001Welcome to the Fredonia Central School Board of Education meeting for Tuesday, September 9th, 2025. We begin each meeting with the pledge to the flag. Please join me. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God with liberty and justice for all. >> So uh we need to uh first approve the agenda of the regular meeting of September 9th 2025 and and then consent all the personnel and all of their visits. We have a motion that Thank you. Anything you'd like to pull tonight in favor? >> Opposed. So we uh next have public comment. Um you start to hear comments from the audience. The rest of the board are asked to uh stand, give your name, address, and comments in 5
002minutes or less. It has to be obtained to the agenda uh for this first round of the board. Welcome students. We have students back. You might have had a good night. See? Okay. Um okay. Well, we'll move along and u need to approve the minutes regular meeting of August 26, 2025. Motion to Mr. Kenny. A second. >> Second. >> A couple Any questions on those minutes? If not, all in favor? >> I opposed. >> So, uh, next on go on the financial treasures report. There's, uh, no treasures report today. We do have to approve contracts for special education services. One contract is hearing evaluation services incorporated and aiology services. Another is the resource center for job coaching services. The through contract helpful hearing and speech using music therapy, speech language therapy, occupational physical therapy. comment
003on that. >> Yeah, I can just share um you know these contracts are really more about services that will be as needed over the course of the school year. Some of them are somewhat unique um not overly common. Um but we want to be prepared and um have things available for students as they come up. So this is sort of a catchall that allows us to put things in place fairly quickly um if and when needed. So any any questions, comments on those contracts? All in favor? >> We also have under financial a to approve two transportation contracts, a regular one and also a special education general education closest carrier center. Call a motion to move. four of us. Thanks, Mr. Forbes. Um, some different statements. No, these are roads we had last year. Actually,
004the summer multiple years two students going to an offsite, two offsite special education in Buffalo, the carrier centers to allow a student to complete a program. So, so they are every year or this is just unique to this year. >> Uh, first one will be every year. The second one was last year in this year. Any further questions on those transportation contracts? All in favor? >> Iost. All right. Skip right to skipping through personnel. Skipping through business. to our second round of public comment. Um, somebody like to speak in the second round of super the superintendent report slowing down. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Okay. Um, >> yeah. So, um, I'll come slow couple things now. We'll keep the momentum flowing, but I do have a couple things I wanted to to touch on
005with everybody. Um, first of all, you know, um, a lot of times as part of our agenda, we do expand a little bit on the hires that we have um for instructional positions, but we do want to recognize and um, we absolutely see the value and importance um, of all positions across the district, whether that's an aid, food service, um, our custodial staff, our maintenance staff, our instructional staff, our admin staff. Um, so I just wanted to mention not all of these are new appointments that we're back in personnel. Um, but we certainly want to recognize and thank um, Colleen Peritis, um, Kathleen Buchanan, Isabelleette Rodriguez, Rachel Cook, Miranda Hitchcock, we all see Kath, we also see Kathy Wright's name, um, who's helped us with tax collection over the last couple years. and you also
006went and seen a familiar name, Devil R, who's going to be helping us out with a long-term sub um for a special education position in high school. So, thank you to all of them. You know, we value we appreciate you being part of the district and I just want to make sure we recognize um those individuals tonight. Um also just wanted to say um thank yous across the board for a really great opening with our students. The last time we met, we had had our first observance day. Um but you know, we fired up um a week ago um with students um on Tuesday and it's been a great start. Every building has done a fantastic job. I want to especially thank uh here tonight our administrative staff who was on it all summer long
007and really prepared um not only for the opening with our staff but especially our opening with our students. Everyone across the district did a fantastic job. Uh thank you to our students for being cooperative, courteous, polite, and willing to roll with a couple things. Uh you know, I'm at the beginning of the school year that might be a slightly unsettled. A few schedule changes here and there, those types of things. Um but thank you very much uh to everybody as well. Board of Education is always supporting this work behind the scenes. So it was a really nice opening. We'll probably hear a little bit from our administrators about that later on. Also wanted to let you know that um we have an update on our student board of education rep. We have five fantastic um
