr. Koufal, would you like to say a few words? Well, good

038evening, everyone, and thank you, Mr. Sage. I will try to be brief, but those who know me, brevity, especially in situations like these, is not always a strength of mine. However, rarely is one given the opportunity to formally acknowledge and thank those who have touched their life. I want to thank the Board of Education for providing me and entrusting me with this opportunity. I am grateful beyond words. I understand the gravity of the position and will continue to strive to work my hardest to maintain the standard of excellence that is synonymous with Lancaster schools and is deserved by our students, faculty, staff, and community. I want to congratulate and thank Dr. Valli for his years of service to Lancaster. Dr. Valli is not about personal accolades, so I can imagine how uncomfortable he is over

039there, and frowns upon the spotlight. So I too, and of course, will jump in on the show with some compliments. I've noticed a few things from my vantage point. I've had a front row seat to the hard work, dedication, and excellence Dr. Bailey brought to the role of superintendent each and every day. He cares deeply about the Lancaster Central School District, the community, instructional integrity, and most importantly, the students. His goal was to work together to make Lancaster a destination district that is second to none. Dr. Valli, mission accomplished. In my life, both professionally and personally, I've been fortunate and blessed to have had a handful of remarkable mentors and influences. I'm a better person for having worked with Dr. Valli, and I'm even luckier to call him a friend. Thank you for everything. So

040I want to thank my family, my brother, who's over there, And sisters who have always been there for support, laughter, and friendship. I'm as proud of them as they are of me. Even though we're miles away, we've remained close. And that sentence made a lot more sense before yesterday because my brother and my father surprised me, which was a great Father's Day present and gift and even better for today. Thank you for everything and always being there. My mom, who is no longer with us, but I think about every day. My dad, my first and most important teachers, thank you for being role models, teachers, and great parents. The values they instilled in me at a young age have stayed with me all these years and still provide my foundation. They provided me with opportunities

041that impacted my life's trajectory. I will never be able to fully repay them, but hope that my wife and I can do the same for our children. My wife and children, I'm a better person because they are in my life. My wife, Tessa, is my best friend, my biggest supporter, and she helps me keep perspective when it's needed most. This journey called life is fun, exciting, and at times challenging. I'm so happy to share a moment with you and can't imagine any other way. We've been blessed in so many ways, but of course our kids stand out the most. They're a reflection of our qualities and our behaviors. I'm far from perfect. But each day I strive to be the best person that I can be for them. I'm so proud of the people you

042are becoming. The hard work they put into all that they do and the enthusiasm they have for life. Continue to do your best. Have fun. Be leaders. And most importantly, be kind. Let's try to get to bed a normal hard night, please. For those of you who don't know me here, or don't know me that well, I want you to know, like Mr. Sage, I love Lancaster. In fact, my wife and I chose to live in Lancaster when we moved back from Virginia about 13 years ago. Why? The people. People in this room. The school district. The community. I grew up in Lancaster and graduated from Lancaster High School. In so many ways, I am the person I am because of my education from Lancaster schools. My teachers, my coaches, my mentors, the staff, too

043numerous to mention. helped make my educational journey an unbelievable experience. In fact, they are the main reason that I went into education, so that I, too, could make a difference in the lives of students, to give back, to pay it forward. I want to thank the wonderful teachers, the staff, the administrators I've had the pleasure of working with over the past 13 years. One of the standards we always live by is teamwork makes the dream work. I look forward to continuing to work together as a team. as we continue our journey towards action excellence. Once again, I'm excited beyond belief for this opportunity to serve as superintendent of schools for Lancaster. Thank you, board. Thank you, everybody, for being here. Again, Mr. Davenport is excused from this evening, but Dr. Puckel, he did want to

044send a message your way, and he says, you know, Lancaster has always hired the best, and we just hired the best. And I want to open it up to the rest of the board members to make comments if you wish. I'll start before Glenn goes and steals the spotlight. I'm really excited about this announcement. It's been so hard to keep it a secret. I love that so many of our teachers were here today to hear this and to see all of your faces and to see people smiling and getting teary-eyed when they announce it. And you know that it's the right thing. And everyone's smiling because you're going to be at the helm. This is exciting. And I can't think of a better person to do this. You are Lancaster, and I'm so excited for

045you to be in this position. Thanks, Amy. I am glad to see your brother and your father and your kids and wife, Tessa. He was Dr. Kufel. He was Andy. And kind he was. I got to experience Andy on the football field as a leader, as a quarterback. I got to experience Andy on the basketball field as well, in front of his father. One game, best basketball players I've ever played with and against, and again, his leadership. And to watch him always from his experiences, that was incredible. For him, just seven, eight years ago, I was having conversations around what was happening, the challenges the district was facing. He was just so vulnerable to lean in. And that's what leaders do. They lean in with empathy, vulnerability. They listen. They learn. They continue to evolve.

