schools

There have been many complaints and much concern expressed about Batavia City Schools’ current busing situation, Board President Alice Benedict says. Parents have been quite vocal about the need to put three students per seat on Jackson and John Kennedy school buses, however, it has all been online.

Board meetings have been void of any such vocal discourse, she said.

“No parents have ever attended. But there have been lots of comments on social media,” Benedict said during an interview Saturday. “We’re criticized for the choices made, but nobody has taken the time to come and talk to us. Unfortunately, it’s something we don’t have any control over.”

A lack of drivers at the district’s bus operator, Student Transportation of America, has in turn meant fewer buses per run. To accommodate all of the students needing transportation, they have been assigned three per seat, she said.

“There’s not anything the school district can do about it, other than ask parents to take their kids off the bus and drive them to school themselves,” she said. “We’re still talking to the bus company … for me personally as a board member, (Business Administrator) Mr. Rozanski is doing the best he can. They just don’t have the bodies to drive.”

Batavia is far from alone in this dilemma. ABCnews.go.com states that schools across the country, from Pennsylvania and Virginia to Missouri, Ohio, and Texas, have reported similar shortages. Georgia’s Savannah-Chatham County Public School System reported a 30 percent decrease of more than 110 drivers upon the start of this school season, the website states. Covid is to blame for the lack of drivers, Paul Abbott, executive director for transportation for the district, said to ABC News, it states.

The city school district is short some four buses, which has caused delays, late arrivals and the three-per-seat set-up. STA operates more than 16,000 vehicles for over 300 school districts, according to its website, and is “committed to providing our customers with the highest level of safe and reliable transportation solutions available.” The company’s public relations department did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Students are required to wear masks on the bus, and they can take brief mask “breaks” if the weather is nice and the windows are open, Benedict said. Many of them have been told by their parents to wear the mask for the duration of the bus trip and not take them off at all, she said.

As for other virus-related measures, Covid testing equipment has been issued to the district by the Genesee County Health Department, Interim Superintendent Scott Bischoping said during the board’s Thursday meeting. Students with potential symptoms of the Covid-19 virus can be tested during the day.

The Health Department will notify school officials if anyone does test positive, and contact tracing will begin to track down who the infected person was in contact with prior to being tested, he said, “and making the determination if a quarantine is necessary.” The total quarantine would be for 10 days, minus any days already lapsed before diagnosing the Covid case, he said.

Having access to on-site testing and wearing masks are two methods to maintaining a healthy environment, he said.

“Our families want our kids in school as much as possible,” he said.

The next board meeting is set for 6 p.m. Oct. 21 in Batavia High School library, 260 State St.

A related Q&A was posted Thursday on the district’s website to clarify its protocols for Covid-19 guidelines. That is shown below:

SEP 16, 2021

Dear BCSD Parents and Guardians, 

Over the last few days, we’ve received a few questions from parents about protocols regarding our COVID-19 guidelines that we want to clarify for the larger community.

We appreciate the questions and will continue to update you as they arise.  

Q: Are there outbreaks of the virus in our buildings? 

A: While cases of the virus have been reported to us by the Genesee County Health Department, only a small number of those cases resulted from a spread within our buildings. Most reported cases are due to a spread of the virus outside of school, and families have taken the necessary steps to quarantine. While this situation could change, we will report any significant issues directly to families.

In an effort to provide transparent information on COVID-19 cases reported throughout the Batavia City School District, going forward, each Monday, we will be posting the number of positive student and staff cases reported from the previous week on our website: BataviaCSD.org.

Q: How will families be made aware of cases within the schools?

A: We are working in collaboration with the Genesee County Health Department who is providing guidance when there is a positive case in any of our district buildings. 

Once a positive case is identified, the Health Department determines who that child or staff member has been in contact with. From there, Health Department officials determine what action is warranted (i.e., testing, quarantine, etc.).