008applicants uh for the position or positions. We're still kind of figuring out what that looks like this year. Uh we have interviews coming up on Thursday morning. We should make selections by the end of the week. Then there is a training coming up not too far away that we'll make sure those individuals are part of. So, we're excited for a strong response to putting, you know, the invitation out there to apply and we look forward to chatting with students um on Thursday morning. Also, an update on the main campus playground. You might have noticed out back. Um again, this was really an effort through our $100,000 capital outlay project um that we do each year. We did a small bit of flooring inside the elementary building, but the bulk of that funding went to rubber
009surface um a couple new pieces of equipment. And what this does for us is really ups the accessibility of that um equipment um on the playground. We appreciate everybody who was part of that. Um our maintenance department did a fantastic job helping out with some of the pre and post work. Um, Young Wright was fantastic as our architect and also architects as the playground experts who were involved who uh really know their business and gave us some good recommendations on how we can best use this for them. So, um, that work is complete and the students have been having a good time. Mrs. Morrison uh posted a couple things on our social media showing the students uh engaging with that. So, um, it's fun and exciting and we're glad to have that. um off our
010checklist. Also wanted to note, you know, we talk a lot about, you know, becoming our greatest selves. We talk a lot about the innovative, dynamic, and global and what we're doing. And our board of education is no different. Um I wanted to open it up um after just a brief comment here. Um our board has been working on uh operating procedures and really committing to writing how we operate and they operate as a board. Um a number of subject areas have been um addressed in the initial round of sort of informal approvals of these things. Um communicating with each other and within board meeting meetings using email, responding to community and employee comments or concerns, requesting information about item agendas, managing public comments um here in our meetings, expressing opinions. um while we're here uh
011in our board meetings, thinking about how we request information about things that appear on the agenda and maybe don't appear on the agenda and also creating an activity calendar for the board. So, all that has been worked behind the scenes. I appreciate the board um moving forward with those steps and really solidifying um how we operate. I don't know if Mr. Johnston, do you have anything you'd like to add to that or I'll add that uh you know been a very busy year with the capital project with lots of meetings uh we've worked to at the time to get together with some workshops and uh and you know crafted out um a beginning set of operating procedures how we how we uh deal with the day-to-day operations of the board which isn't in words instead
012of just having loose agreement and I think it it not only helps us reminds us of you know how we operate but also uh it's a great thing for the future for future to to you know coming onto a board uh it's a real eye opener in terms of what you need to know and we're still waiting in my fifth year I'm working so uh it's it's great to have all that down so we can pass it on to our future boards um really great deeply grateful to the board for taking the time to do this and uh we'll be posting it on the website making it transparent and we'll be doing that already sometime later this week so people can have access public have access to it so I don't think anybody else thoughts
013I will just say really thank Mr. Johnston for all of his effort and focus on this. I mean, there's a lot that you're already doing and this was another layer of time and energy um keeping us focused and guiding the conversation. So, definitely appreciate and see the amount that it's Thank you. We'll continue to work on that. It's a it's a it's a work in progress. We're going to be adding more chapters as time goes on. And it's all not set in stone either. you know, we what you see online, we may decide to lament amendment a little bit next year depending on what we see this year. So, um, I appreciate those comments, but I also, you know, thank the board because you all told them that it's time to work, find extra hours
014to do something like this, we're going to work now in the future. So, any thoughts? >> I just have a question. Well, I would also say thank you. you had you led the charge and it's important to have it done for the future. So I think it's it's been great when we put the chapters that we've done online when you do the other chapters. you put the template or you just >> but to explain to the public um the New York State School Board Association has a template of 22 chapters of potential uh themes for uh how we operate and we've picked out seven I believe so far and crafted them relevant to our our unique local situation. So there's other, you know, there's there's 22 chapters. So we'll be going to other chapters. We'll