046I want to thank you for that. You've been a great model for me and others. I have full trust that the legacy that Dr. Valli is leaving will not just be continued. So thank you. I joined the school board five years ago. I was told that aside from ensuring the policies get followed, your number one job and your most important job as a school board member, should it happen, is to choose a superintendent for the school. And I said to myself, when I heard that, I don't have to worry about it. Dr. Bailey's going to be here forever. In February, when he announced this, the same words came back to me. One of the most important things you're going to do as a school board member is choose the superintendent of the school. Because the

047superintendent of the school is not just an educator. They're part educator. They're part... politicians, they're part CEO of a large corporation. There are a lot of different things mixed up into one hat. And when we had to make the decision, the choice was clear. I can think of nobody better to lead this school district into the future than Dr. Kufel. Over the past five years of knowing him, he has shown himself to be diligent, thoughtful, putting kids first in every decision he makes. And I'm looking forward to the great things that you're going to do for this district. Dr. Kufel, obviously on the lower end of the spectrum, we've been working together, man, pretty close to a year now. And a big quality that I kind of always live my life by is trying to

048be a better person than you were the day before. And that's something that I noticed on you immediately. You're very well spoken. You're thoughtful. You're kind. And you're always trying to be a better person. And I think with anything in life, you can get complacent. You can have the idea that, hey, it's good enough. Well, what can you really do to get better? I think having the mentality that it can never be good enough and that there's always a way to improve is... amazing and just the fact that you recognize that hey we're not perfect I don't think anyone's perfect but recognizing that try to be a better person than you were yesterday is I know for me as a parent someone that I would love to have in that position that was why for

049me when this conversation came up you know that was an over in it for me so look forward to serving you throughout the years and you know maybe for me I look back on it and as much as great as my relationship with Dr. Valli is I may be looking back on a relationship with you as well throughout the years. So I appreciate it, and thank you. So again, just a few weeks. But the sentiments that I have are very similar with Dr. Verily. Every month, you listen to our questions, you answer them, you always have the most wonderful updates about the district, and you truly gave us an amazing aspect of what was really happening within the students' lives and within the schools. that information was invaluable to all the parents that were there

050and then we were able to share from there on out. So I thank you for the current role that you've had and as soon as I heard of what was happening, your name was the first one that came to my mind of the most obvious choice. So very excited for the future and what's to come. Again, the Board of Education extends our deepest appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Valling and welcomes and congratulates Dr. Kufel as the next superintendent of Lancaster Central School District. Right, 10.0, old business. Does anyone have any old business to discuss? 11.0, new business. 11.1. personnel items. 11.1.1, can I have a motion to appoint Director of Instructional Technology and Accountability? So moved. Thank you. Any questions or comments? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 11.1.2, can I have a

051motion? I think I saw Cheryl Rangel over there, so I'll say a couple quick words. and I'll be more brief, but I think equally effusive in praise. Cheryl Randall, stand up if you want real quick. Next Director of Instructional Technology and Accountability. Cheryl has been with the district since 2018 in multiple roles. When I say multiple roles, if you can think of it, especially going through a pandemic, Cheryl was it. And she excelled in all those roles. Some things I've heard from people who work closely with her. Cheryl's a lifesaver, one of the best people I've ever worked with, hard worker, dedicated, willing to help with whatever, whenever, to help her colleagues and students, and always ends the conversation with, what else do you need? I'm excited for her to join the administrative team in

052her new role. I know she'll be fantastic, and I know that she'll continue to excel, and with that focus on students and helping the teachers, the administrators, and the district. Congratulations, Mrs. Randall. Thank you, Dr. Goofel. All right, 11.1.2, can I have a motion on the superintendent's employment contract? Any questions or comments? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 11.1.3, can I have a motion to appoint superintendent of schools and approve employment contract? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 11.1.4, personnel changes. Can I have a motion on the personnel changes? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 11.2 Education Items. 11.2.1. Can I have a motion on the Committee on Special Education? Second. Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against?

053Motion carries. 11.2.2. Can I have a motion on the Committee on Preschool Special Education? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 11.2.3, can I have a motion to appoint parent member to the CSE and the CPSE? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 11.2.4, this is for information only, textbook first reading, National Geographic Learning, lift. 12.0, business and financial items. 12.1, can I have a motion on the financial items? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.2, can I have a motion for the contract with Buffalo City School District? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.3, can I have a motion to declare surplus books? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone

054against? Motion carries. 12.4, can I have a motion to declare surplus textbooks? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.5, can I have a motion for the payment from the employee benefits accrued liability reserve? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.6. Can I have a motion on the contract with Omni and TSACG Compliance Services, Inc.? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.7. Can I have a motion on the contract with Aspire of Western New York? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. Can I have a motion for 12.8 on the contract with OG Instruction? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.9. Can I have a motion on

055the contract with People Inc. DBA Deaf Access Services? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.10. Can I have a motion on the construction change orders? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.11, can I have a motion on the 2024-2025 meal prices? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.12, can I have a motion on the contract extension with summer transportation? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.13, can I have a motion on the contract with Western New York Dyslexia Specialists, LLC? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.14, can I have a motion on the AIA contract with CME Associates, Inc.? Any comments or questions? All those

056in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.15. Can I have a motion on the bond resolution for $127,700,000 capital project? Second. Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.16. Can I have a motion on the bond resolution for $34,300,000 capital project? Second. Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. 12.17, can I have a motion to accept the internal audit report and corrective action plan? Mr. Tallarico, does the audit committee have a recommendation? It does, Mr. Sage. So today we met, the audit committee met with our external auditors as well as our claims auditors, and I would like to propose to the board to recommend the audit report as well as the corrective action plan. Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries.