You will be contacted directly by the Health Department if your child was in contact with another person who has tested positive, and they will work with you to determine the next steps.

Q: Are there three students per seat on our buses?

A: Yes, there are three students per seat on our Jackson and John Kennedy bus runs in many cases. While we would have preferred to have enough buses to have separate bus runs for each building with fewer students on each bus, our transportation contractor has been unable to provide the necessary buses due to the nationwide bus driver shortage.

Q: What are you doing to try to get more buses?

A: We will continue to work with our busing contractor STA to find more opportunities to increase the number of buses servicing our district, including using subcontractors. But as of today, we don’t have a solution in place. 

Q: Is it true that students are allowed to take mask breaks on buses?

A: We have advised our bus drivers to allow students to take brief mask breaks – especially on hot days. These breaks are permitted (but not required) to avoid students getting overheated. Weather permitting, we are also opening our bus windows. 

As a parent, you can certainly advise your child not to remove their mask during these breaks.

As a reminder, if a student or staff member exhibits any COVID symptoms, they should not report to school that day and should contact the building nurse immediately. 

Please reach out to your child’s principal if you have any additional questions or concerns. 

Sincerely, 

Scott Bischoping

Interim Superintendent  

Press release:

Noblehurst Farms recently directed a $2,500 Bayer Fund America’s Farmers Grow Communities donation to Pavilion Elementary School’s Outdoor Classroom. The elementary school will use the funds to build a bridge over one of the streams located within the classroom.

“We are grateful for organizations such as Noblehurst Farms that have shown their support for this classroom, and ultimately for our students here in Pavilion. The generosity and support in this community for our Outdoor Classroom has been outstanding, and this support continues to come in.  We’ve received different fiscal donations, as well as had volunteers come in on weekends in order to enhance this incredible learning environment for our students.” said, Jon Wilson, Elementary Principal at Pavilion.

Since 2010, America’s Farmers programs have awarded more than $59 million to nonprofits, aspiring ag students, and public schools across rural America. Farmers are leaders in their communities, which is why America’s Farmers programs rely on them to help identify the most worthy causes.

Dedicated to making a difference in rural farming communities, the Grow Communities program asks farmers across the country to participate by nominating nonprofit organizations with resources to strengthen their local communities. Last August, farmers entered for the chance to direct a $2,500 Grow Communities donation to a local eligible nonprofit of their choice. Farmers have directed donations to food banks, emergency response organizations, schools, youth agriculture programs and many others that reflect the spirit and support the vibrancy of rural America.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone, including those in rural regions, and farmers play a critical role in helping communities overcome challenges, like the ones we’re currently facing,” said Al Mitchell, Bayer Fund president. “Bayer Fund is proud to work side-by-side with farmers to identify local eligible nonprofit organizations that are able to provide their residents with solutions that leave a lasting impact.”

To learn more about how America’s Farmers programs are making an impact, visit www.AmericasFarmers.com.

About Bayer Fund

Bayer Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where Bayer customers and employees live and work by providing funding for food and nutrition, education and community development projects.

Press release:

The Oakfield-Alabama FFA chapter in Oakfield, NY, has been awarded a Yearlong Living to Serve Grant in the amount of $3000. The nationwide program provides grant money to local FFA chapters to support yearlong service-learning projects that address needs related to community safety; environmental responsibility; hunger, health and nutrition; and community engagement.

Oakfield-Alabama FFA plans to help address Hunger in the Community by providing fresh beef through the Community Center.  FFA students currently raise market animals in their school barn but have expressed an interest in helping their local food pantry while also educating the community by explaining the health benefits of using fresh beef.  Funds from the grant would be used to purchase a market steer to provide the Oakfield Community Center/Food Pantry with fresh beef in August 2022.

FFA student member Owen Zeliff spoke with the director of the Oakfield Community Center/Food Pantry and concluded that there is a desperate need for fresher food donations, especially fresh meat that would provide essential protein for a healthy lifestyle.