015only be displaying the ones that we have done. We will be working on those those others this time. And so um yeah, also just wanted to direct um in that regard direct uh your attention to an email Mr. Johnson sent earlier today regarding a potential workshop around budget. So respond to that. Fantastic. Also just want to give an update. Um as we've mentioned a couple times in public session, we've been in negotiations with both of our teachers um association as well as our uh support staff. And uh I first of all want to thank everybody who's been attached to those processes. Um the interaction and the conversation has been productive and positive, respectful, very professional. Um, and we are getting closer to finalizing some agreements. We're not quite there. U, but we've been moving in
016the right direction and uh are down to a couple of the pieces at the end of the process um that we just need to resolve. So, um I will continue to give you updates there, but it'd be great to think that we might have some um contracts for ratification here at or relatively soon. I also just wanted to um update um one of the things that Mr. Johnson and I have talked a lot about um over the last couple weeks was bringing more data um to the attention of the board. Therefore sharing some things here in public session um and we're working on a plan for that. But just tonight we'll briefly you know each year at the beginning of the year we kind of have a check-in in terms of our enrollment. Are we
017increasing? Are we maintaining? Are we decreasing? What does that look like at each of our buildings? What does that look like at each grade level? Um, and from the end of last school year, right now we are about plus 20 20ish um students. So, that's a gain. Um, I know not a huge gain. Um, but the bulk of schools across New York State are decreasing population. We technically have increased over the last couple months. Um, and we'll check in on this uh throughout the school year. just trying to get a sense of where we are in comparison to our peers, but also to um last few months, the year before, so on and so forth. So, this is good news and uh we want to definitely welcome everybody who's new to the district or maybe
018even has returned to the district. We're excited for the start of a new school year and uh we appreciate everybody's time, energy, and efforts getting us up and running in a real positive direction. Great. Anything else? >> That'll do it. >> Any other any comments on the superintendent? >> I mean, uh, it's great to hear the enrollment is is up 20 and, uh, it's better than down 20 and, uh, stability is important. It's very important. So, it's good to see. So, thank you for the superintendent. >> Sure. Um well the next uh regular board of education meeting will be uh Tuesday se Tuesday September 23rd 2012 here in the high school library. Um so off to uh any other general comments from boards. Sure. Um so the last time we met we were in uh
019our first inservice days and I just wanted to make mention of our first faculty meeting um because our leader and me lighthouse team which is uh comprised of about 12 students and I think about eight of them could show up in the in the early morning hours on on Wednesday of our inservice days and they ran about 30 minutes of our faculty meeting. Um so that was eight of our our lighthouse team members. Uh and then after they did 30 minutes with us, uh they did a second show at the middle school and ran 30 minutes of their faculty meeting as well. Um they just introduced the the tenants of the year, sort of seven habits. Um they talked about the the five paradigms with teachers. Um they ran them through some um get up
020out of your seat kind of movements and some things to remember those seven habits and five paradigms. Um and I just want to give them uh their new credit because they did a fantastic job. uh it's not easy for students to uh do that in front of their peers, let alone a group of adults and teachers can be a difficult group of people to present to. Um and they had them um listening and up out of their seats and doing everything that they asked them to do and they were um so great at it and it's just a testament to what I think this program can start us on and and then move us through. Um and then to just kind of follow up that um talk with leader and me. Um they meet once
021a week. Um some of our teachers that are on the lighthouse team pull students from their lunch at study hall um because they have a 20-minute lunch backed up to a 20-minute study hall. So for those 40 minutes, a couple of them have common time and they're continuing to meet um each week um and our teachers are leading that charge too. Um and so they're going to continue moving along with things they'd like to do within the school. Um, and then Barb, who you met last um, last meeting, she's going to be back in October to meet with that group again. Um, and I think with every group, in all honesty, um, to try to move through some more of what leader and me can do for our school. So, I'm really excited about that.