05713.0 is a public hearing. Any person who notified the district per policy 1514 may speak at this time. Speakers must first be recognized by the president and then identify themselves by stating their name and address. The time limit to speak will be limited to five minutes per person. All right, welcome all to have come to observe this meeting this evening. This is a time set aside for public hearing, a time where we invite members of the community to share ideas and concerns with us. We welcome this opportunity to hear from you. Again, each person is given up to five minutes in which to address the board. This is a meeting held in public rather than a public meeting, which means we won't be engaging in any dialogue with members of the community this evening, but

058rest assured we are listening carefully and take seriously what you have to say. I would like to ask you to demonstrate respect for us and one another by speaking to the issues, giving us ideas, and sharing your opinions, but not engaging in any personal attack. Additionally, please know, as a public school district, we are bound by various laws, regulations, and policies regarding the privacy of students and staff, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Moreover, board policy prohibits public comment on any topic directly or indirectly related to employee personnel information or any topic that may potentially disclose information about a particular student. Accordingly, please do not comment on the performance or conduct of individual staff members and or specific student confidential related matters. This policy will be strictly enforced and anyone violating the policy

059will be barred from addressing the board in the future. Thank you for your cooperation. All right, we have 10 folks signed up to speak this evening. And I apologize if I say your name incorrectly. First we have Nicole Malskiewicz. It's Malskiewicz. Sorry. No, it's okay. You're not the only one. The first and you won't be the last. Good evening. My name is Nicole Malskiewicz. I am here in support of Adrian Gumbel tonight and for her concerns. Nicole, I'm sorry. Would you just mind stating your address for the record? I don't wish to because you guys record it and it goes on YouTube. Is that okay? Unfortunately, it is the possibility that you have to state it just because this is a public meeting. 306 Forest Drive. Thank you so much. You're welcome. I'm here in

060support of Adrienne Gummo tonight for her concerns that she addressed at the last board meeting to no avail. I am not a resident of Lancaster, but an neighboring resident in the town of West Seneca, and this hits too close to home for me to stay quiet. This isn't just about Lancaster, because your actions can have an impact on other schools as well. I'm confident that I speak for the majority, and because of that, this is the exact reason these ideologies shouldn't be imposed on everyone. It has no place in the schools. If the parents have concern for the children and need help with topics like LGBTQ, they have student counselors and psychologists for that reason. As a mom of a teenage daughter preparing to enter the high school next year, I am aghast to learn

061this district is implementing an LGBTQ curriculum for all students. I couldn't help but immediately call the school counselor at our high school to inquire if West Seneca is going to do the same. The answer I received was no, and I would like to keep it that way. We are all well aware that superintendents in this area communicate with each other to compare notes and keep a level playing field. If one is doing something, it seems that all eventually join hands and follow along. Because this isn't a standard, nor is it mandatory by New York State, it's unclear to me why Lancaster has decided to implement this. But as a resident of the next town over, I urge you to rethink it. Not only is this for the sake of all students who attend here, but

062also those in the surrounding towns who might adopt this curriculum because you have. A solution would be to provide resources for those who need it and want it and leave it out of the classrooms. Another thing, I'm not sure why no one is talking about this, but why are we even classifying children to any group, let alone this one in the first place? And didn't we stop late-wing children a while ago because it's harmful? I've always been taught that stereotyping is wrong. It's frowned upon when it comes to race, so why is this okay? Are we unable to celebrate each child as an individual for exactly who they are? Their sexual and gender orientation shouldn't define them. They are much more than that. This agenda that is sweeping our nation has been taken too far.

063And at what point do you ask yourselves, what is it that is actually trying to be accomplished here? Lastly, schools have an obligation and a responsibility to inform parents of what is being taught in the school. Remember, you work for us and we take your salary. So why were parents never informed of this and why did Adrienne have to learn about this from her daughter after the fact? Is there a reason this agenda is being hidden from parents? School isn't meant to teach ideologies or make children conform to them. Schools also shouldn't teach on anything but the basics, and we will not stay quiet until this matter is taken into consideration and given a solution that benefits all students. Thank you. Second, we have Dr. Michelle Cavanaugh. Good evening. Dr. Michelle Cavanaugh, Greenwood Court, East

064Aurora. Let me extend my congratulations to you, Dr. Balali and Dr. Kufel. You have my sympathy, Board of Education members. An issue involving health education in the classroom was brought to your attention in a very public way without the benefit of it being prevented or addressed closest to the classroom. I had the pleasure of serving here as a former director of curriculum, and it's so good to be back. I am currently retired as a superintendent of schools and have served 44 years in education. Allow me for a moment to address New York State health standards, best practices, and board policy 8331 on instruction of controversial issues. About the time that I served here, NYSET was beginning to develop a guidance document and learning standards in health. Key points in the document are relevant here. First,

065health standards are learner-centered, meaning that they allow learners to explore, discover, question, and personalize their own learning. So I wonder, was the teacher's instruction to the student learner-centered? I don't know the answer. Maybe you do. Second and most important, health standards are based on functional knowledge that is the most essential research-based health facts for students to know. Now, I'm old, but I've read through the State Ed website a couple of times, and in examining functional knowledge in the documents, none, zero, refers to defining gender or gender identity. Was it necessary for the teacher to include questions of this nature in her teaching, as if the answers represented research-based facts? Was the material presented impartial? Ironically, one of the most critical health education skills in the document is communication, a skill that should be modeled by