The program provided over $284,000 to FFA chapters in 36 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The 2021-2022 Yearlong Living to Serve Grants are sponsored by Tractor Supply Company, Cargill, CoBank, Domino’s and Elanco. For more information and a complete listing of sponsors, visit FFA.org/livingtoserve. 

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 760,000 student members as part of 8,700 local FFA chapters in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Yesterday, students at Jackson Elementary enjoyed Popsicles with the Principal (Maureen Notaro).

Photos submitted by Maureen Notaro.

Batavia residents Chezeray Rolle and Michelle Humes have been selected to fill two vacancies on the City Schools Board of Trustees.

Rolle is a 2009 graduate of Batavia High and a U.S. Army veteran who served for six years, including two deployments to Afghanistan. He is currently employed at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia and coaches Batavia Bulldawgs football. He married his wife Bianca in 2012. He and his wife have three children attending City Schools.

Humes is a customer service manager at Hodgins Engraving.  She is married and her and her husband's son graduated from BHS in 2020.  

They replace Peter Cecere, who resigned in June, and Brenda Good, who won a seat on the board in May but resigned before taking office in order to become a candidate for an administrative position in the district.

Press release:

The Genesee Valley BOCES (GV BOCES) School Library System has been awarded a National Leadership Grant for Libraries in the area of a National Forum in response to the need to identify recommendations for effective post-COVID school library programs. This $150,000 grant will fund four virtual national forums on the future of school libraries. Given the high level of complexity, national scope, and emergent nature of the investigation, a collective impact approach will be used to gather together diverse viewpoints from across the country. Topics will include an instructional design for remote librarianship, emerging services for teaching and learning, defining the role of the school librarian, and program considerations for new learning models. Reports generated from these forums will provide actionable recommendations for school librarians across the country. 

Christopher Harris, Ed.D., Director of the GV BOCES School Library System, wrote and submitted that grant and will serve as the project coordinator. Patrick Whipple, Ph.D., Director of GV BOCES Professional Learning Services, will lead the grant evaluation. 

“What we want to do is take a hard look at what the pandemic brought to school libraries and really figure out what worked,” Dr. Harris explained. “We are leading this national effort to bring together thousands of school librarians from across the country to plan out how we are going to move forward to meet student needs in this new future.” 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, school libraries across the country made changes to procedures, spaces, and instructional practices out of necessity. Across the many models of in-person, hybrid, and remote instruction adopted by districts around the country, there were even more models for school librarians and the services they provide. It is essential that we take time after the immediate pressure of the pandemic emergency to reflect, understand, and evaluate those modified practices. The need for investigation is especially critical in those communities where school library programs were already at-risk prior to the emergency.

“The grant project is called 'Libraries Today,' ” Dr. Harris noted. “We are looking at where we are today and where we want to be moving forward. This grant will give us a chance to guide the national policy discussion around school libraries.” 

The first work in the grant project will be the convening of a national advisory panel. Advisory panel members will include the School Library System directors from New York City and Erie 1 BOCES, as well as, directors from Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools, Norman (OK) Public Schools, the past president of the American Association of School Librarians, and others. 

Press release:

The Batavia City School District’s Registration Office will be located at the Robert Morris Site beginning on Monday, August 2, 2021.   Families are asked to use the Community Schools entrance when picking up or turning in registration materials, which is located off of the parking lot at the corners of Richmond and Vernon Avenues.  The hours are 8 AM-12 PM and 1 PM-3 PM until August 20.  Beginning August 23, hours are 8 AM-4 PM.

The District encourages any families with children entering Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) or Kindergarten in September to please register their child as soon as possible.  Children who are residents of the District and who are four (4) years of age on or before December 1, 2021, are eligible to apply for UPK.  Children who will be five years old on or before December 1, 2021, are eligible for Kindergarten.  Please see the information on our District’s website, https://www.bataviacsd.org/page/electronic-registration, to begin the registration process.