022I think we're we're doing a a pretty great job of getting it off the ground at the beginning of the year and then continuing on um, through the year. Um, I want to talk a little bit about Thursday in those opening days as well, which was our freshman orientation, which went really well. Um, and then also our back to school bash. I want to give credit to our pride committee who put together all of the parts of um, the back to school bash that evening. Mr. Hos was cooking hot dogs. We had ice cream and all kinds of different activities for kids to participate in and families to participate as well. and they've already set their first meeting on September 18th to plan for next year's back to school bash as well. So, they're going
023to take what they learned from this year, which was the first time we've tried anything like that, really kind of talk about what worked, what they'd like to do differently next year to invite more people, get more people here. Um, we had about 70 to 80 participants this time, which I think is a great first um for into this and and they're going to see what they can do to make this a bigger deal next year for us. So, I'm really excited about that, too. Um, We uh obviously held our opening school last Tuesday. Wonderful time. Um having students back in the building is everything that I love about this job. I held my code of conduct meetings the first day. So those are done and and finished and uh students have have been uh
024briefed on the code of conduct, some of our safety plan and uh the student handbook. So all of that is finished. Uh clubs and activities are now meeting. They're in full swing. We had, I think, six club meetings this week in the first full week of school. Um, and what I'm doing there is just I send an email out on Fridays to students just detailing what's coming up next week to try to keep them apprised of of what's going uh on each week as well. So, just wanted to let you know that credit to those uh faculty that mentor those students that faculty. >> Oh, yeah. It was fantastic. Yeah. Great. to answer that name. >> Yes, we also had a great um opening week opening in services and our week last week. Definitely the
025students coming down, they all of them went through our middle school, so all of the teachers knew them very well. Um they were very impressed with their ease in presenting to us. Uh teachers were engaged, participatory, they were really, it was really great to kind of kick it off on in sort of a different way. Um, and having the students do it, I feel like was was great to make that connection. And we're hoping that they can continue to do some mentorship types of opportunities with our kids, maybe some video announcements. We've got lots of things that we've talked about to keep that momentum going. Um, and along those same lines, uh, the first eight days lessons have been underway. So, those will wrap up on Friday. they're being instructed throughout the day on kind
026of a rotating schedule so that every teacher has some element of instructional component around one of the the habits um so that not one particular teacher is seen as necessarily the seven habits instructor or something like that but it's woven throughout their day on a rotating schedule. So that's been up and running going very well. Um Mrs. Marsh and I have presents a few of those lessons too. So that's really been great. And just kind of back to the the start when I think about all the planning and preparation that goes in over the summer and that it's really validating when last week was fairly smooth in our building. There wasn't some giant gap or something that we had missed or problem that we had neglected to solve. Um so it's it's fairly nice with
027all the work the counselors did, the cleaners, the clerical staff, um Mrs. Marsh and myself. So yes, it was a very smooth start. We also have been trying to incentivize um and motivate starting the attendance because those habits as students maybe start to not attending as frequently. Those habits can be really hard to break. So you want to keep them engaged and motivated coming to school every day and on time and we're trying to incentivize them with that too um with with the help of the teachers. So that's what I worry about. >> Great. Thank you. And thanks for focusing on the attendance because that is a focus also. So um how many are in the lighthouse team? >> Ours we have so ours is adults. We don't have students as part of the lighthouse
028team yet. We have six. Mrs. Marsh, myself, Mrs. Sheldon, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. and Mrs. Number of students. >> We have 12 students. Um and then four four teachers. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Mr. >> Great. Um so in our building at the building level we're starting PS which means peace and the first step with that is called creating the PAX vision. So all the classrooms have made these little posters that says uh what should we see, hear, feel and do more of and then what should we see, hear, feel and do less of and uh the kids create this and I was in Mrs. Ray's STEM classroom and she was talking about it and one of the things they that they agreed on was hands. We should see more hands to self. And the one