066all educators for students. This includes listening with empathy and seeking to resolve conflict while working towards collaboration. Did the adults involved model this skill? Did they listen thoughtfully to the student and the parent? Was the conflict managed at the building and the district levels? And was there an intent to collaborate between the classroom and the home? Finally, House Standard 3 is significant. To understand how the family can provide for the economic, physical, and emotional needs of its members, was this modeled by the adults in considering the mom's concern? Is the importance of family and family beliefs respected? To be clear, nothing, nothing at all that I could see in health standards or state guidance supports instruction on gender identity, let alone the manner of instruction that may have occurred. Now, it's possible that LCST developed

067a local curriculum, and I'm not sure it did. If so, it would be aligned with NYSED learning standards and publicly approved by the board, so you would know. Best practice dictates that parents should be informed of curriculum changes, especially if they're controversial. A single teacher does not make these curriculum decisions alone. Is gender identity a part of the local curriculum here? Did the teacher, along with the building administrator, alert parents of this controversial topic in advance? Did they review the material for impartiality and alignment to standards? Now according to board policy 8331 on controversial issues, if controversial issues are taught, they must be presented in an impartial manner. And when a parent or community member protests a potentially biased presentation in the classroom, as did the mom in this case, The superintendent must provide an

068impartial hearing so that both parties may fairly express their views. Did that occur or will that occur? Sadly, it seems that there might have been a misalignment of classroom instruction with NYSED documents. An absence of productive communication that could have resolved this issue. Impartial consideration. Maybe a disregard for board policy and maybe omissions of best practice. I don't know, but those would be questions I would ask about. In the end, what concerns me is that there was a mom who was concerned about her child. She may not have been attended to. She may have been stigmatized. And a young girl missed out on feeling safe and valued at her school. Mr. Dennis Hassel. I apologize if I said your name incorrectly. All right, it's Hussack. Hussack. I apologize. I'm not sure who has the time,

069but if you could just hold up. I wasn't aware that we had this incredible arts presentation, and I just wanted to say, man, these kids, if I, I couldn't do the kindergarten art the way they did it. And when I saw the red shirts, I knew they weren't from independent health. So they're real teachers. But thank you. for all of your efforts in raising some incredible kids and teaching them incredibly. I think you can stop now. The timer. Thank you. And also, I just want to thank you as a board. Mr. Ossack, could you provide your address? Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, I live on Goodrich Road in Clarence. And as a point, I don't have children currently in the Lancaster School District or grandchildren. But I have many friends who do. I want to thank

070you very much for what you have to listen to and try to digest in a very difficult situation, and I appreciate that. I've heard a lot about... state mandates in the districts that are really having to hold on to those mandates. And one that I got out of Frontier Central Schools that I'm sure I think you have to apply to as well is a grandparent came to the meeting and asked, their kid was just coming into school, what's the bathroom policy? I mean, something simple I never think about. What's the bathroom policy? But in reading the law behind it, it says, by law, a school must accept a student's assertion of his, her, their own gender identity. Now, my 13-year-old granddaughter can't consume alcohol. She can't vote, she can't buy a gun, she can't drive,

071she can't gamble, she can't enlist in the military, but yet this policy says that she can determine her gender and by law we have to accept it. Now, I just don't understand from a common sense standpoint and in your position how that's even feasible. to think about. And then it says, if a student does not wish to engage their parent or guardian, the social worker or counselor will not share that information with the parent. Your kids, who you love deeply, more than any of us love your children, you may not know. their transition or their concern because of this state mandate. I don't quite understand that. And then what is it? Do I need to have a certification or something that tells me my gender is different and so on? Here's what the law says.

072Confirmation of a student's asserted gender identity is usually as simple as a statement from the student. There's not even a written document. The student says, I want to be a cat, or I am a cat. And do we have to accept that and follow through with that? And where I'm going with this whole bathroom policy, finally it says, under the law, all individuals, including students, have the right to use the facilities consistent with their self-identified gender. A student is able to access the bathroom of the gender that they consistently identify with. I don't understand the common sense. And as a grandparent, I have a real concern for my granddaughter coming into school and their fear of going to the bathroom because maybe a boy is in there, their boy's in her bathroom. And I just

073ask that you, is there any policy from New York State that would come down that you as individuals would say no? I'm not crossing this line. I can't do this for the sake of my children. Just one other subject. There was all kinds of talk last year about these evil people that want to ban books and so on. Well, as an old man, I looked at some of the material. And from a common sense standpoint, if I can't read to you from that book, or I can't show you pictures on the screen of some of the pictures that are there, how in the world can we say yes to our children having these books and this material in the libraries and say to a fifth grader, yes, you can do that. I can't do it

074on radio. I can't do it on TV. I can't do it in the press. But yet, we're saying to our fifth graders, we're questioning, you've got it. So I think it's time that we seriously look at and say perhaps no to some New Yorkers. We use our position to a horde. They threaten funding, whatever. Please, for the sake of our children, my grandchildren, so on, let's consider this and let's stop this nonsense. Thank you. Right. Number four, we've got Bonita Brown. And then just a reminder for the audience, even if you agree with somebody, if you're going to say anything other than clapping, just wait until, you know, just clap at the end. You can clap, but don't say anything. I appreciate that. My name is Bonita Brown, 118 4th Avenue. I'm just going to