 Anyone with questions may call the Registration Office at 585-343-2480 ext 1010.

Scott Bischoping has been named interim superintendent for Batavia City Schools following the resignation of Anibal Soler.

Bischopping was the interim superintendent following the departure of Chris Dailey and preceding Soler's appointment at the start of 2020.

Soler accepted an appointment as superintendent of the Schenectady school district.

"His knowledge and leadership will guide us into the new school year," the district said in a statement.

A Batavia City School District trustee who held up approval of a merger between the Batavia and Notre Dame hockey teams at the district's school board meeting on Thursday afternoon met with the schools' athletic directors and coaches and said he had his questions answered and looks forward to the agreement being on the board's next agenda.

The Batavian has attempted to clarify with John Marucci that his statement means he intends to vote in favor of the merger but he has not responded to two emails.

Three Four other members of the board have responded to emails and said they intend to support the measure. One hasn't responded.

Previously, The Batavian emailed five questions to Marucci about his apparent objections to the merger, trying to clarify his position and didn't get a response until yesterday. He didn't provide answers to the question but did make this statement:

I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. Just so you know that today at 3:15, I was able to meet with BCSD BOE President Alice Ann Benedict, BCSD AD Mike Bromley and hockey coaches Marc Staley and John Kirkwood. We had a very lengthy and thorough discussion about the proposed merger between Notre Dame and Batavia as it pertains to hockey. I feel very satisfied that I had my questions and concerns answered and look forward to having this item on our agenda for our August 5th BCSD BOE Meeting. 

At last week's meeting, Marucci expressed concern about other schools in the county being eased out of a combined hockey program with Batavia and that once current players from those districts have graduated, students at those schools would have to attend Notre Dame if they wanted to play hockey. He suggested Notre Dame recruits athletic students and that he was concerned the merger wouldn't be fair to Batavia students.

Our questions to Marucci included trying to find out how the merger wouldn't be fair to Batavia students. He didn't answer that question.

At the meeting, he said, "I just want clarification," and, "I'm not trying to be that guy but I guess I'm being that guy."

With two seats vacant on the board due to resignations and one person absent, Marucci's unwillingness to vote to approve the agreement meant there wasn't a quorum, so the board had to table the matter until its Aug. 5 meeting.

The merger would mean Notre Dame, which has won two sectional championships in recent years under Head Coach Marc Staley, and Batavia players would form a single unit.

Last week the schools announced the new team would be known as Batavia United.

Advocates of the merger argue that the merger would allow both schools to have a JV program, which will help produce a more successful program and end the dangerous practice of including JV-aged and -sized kids on varsity rosters.

And yes, students at schools such as Le Roy, Alexander, Oakfield-Alabama, and Pembroke, who want to play hockey in the future, will need to attend a private school such as Notre Dame. Which is how it was for those schools before Batavia, in a bid to increase its hockey numbers seven years ago, accepted those schools into its hockey program.

Since that realignment, Batavia has won 13 games with only two of those wins coming against Section V opponents and no wins against teams with winning records.

The merger is going to get the support of at least three trustees.

Statement from Alice Benedict:

I wholeheartedly support the Batavia Notre Dame Hockey merger. It will help both schools be able to offer hockey opportunities for grades 7 through 12.

Statement from John Reigle:

Thank you for reaching out to me regarding the hockey merger. 

As you are aware we tabled the agenda item at our last school board meeting for some final clarification and questions. It is a big decision for our district and I’m glad our board of education is putting in so much collaborative thought and consideration into the topic. Unfortunately, our athletic director and/or the coaches were unable to attend the last meeting to have more discussion on the topic. However, it is my understanding they were able to meet with our board president and Vice President yesterday to discuss. 

After speaking with some hockey families from both schools, along with learning more of Coach Staley’s & Coach Kirkwood’s goals and intentions for the United program, I am in favor of the merger. I look forward to bringing back a competitive hockey program to our city that the student-athletes, our schools, and our community are proud of. 