029little first grader like raised his hand. He was like, "Wait a minute. Mrs. Kane said the same thing in her computer class." And I'm like, "That's exactly it. You want to have a consistent language across all the classrooms." So, that made me feel good. Uh cuz that's like the foundations of Pax Vision. And then the next couple weeks, there's nine more steps to this uh behavior program, which is kind of cool. Then at the grade level, uh today, this week, we begin our grade level buildingwide assessments where we gather all of our reading, uh writing, and mathematics data. And then we use that um information to help group kids and groups that need um the most level of intervention and we provide those services starting uh next week. And then at the classroom level, uh
030Miss Bernston's fourth grade classroom had a visitor from the Buffalo Bills uh youth um division. It's her personal friend. Uh but all the kids in her class got a uh Buffalo Bills yearbook, which is awesome. It's like this really thick um yearbook of all of the players and there's uh little articles about every person on the 52 team roster and um so all the kids got that and they got to learn a little bit more about the behind the scenes of the Buffalo Bills. So it was kind of fun. Sweet. >> That's great. Thanks. It's good that they're hearing the same message too. That must be absolutely >> thanks. So um you know the start of the school year has been great. I think it's there's a lot of positivity feeling in the air this
031year, leader in me, and just some of these things we've talked about. I think you can really feel the the nice vibe. So, you know, I I feel like the start of the school year brings about all these really good things. It also brings about for some of our students and some of our parents some really anxious moments. um you know and I had the opportunity to um to really you know kind of have some heart-to-he heart conversations with a number of parents and last week and this week and um you know I wouldn't say it was necessary problem solving but it was really just like let's talk let's collaborate and let's start the year feeling really positive and then make some plans to follow up on things that um some of our families bring
032forward. So you know did some of that and I think that was really good. Um, so again, you know, bright start. I have some new teachers, new student support services staff, some new classroom configurations, and my related services framework. So, all of that's feeling really good as we get started. So, looking forward to seeing how the fall works out, >> right? Yeah. Thanks for taking the time. I mean, children are anxious, but parents are anxious, too. Great time. I think we saw more parent tears than kids here. It's getting better every day. It's been fantastic. A great start. It's just so fun to see the joy of students as they run into school and they actually get to be a student, especially if they have older siblings and they've heard about school and now they
033get to actually experience it and it's just the joy and the eagerness is is contagious. So, it's just been a fabulous start. A couple shout outs. I have Colleen Paradise who was approved um tonight as a cook. Colleen has been wonderful in our cafeteria. We lack these are our youngest students. They don't always quite understand the protocols and procedures. Colleen is always so kind and gentle and generous with our kids. So, I'm thrilled to see her take on that new role. She's she's been great lock. Um I missed the last board meeting. So, I do need to put a shout out and bereie another huge success. Thank you to the observer for putting that on the front of the paper this week. That was great. Um, just the way the community embraces we lock in
034schools is incredible. The eagerness and I have people contacting me now to see if they can be part of our jamboree is just huge and tells me what a great success it is. So, um, you know, shout out to the fire department. The state troopers are always wonderful. The sheriff's department. The state trooper actually has been texting me a night about coming and doing a car seat safety check. So, it doesn't just end there. That's what's beautiful about the Jamberee. It allows us to create partnerships and for our families to create these partnerships with these community organizations they may not otherwise know about. So, um just I'm loving all of the information that I'm getting with you parents. So, it's been great. Um I also want to say thank you to the board for a
035couple of items and made run even better. Um the first is this is our second year that we left home bus run in the afternoon. There are no tears and Dr. Zelia witnessed that yesterday. It's it's just so much easier for the students to know who get on the bus and they're home. You know, it's taken them right to their spot. They know mom or dad or grandma, whoever is there waiting for them. So, that just really has been a huge um game for our school. So, thank you. Um year two is is wonderful. Um and the other thing I want to say is for our this is our first year to have a preschool special education classroom. Mrs. Wilson to come in and be at peace for the special ed teacher. It's an integrated