075be counting my time, but how often do we have parents and a bunch of teachers in the same room? Just take a minute if the parents can just clap to our teachers for putting up with our kids. To the parents for trying really hard to get all your work done. And by the way, if any of your kids are like my kids, or ask me what they did the whole day, I'm all here. Nothing. So whatever you're doing, nothing is working because four of my six kids graduated college and my 11-year-old daughter in middle school didn't do anything apparently, but I appreciate everything you guys did. With that said... I would also like to just say that we do appreciate the teachers. We love what you guys do. I don't understand math, so that will

076never change. But none of this is about an individual teacher, and I apologize if the union was given the wrong information on that, because we do appreciate you, and it has nothing to do with us. That was never the issue. With that said, my question was, you talked about being more understanding about diversity, and I get that. But what groups does that apply to? Bottom line is that our district says that we want to provide a safe learning environment that our kids feel safe and protected. I've been in this district. I'm from Pennsylvania. I didn't go to school here, but my kids all did. I have watched things change over the decades. We have had, in the past, an example, we had students and parents that went to just simple couple parking spaces for veterans.

077We were told that there might be a more deserving group than that. When a student, a youth, and our youth are amazing, said, no, I don't agree. He was chased around in this very room by an adult for disagreeing. That's not safe. We have bullying in our school. Apparently we have bullying to the parents because it's written on people's names that we're hiding it to parents, which we'll wear as a badge of honor. But when we have the administration writing that, putting that in the system about parents, that's from a safe environment for anyone. The bullying, when a child is bullied and he goes to the teacher, or he goes to the parents, when the parents call the school and we're told, no, there's a process, And the child doesn't bail and is told to

078fill out a form. And if we feel it's serious enough, we'll look into it. My child was bullied in Booth's school. And he did all the proper things. I tried to do the proper things to no avail until it finally came to a head. Then the school was willing to listen. That's not a safe environment. We have issues with drugs and vaping in the bathrooms. Now again, this is where, as a parent, I get frustrated because I love our teachers. I love our parents, I love our youth. I can't say enough about our youth. But when we're told, when we say, can't a teacher just poke their head in the bathroom? I'm going back to when I was in high school, and we were allowed to, I didn't smoke, we had a smoking place. But

079you could go in and get out of the bathroom. And we're being told, no, because it's not in their contract. I'm not saying the teacher's saying this, but that's what's coming back to us. That does not provide a safe environment for our children and our youth. All I'm asking is, who does this apply to? I have many students that are part of the LGBT community. I have adult students. My adult students I will talk to. And they even agree that they don't like what's going on and that they are being used as pawns and they don't understand why this would be addressed in these young ages. Because they took the time to figure things out and they're still figuring things out. All we're asking is for a safe environment for our kids to go and

080feel comfortable to go to a teacher. Tell a teacher they're having an issue. Go to a counselor. Go to the principal, by the way. We've had some great conversations with principals over the years. So I'm not knocking anyone. But overall... We don't have a safe environment for all of our kids if we're only looking to protect one group. And that's not fair to that one group because that puts them out there to everyone else. And that's not fair to them. And that doesn't give them a safe environment. Like the one woman said, we should be proud of our kids and their accomplishments and what they're excelling at and who they are. Not that they, what they identify as or, we shouldn't label them. Labels, Don't help the situation. We need to love our youth, be

081proud of our youth, be grateful for everything that we have in this district. But it's everybody, and you can't be inclusive and acknowledge diversity if you're only willing to look at one group of people. It's not fair to all the other kids. And all I ask is that going forward, we need to save. environment for our children. And we need to know when we come to board meetings, and thank you, you're all looking at me. That doesn't usually happen, and I appreciate that because this is serious to us. And had it been listened to last week, there would have been no misunderstanding with the union and the parents. And if people had gone through, people would have responded back. It would have gone to this extent. But I hope going forward, You realize that our

082youth are what's most important. We talk about that. You say it all the time. But is it happening on a day-to-day basis? And again, I appreciate the teachers. If you do, I can imagine. You have young kids, so I don't know how you get it. But I appreciate it. And I love that my kids feel a safe place with certain teachers, and I do love that. But they should feel a safe place with everybody. I want people to look at Lancaster and go, oh, you go to Lancaster, not go, oh, I know about Lancaster. And it's been like that for several years. That's not who we are. We need people to realize what we're about, who we are, and look at our youth and say, they're amazing. From our students who maybe not are the

083most athletic or the most artistic or most academic, but they've got something to give. They all do. And we all need to recognize and we all need to feel safe and loved. And encouraged. Thank you. Fifth, we have Cody Van Remen. If I said that correctly. My name is Cody Van Remen. My name is Cody, and I am the husband of one wife and the father of four beautiful and amazing children whose ages are 15, 10, 7, and 3 months. I drive a school bus, and I enjoy it very much. I am also a Marine who served in active duty from 2003. That's not why I'm saying this, but thank you. I love my country, and I have the honor of saying that I am a veteran of foreign war. I do not say this

084to boast, but rather to give context and insight into the nature of my character. I'm a fighter. I'll put it all on the line for what I believe in, especially when it's good and true. Before all these things, I am a God-fearing man. I'm a work of God and a regenerate child of his. What I'm here to speak about is about the role of teachers and what their role is now. The role of a public teacher is to teach and cultivate minds. This is not an easy job. It's not for everybody. This requires many skills and virtues in order to do well. But the one thing that is expected above all. is the integrity to do their job to the best of their ability while keeping safety paramount. It is my understanding that both of