Statement from Barbara Bowman:

I am in complete support of the hockey merger because it will be advantageous to BHS and ND students and the community in general.

Newly elected Trustee Jennifer Lendvay did not respond.

UPDATE: Lendvay's statement: 

I am in favor of the merger of the BHS/ND hockey teams and look forward to seeing them play.

The shovels went into the ground at Oakfield-Alabama as soon as the summer break started on a $15.3 million capital improvement project at both the high school/middle school and the elementary school and yesterday Superintendent John Fisgus and a group of contractors gave members of the school board a tour of the work followed by an official groundbreaking ceremony.

The project includes reconstruction of the entry, parking lot, passenger pick-up, and bus lanes at the elementary school. The elementary school is also getting a remodeled cafeteria and kitchen, new main office, nurse's suite, and main entrance. There will also be a new teachers' lounge, remodeled gym with new bleachers.

The schools are also getting new, brightly colored -- blue and gold -- tennis courts.

The HS/MS is getting a remodeled auditorium.

In the fall of 2022, all of the windows of the HS/MS will be replaced and the school will get a new entrance, new atrium, and new main office.

Among the highlights of Elba's graduation, this past weekend were four fathers from the Class of 1991 (that's 30 years ago for those of you counting) who shared in watching their daughters graduate with the rest of the Class of 2021.

Michael Augello, school board president, handed a diploma to his daughter Taylor.

Pictured from left: Madison Harrington and her father Aaron. Miah Werth and her father Steve. Leah Bezon and her dad Steven, and Taylor Augello and her dad Michael.

Photo by Laura Luft.

Oakfield-Alabama held its 2021 graduation ceremony on Friday.

Above, Karly Smith delivers her Valedictorian speech.

Zachary Hall, below, was the Salutatorian.

Photos by Kristen Smith.

The children and staff at the Agri-Business Child Development Center on Brooklyn Avenue in Batavia celebrated Juneteenth today with a parade in the playground.

Students at Batavia Middle School who have been accepted in to the Honor Society were celebrated in a ceremony at Van Detta Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

With field trips canceled this school year because of COVID-19 restrictions, the staff at Jackson Primary today organized a "Field Day" for the students.

Besides a visit for Deputy Andrew Mullen with K-9 "Frankie" and City fire, activities for the kids include carnival games, dance, rock painting, parachute, and moving-up certificates.

At a time when politics sometimes obscure the good work people do, Superintendent Anibal Soler "took stock" Monday night of all the things parents students, staff, administrators and school board members accomplished during the coronavirus pandemic.

As part of his regular superintendent's update, Soler ran through a list of positive things that have taken place in the district since the pandemic rolled into Genesee County 15 months ago.

"Sometimes we get lost in the current events, the news articles, this whole thing we can’t really control, people question our integrity, our commitment to kids because we may not be extreme about masks or anything of that nature," Soler said to open his remarks.

In no particular order, he said:

• Though the district didn't have to, schools reopened 10 weeks ago to full, in-class learning five days a week. "We could have taken the easy route," Soler said.
• The school board approved a budget with zero impact to taxpayers in "a very tough year."
• The district fed 150,000 meals to district families.
• The district installed 200 WiFi hotspots so students without internet access can study at home.
• "Parents were subject to constant, evolving guidance from the state and an ever-changing approach to learning from us," Soler said. "We know this hasn't been an easy year. They've stayed committed to us, committed to their kids, and their kids have been resilient. They rarely complain about any of the things we ask them to do." He added, "I want to thank our parents for always encouraging their kids to be resilient but I also want to thank our kids for stepping up and doing everything we asked like social distancing in the cafeteria, sitting at desks the whole time, you've got to walk with your mask on, one person at a time in the bathroom, a variety of things."
• The district provided at-home technology to pre-K students so students didn't need to bring technology back and forth from home to school.
• The district opened a brand-new playground at Jackson School "during a pandemic," he noted.
• Students in Special Education were coming to school campuses five days a week from the start of the pandemic.
• Plans are in place for a prom and graduation.