036classroom. The students have been doing wonderful. You can't tell the students that have disabilities and the kids that do not. And that's what we want. You want the kids to all have those role models and whatnot. So, thank you to the board. I'm Dr. Zilak and Dr. Wright for supporting that because it's already unique and it's already such success. I've had several parents stop me already and say thank you. Our children can come to schools. we don't have to look at other agencies or even have them at home without services. So, um many thanks to all of you because you support that. So, we appreciate it. >> That's great. Inclusion is important and the GM I mean you know talk about win community and us for sure. Thank you. Okay, you two switched my seats
037to sit. Okay, you're right. >> I know. You just go for your normal stuff. Um so, uh just a fantastic start to the school year. Um, and some of the things that sometimes don't always seem as fantastic are the needs of students and families always exist. And just to give again data and numbers and an understanding um of the students we serve in our community, we ended the school year in June with 46 students classified as McKin mental homeless. And oh, this is how much this fluctuates. As of August 28th, um, that number was 32. And then this morning that number was 25. Before the end of the day that number was 27. So this is it is it's a very difficult thing to plan for and to service. That's where bus runs come in
038and classrooms come in and um you know administrators who follow up and is the student you know we have to understand what's called the district of origin. So wherever the student was registered as a as in the school that whatever that district is when the event happened that led them to be homeless or not have um you know safe reliable safe place to go at night that district of origin is responsible for that student and you know the family often can't help where they may be placed by DSS and things like that. That's where a lot of these transportation contracts come in. Um where all of a sudden a principal may get a phone call or a social worker that they're now in a hotel in Jamestown that they want their child to come here.
039And so those are the the things we have to navigate on a daily basis. And I just, you know, it's it's one of those things I just give so much credit to everybody around this table and our faculty and staff are always working to make sure the children know that they're welcome here and that they have a place here and that their teachers will make sure they get their work. And yes, we still all of their possessions here and things like that and the um hard work that Mr. Fors has to do with first student to try and work with other districts and sign these contracts. But that's how fast the numbers fluctuate and it's one of those you know just realities that that we're all working with. So I just wanted to you know
040not bring everybody down but that is a reality amidst everything else that that we really are all working. Um and again uh just a shout out to the admin team. It was just such a smooth opening and to everybody because as things happen, you know, you can see everybody showing up in everybody else's, you know, buildings to help with dismissal, arrival, just that, you know, just just to lend a hand and that's a beautiful thing. And um so shout out to everybody with that. Um and to our clerical staff, the first day of school, the first few days of school, I we're just always hoping they'll come back the next day. Um to be honest, because it isn't just all the normal stuff. You have all the families who, you know, kiddos are coming to
041first grade on main campus and they're more terrified than their child. You have everybody with the bus thing and the this and the that and how is it done? Um, you know, fifth graders who are now in middle school. It's a different dismissal process and a lot of phone calls, a lot of people showing up and God bless all of our they just smile and yep yep on the phone. They'll do what they'll do and smile and help and do and so just a shout out to them. Um, and then of course, you know, our our teachers and support staff um just make the kids feel so welcome. And it's so fun the relationships that are built with the cafeteria staff, our food service helpers in um in all the buildings, but the high school
042in particular, those kids come in, they yell back there, hey, like you know, there's I want to make sure everybody knows they see them and and they always remember their favorite things and they have conversations and it's just a really a really wonderful thing. So, those are just some observations from a bit of a different lens on that. the first thanks thanks for the the data on the homeless so many numbers. So yes, I want this year data to know. Thank you. All right. Well, let's see. Um, okay. So we uh anticipate the need to enter in the executives tonight to uh for personnel. Um have a motion to bring that to the table. Thank you. All in favor? >> I oppose. Thank you. Uh students, uh you should probably have anybody sign