085these things are in violation here in Lancaster. Not only by the teacher who wanted to misuse her post to push ideologically unsound social, political, and religious propaganda. I don't use that word propaganda lightly. The definition in a hard copy, Webster's Miriam. Not the one you pull up on the... Internet, that's been changed recently, is the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person. The role and rendered virtue of the parents of students is trust. This, too, was violated because the institution of the nuclear family, inaugurated by God in Genesis 1.24, actually 2.24, Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. I believe that although a teacher may not be

086malicious in what they say and do, they can still, when not careful, injure the cause and the right of the family to shake and to teach their family according to their convictions. This violation of a teacher's post and role is no small thing, but it is an egregious violation of trust as well as a huge overreach of responsibility and duty. To teach false science of transgender mutilation of either identity or sex or at the sexual level is morally wrong. And to undermine the nuclear family, which is the basic building block of society, is to ensure the utter ruin of that society. Genesis 1.27 states this, So God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them. The Bible is the most authenticated work of

087antiquity. It is more reliable than anything else that you teach in this school, yet it is not taught. It is the word of God, and it is authority. God makes no mistakes. For you formed me in my inward parts, and you knitted me together in my mother's womb. That comes from Psalms 139. And just as I mentioned my military service, I do love this country, and I have given much for it. and its Constitution, whose fabric was weaved with biblical principles. They are one and cannot be separated. Let me read the beginning, as well as a part of the Constitution that was usurped. We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and security and

088blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. That is the beginning. Now if we jump to the First Amendment, freedom of religion, speech, press, and rights of assembly and petition, it states this, Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievance. And although you are not Congress, These things have been violated in this school. To stand behind such actions is shameful. I hope you feel that, and I say that with respect. I do not look down on any of you, except physically because I'm standing in your sitting.

089Though we are men, created equally, standing on level ground at the foot of the cross. Equality, respect, safety, these things are things that everybody values. Except when... It's convenient. We're on to number six now. Keep track. Number six is Ann Martino. Ann Martino. I live on Genesee Street in Lancaster. I've been arrested for 24 years now. I am here to address bullying that is going on in the high school. There is a zero tolerance policy for bullying for the students. But I am here to address a few incidents of bullying of students by teachers, aides, and a teacher. I will not mention any names, but this issue needs to be dealt with. I have two great-granddaughters in a high school and one in Hillview. They are all victims of domestic violence in their home, and

090they had to leave their home to come with me. I believe they have enough traumas in their life. They do not need to come to school and be bullied by teacher's aides and or teachers. The first incident that I was made aware of was that a teacher had told the students that they could use their phones to work on a project if their laptop had died, which my great-granddaughter's computer had died. The teacher's aide came up to her and started yelling at her that she could not use her phone. That is against school policy, she said. The student told her that the teacher said they could use their phone if their laptop was dead. Instead of going to the teacher and asking if they had said this, she continued to yell at the student. Then

091another teacher's aide came and joined in on the yelling at the student. Thank goodness for the student's counselor that had called to have the student come for the weekly session down in her office, and the student was able to leave the situation. She was so upset that she ended up missing the bus and staying after school. She then called me in tears to come pick her up. The second incident was during a class of my other great-granddaughter in high school. A fellow student, a female, had asked to go to the lavatory. In front of the whole class, the teacher said, why? Do you need to adjust your tampon? That is totally inappropriate and totally embarrassing for that student. This student was found in the lavatory crying after the incident. Another incident was my great-granddaughter was

092in the hospital for three days, CPEP, that's the psychiatric center, where they are not allowed consoles, computers, or anything. And the teacher berated her when she came back to school for not doing her schoolwork. When my great-granddaughter tried to explain this to her, she would not listen. I just want to caution you just a bit here that you don't identify any confidential student information. I'm sorry? I just want to caution you. You don't want to state any confidential student information. If there is zero tolerance for students bullying, there should be the same for teachers and teachers' kids. Society today is brutal enough. We do not need this in our schools also. I understand that kids can be cruel, but where do they learn it? From the adults in their lives. We all need to respect

093one another. I hope that this situation will be corrected ASAP. School is supposed to be a safe place, not a place to be bullied, berated, and put down. We need to boost the self-esteem of our children, not belittle them. I pray that things will change for the better. Thank you for allowing me to speak. Next we have Mark Hamilton. Members of the board, residents of Lancaster, citizens of New York State. Mr. Hamilton, if you wouldn't mind. My name is Mark Hamilton. I live in Lancaster, Middlebury Lane. I am here as a concerned parent for all my neighbors in Lancaster. I will preference my concern with this foundation. I believe Jesus Christ is Lord and has risen from the dead. He has authority in heaven and earth and is Lord of all. And because he is

094Lord of all, he has risen from the dead. He said to love my neighbor as myself. And love does no harm to a neighbor. I am a resident of the Lancaster community, which means I support the school district through school taxes. And I have neighbors with children in the school district. At one time, I had three daughters in the Lancaster school. One has graduated in 2020. The other two now receive private education. And the reason they receive private education and do not attend Lancaster public schools is because of the harmful, inconsistent, unsustainable agenda that is being normalized and weaved into the school activities and curriculum. Many people think or even may say, I don't care what people do, let people do what they want as long as it doesn't affect my child. But it does

