ALLEGANY, N.Y. — Four retirees, as well as volunteers, board members and administrators, were honored Tuesday with a reception during the Allegany-Limestone Central School District’s final board meeting of the year.
The reception, hosted by the high school student council, included saxophone music by students Kimberly Nevin and Emmy Li.
Retirees honored at the event with certificates and golden gator pins were David Rambuski, a bus driver/helper who had worked for the district the past 30 years and Ken Baldwin, who had served as a custodian the past 25 years. Other retirees honored, but were not present, were Sheila Faulds, a food service worker the past 21 years and Dave Taylor, a 12-year employee. Taylor had served as principal of the former Limestone Elementary campus, principal of the Allegany-Limestone Elementary School and director of instruction. Outgoing student representative, Dan Kelly, was also honored and thanked for serving on the school board this year.
For his part, Baldwin said he’ll likely miss the students, teachers and staff during his retirement. But when asked if he would ever consider returning to the job, if needed, he replied with a smile, “Aww, let me think about that one.”
In other matters of the evening, the board conducted its first reading of the 2017-18 Code of Conduct policy, which will include changes to its dress policy as well as its drug, alcohol and tobacco policy. Superintendent Dr. Karen Geelan said the proposed change in the dress code would allow students to wear spandex clothing. The proposed change in the drug, alcohol and tobacco policy would not permit students to promote the substances through social media that includes texting and Tweeting.
When asked what precipitated the proposed change in the dress code, Principal Cory Pecorella said the issue had been time-consuming at the middle/high school.
“We had spent an enormous amount of time and energy chasing and trying to enforce and correct that,” Pecorella said of the spandex dress code. “A lot of students (and parents) shared with us that it’s kind of the trend … it just became overbearing and cumbersome.”
The board also heard a presentation from Jill Robinson on the Cattaraugus-Allegany Teachers’ Resource Center, now located in the middle/high school. The state grant-funded, board-operated unit provides professional opportunities to teachers from 25 schools in the two-county area.
Geelan said the district is pleased to host the center, formerly located at the Cuba-Rushford Central School District, as it provides professional development “very close at at-hand for our teachers to participate in.”
Action items approved by the board included the transfer of up to $850,000 from the unreserved fund balance to the capital reserve. The funds will be used for the district’s share of the $16.1 million capital project that will provide upgrades to the middle/high school and elementary school campuses.
Under personnel business, the board accepted the resignation of Kelly Kent as Spanish teacher, effective Aug. 29. Geelan said the position has been posted, but may be replaced as a part-time position. In addition, the board approved the hiring of Rebecca Groele, who holds a state teaching certificate in home economics, as a long-term substitute teacher.
On a final note, administrators reminded the board and audience that the 2017 high school graduation ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the middle/high school auditorium.