It hasn't been an easy year but the best barometer for how the district has performed, he said, is what the kids say.

"Most of them say we did a pretty good job with what we had to work with," Soler said.

"This is a very politically divided time," he added. "If we stay grounded on what we do for children we can never go wrong."

At the start of his update, Soler announced that two principals in the district have taken new jobs elsewhere.

Ashley John Grillo will be leaving Batavia Middle School to become principal of the Junior-Senior HS in Byron-Bergen.

Amanda Cook is leaving John Kennedy to become director of curriculum in Pavilion.

Nate Korzelius will become interim principal at BMS. Soler said Korzelius will work on integrating high-school-credit courses into the offerings at BMS and that the change will open more opportunities for those students who participate to start Genesee Community College studies while in high school.

Citing increased work and personal commitments, Peter Cecere has resigned his seat on the Batavia City School District Board of Trustees.

Board President Alice Ann Benedict read Cecere's resignation letter before the board voted unanimously to accept his resignation.

Cecere said he came to the decision after many hours of deep thought.

"These many years I have been involved have been very, very rewarding," Cecere said. "It seems like 2013 was just a few minutes ago. I have enjoyed serving the parents, teachers, and administrators of this vibrant community. But most importantly I have enjoyed being an advocate for the incredible children of this district."

Before the vote, Cecere thanked his fellow board members for their friendship during his time on the board and said increased work commitments along with his desire to spend more time coaching soccer contributed to his decision to resign.

He said he felt to remain on the board he needed to give it his full commitment and with these changes in his life, that was no longer possible.

Photo: Screen capture from video of last night's meeting. Superintendent Anibal Soler presented Cecere with a certificate and a framed collection of drawings of the district schools.

Batavia parents and students protest mask policy at Upton Monument.

On Sunday, at Resurrection Parish, Notre Dame High School held its 67th commencement exercises for the Class of 2021. 

Principal Wade Bianco and Assistant Principal Michael Rapone presented senior awards, academic honors, scholarships and diplomas. 

Valedictorian Amanda Mary Bergman addressed the 2021 class. Class President Bernard Skalny presented the senior class gift.

Anne Del Plato received an honorary diploma from the Class of 1971 honoring their 50th anniversary. Eric Ricks Jr. provided concluding remarks.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Principal Wade Bianco

Valedicatorian Amanda Mary Bergman

Class President Bernard Skalny

Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Michael Rapone

Anne Del Plato recieivng the honorary diploma Class of 1971.

Concluding remarks, Eric Ricks Jr. 

Press release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today, June 7, announced that school districts can choose to lift the requirement that their students must wear masks outdoors. Guidance on mask use indoors remains in place.

This change aligns New York State's guidance on schools with CDC guidance on summer camps, where even unvaccinated students are not currently required to wear masks outdoors.

"The numbers show that the risk of transmission by children is extremely low, especially in this state, which has an extremely low positivity rate," Governor Cuomo said. "We spoke with the CDC, and since they're not going to change their guidance for several weeks in New York State, we're going to modify the CDC guidance and allow schools to choose no mask outside for children.

"We'll leave that up to the local school district and we spoke to the CDC, which has no objection. It's very important that people understand the logic between these decisions and that they're rational and based on the science and the data. We have a disconnect right now between the school guidance and the camp guidance, and it's important to rectify it because if people don't think the rules are logical, then they're not going to want to follow the rules."

On May 24, Governor Cuomo announced that based on the current COVID-19 trajectory, all New York State schools will reopen for full in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year beginning in September.

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Also today, Governor Cuomo announced that when New York State reaches 70 percent vaccinated, he will remove COVID restrictions and guidance (except for certain settings such as healthcare, congregate settings, schools and mass transit).