095affect your child. And I would challenge those to consider that it affects everyone's child. I would further submit that it is a relentless indoctrination in gender ideology and it is harmful. For example, for good reason, we don't allow 5th graders to be 11th graders simply because they want to, feel like it, or believe they are 11th graders. We also don't encourage or suggest people participate in a day to recognize prejudice. Lying, stealing, pride cannot be an exception. Pride has always been a bad idea. When we celebrate and say pride is now a good thing, we should anticipate the next thing to be celebrated in the string of letters and symbols that open up unlimited possibilities. Diversity, equity, inclusion. It appears that it is a diversion, inequity, and exclusion. There's no neutrality here, and to be

096clear, there is religion being pushed here. There is religion being pushed here through days of silence and recognition and laws that demand thou shalt say and not say, speak and not speak. Tonight, I will speak up for my children and your children alike, because you are my neighbors. Bullying is bullying, whether it comes from the students, faculty, the school board, or even parents. Just as being shoved into a locker is bullying, being made to look like the unloving, intolerant student is also bullying. We have to bow down to the need to this religion and its so-called love. We can stand for true love. We can stand for true love that is clearly fixed, defined, and informed by the truth found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Love does no wrong to a neighbor.

097It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable, resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. If we love these children, we must act like it and care for them by speaking objective, unchanging truth. Kids need us as parents as a reality check. And it starts tonight by speaking out against the harmful, inconsistent, and unsustainable worldview that's growing and changing and contradicting acronym of the LGBTQIA2S Plus agenda. If you entertain this agenda to be consistent, you will very soon have to entertain the next agenda that blurs the lines of reality. that harms the students you're committed to protect, that opens the door to anyone who wants to express certain subjective feelings and to assist their own way, their own day, their own love, and it won't stop. And

098this is the reasoning for it. This will give license and liberty to some while silencing and shackling others who oppose, object, and question to the contrary. I stand with my neighbors and I stand against any indoctrination that promotes partiality to some neighbors while threatening other neighbors. This has to be a neighborhood effort. And somebody has to stand up and say, no, not on my watch. He is Raymond Matthews. masters on Palmer Road in Wilson, New York. I'm speaking today regarding the curriculum that Lancaster School District is teaching our children. As you well know, Lancaster School District went viral because a young student was told by a teacher that she was incorrect to state that gender is what you are when you're born, male or female. The student's mother was right to describe the teacher's behavior

099as wrong and abhorrent. I'm speaking today to remind you of your duty as educators. I'm also here to remind parents of your duty to your children. Your duty is to teach truth, not some abstract concept of truth, not a truth, not your truth, but fixed objective truth, the truth. Your job is to teach 1 plus 1 equals 2. This is true. America is comprised of 50 states. This is also true. There are 24 hours in a day. There are 206 bones in the human body. True. The list goes on and on. The only way the next generation will flourish is if we teach them truth. What your teacher taught the young student regarding gender is a lie. I commend this young student for her answer. She showed that she's wiser than her teacher, and she

100might be wiser than many sitting in this room. But how can we determine what is correct? Where does truth come from? The answer to this question is something that the school system has lost. Truth comes from our Creator, the one true living God, the God revealed in Scripture. What you're doing when you teach your kids about the wonders of space and discovery, or the intricacies of the human body, or the beauty and diversity of plants and animals, when you teach them any subject, whether intentionally or not, you're teaching them about the wisdom of God. For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, both his eternal power and his divine nature have been clearly seen by everyone, being understood through that which has been made. That's creation. God is the one who made all

101things, and God is the one who sustains all things. God determined that up is up, and that down is down. God determined the force of gravity. God determined the number of the heavenly bodies in the universe. God determined everything. And truth comes from God. Without God, all you're left with is relativism, which leads to anarchy. And we're getting a little taste of that right now in the school system. But members of the board and parents, hear me now. God did not only reveal himself through creation. He also revealed himself through the scriptures and through his son, Jesus Christ. And he revealed that your duty, not only as educators, but also as people made in his image as parents, is to honor him as Lord in all things. To all parents under the sound of my

102voice, hear me. You've been sold the myth of neutrality. It's been taught to us that we can leave God at the door and create an education system that's neutral and inclusive. But let me tell you the truth now. Neutrality is a myth. You either acknowledge the true God, or you're left serving a God of your own creation under a different name. Many of you are probably thinking that what I'm saying is wrong because we've all heard we must keep religion out of education. And that's exactly my point. Have you not perceived that those in the public education system are very religious people? They're serving their own God, the LGBTQ agenda, and you're made to worship at their feet. There's no neutrality, and even if you get the board to allow you to opt out of

103this certain activity that you're bringing up, you're not going to escape it. You're sending your kids into a system, New York State Department of Education, that will warp their minds until your little boy or girl is unrecognizable from the child you once knew. Your duty as parents is to protect your children and teach them truth. And unless there is a complete overhaul of the education system in America, the public education system is not safe for them. They will faithfully worship their God and they will see to it that your child becomes their conqueror. So what is my message to parents? Honestly, get out. Unless they change, get out. Consider other options for education. It's not worth losing your child's soul. And to the Board of Education and the teachers of Lancaster School District, and also

104to parents here listening to me, my call to you is to fall on your knees in repentance. Turn from your wickedness and turn to Jesus Christ. Determine to honor Him in your curriculum above all else, no matter what New York State tells you you must teach. teach children about their creator. That includes that he created humans, male and female. There are only two genders, and there is only one God. And he calls you to offensively think. Because he expects a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. And on that day, everyone here, you will not only answer for your own soul, but also for the multitude of little souls that were put under your care. I'll close with Psalm chapter 2, which says, Take warning, O leaders of the earth. Serve the

105Lord with fear. And this is my plea to you. I yield my time. Our penultimate speaker is Dennis Hannon. Hello, Dennis Hannon for OP Drive. I'm here to break the news to you that people can choose their gender. Telling children... that gender is whatever you want to identify as, not only is that totally incorrect, but it's ignoring millions of years of their malign history. It's indoctrination into a radical ideology that has no place in schools. Forcing children into these beliefs is not acceptance. It's forced assimilation because you're trying to get them to adopt your opinion as their own. A person does not need to believe something to be true in order to tolerate or even accept other people's views without prejudice. As a matter of fact, if children are taught to look at everyone through

106the same lens, then your sexual preference or gender are a moot point. So what is gender identity anyways? It's the belief that one can be a different gender than the body they're born into. So a biological boy must be treated as a girl because that's the gender they've chosen? That sounds to me like it feeds into the very gender stereotypes this district wants to destroy. Gender dysphoria is defined as feeling distress when a person's biological sex doesn't match their chosen gender identity. Gender dysphoria is a mental illness according to the American Psychiatric Association. It's diagnosed with DSM-5, like most mental illnesses. So, would you affirm someone suffering from anorexia with liposuction? Of course not, because affirmation is not treatment and it ignores any underlying mental illness or comorbidity that may manifest on the surface as

107something else. We know this to be true from the recently leaked World Professional Association of Transgender Health documents and the CAST report. It proves that affirming one's gender identity is not evidence-backed treatment. What we really have here is a social contagion that defies logic, science, and biology. I personally believe in Genesis 127 that God created man and God created woman, but I wouldn't tell a child they must accept my belief as their own because it's not acceptance. that's forced assimilation. I want to make this very clear to everyone listening. Teaching gender identity, gender nonconformity, and sexual orientation has no place in schools. We won't celebrate these teachings, and we certainly won't bow down to any radical progressives taking part in a color revolution to virtue signal, no matter how much you cry hate or discrimination.

108Which brings me to my next point, discrimination. It's an interesting word because it used to mean to differentiate, and now it's almost always associated with bigotry. Which I want to remind everyone that age discrimination is why we have sexual consent laws. Gender discrimination was why biological men weren't allowed to change in female locker rooms, or even strip the academic achievements and scholarships for women. By removing discrimination altogether, we have effectively stripped the protected classes. So congratulations, because now the ones that are marginalized are the ones that speak out against it, even though they represent the silent majority. And I have heard the word inclusion quite a bit in here, which I think is very ironic because I'm willing to bet that not a single one of you can even define what a woman is. But

109don't worry, because you can pat yourself on the back for including them for that sweet, sweet federal and state funding. I yield my remaining time. Our last speaker for this evening is Beth Cermonera. Cermonera, I apologize. Beth Cermonera of Harris Hill in Lancaster. We moved here in 2009. Ironically, we thought it was great to be so close to the school. However, three years ago, due to the direction of different curriculums and things like that, we did decide to pull our children out of government schools. And so now, instead of being happy to allow my children to walk or bike to school, they have to travel quite a long ways to get private education. But we feel it's worth it. So we do stand confident still based in light of the topic of what we're discussing

110tonight, that we did make the right choice. So I urge you as a school board to protect the children that are under your care, to stop promoting the religious doctrines that are being pushed, that have already been mentioned. It should not be forced upon children, or anyone for that matter. It is full of lies, and lying to someone is hating them. It is morally abominable and endangers children, and one day each of you do have to stand before God to answer for your actions. So as a Christian, I must love my neighbor, just as Mark has already stated. The best way that I can do that is to tell the truth. If I continue in lies, that is hatred. Hating my neighbor has no place. And sometimes doing the right thing is not always the

111easy thing. You know, if you think that you're going along with the culture and that makes you brave, That doesn't make you brave. Doing what's right in spite of what the culture says is what's going to make you brave. So what we urge you to do is just retract the materials that are being pushed. Don't allow them to be put before children in the schools. And since everyone has so wonderfully stated what they've already said, and I'm the last one and I really don't need to repeat every little thing, I'm going to leave you with a couple readings of scripture to demonstrate the gravity of what we're dealing with. Matthew 18, 5-6. It says, and whoever receives such a child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe

112in me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea. Those are Jesus' own words. And that's how serious he takes your protection of little ones. Lastly, Isaiah 520 says, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and understanding in their own sight. Woe to those who are mighty men in drinking wine and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who declare the wicked righteous for a bribe and remove the righteous standing of the ones who are righteous. Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble and dry grass

113collapses into the flame, so their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away as dust. For they have rejected the law of Yahweh of hosts and the word of the Holy One of Israel they have spurned. I just urge you to do what is right and to stand for what is right, even though it's not the easy thing to do and protect the children of this district. Thank you. That concludes our public hearing. 14.0 is an executive session. That is to discuss pending litigation. That effectively ends the meeting for this evening. But before that, I want to let you know that our next meeting is at the William Street School in the multi-purpose room on July 8, 2024. That is our annual organizational meeting. Do I have a motion to go into executive

114session? Any comments or questions? All those in favor? Anyone against? Motion carries. All right. Thank you, everyone, for coming out this evening.