[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6304940,"mediaKeyId","2452807-841208f08e9edd9757c77881687f2039","parentId",2452807,"title","District cites driver absences, outlines recruitment incentives and plans for bus purchases","audioSeconds",297,"startMs",2258145,"endMs",2555825,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2452807-841208f08e9edd9757c77881687f2039&start=2258&end=2555","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2452807-841208f08e9edd9757c77881687f2039/thumbnail_2258145.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6304940/New-York/District-cites-driver-absences-outlines-recruitment-incentives-and-plans-for-bus-purchases","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304940-25b23c3f50fb67da665bc2556f9ad41d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770980274&Signature=LHRdhZOG-hxZKtjVpHp~aJe1y1O-dJFz5wiKYvpIcc~Mf~nfS73FDm-btzFTjvR4-qEn5pOw1iBkXIZQeX1iCe0kq-~VHmJR4ScNtgiRS6x9sAgodMbI50-T~nkNy0e8FvdYZNStFsSsHS95dg2Eb6bpzyRbcecLI56X03rTxBecVEqoC2q~3qZ6PBrnu~4c~SCA-OYaeeha4QSiJpJSslBiAMHfSS7rCCmHc1FINUiFqEyL0QBCRxHDn5CxIwUEyo9X8LT5oCtAr-E-H2WIfvmD9In5YevLtMzIWzMGWTIWOcxgSXvvqbUxD5GjtRyVxaKAGAz072WsPs5nkF33Zw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-26T17:40:59Z","article","Lisa, staff member, told the board the district experienced a difficult transportation day when nine drivers called in—five at the last minute—and two contracted runs were not available, forcing the district to combine routes and reassign clerical staff and mechanics to driving duties.

\"We pulled in every resource,\" Lisa said, and acknowledged families were inconvenienced. She added the district continues active recruitment and noted an employee incentive program that pays $500 to a new driver and $500 to the employee who refers them after the new hire completes probation.

Will Theo said the bus purchase will be paid from the district’s bus reserves and that vendor availability is still being confirmed; \"we should be settling in a number in the $1,100,000 range,\" he said. Theo and Lisa said the transportation director, Jennifer Jones, is developing ridership data to allow smarter combining of low-ridership runs.

Board members described the district’s four-tiered transportation model—separate runs for high school, middle school and two elementary tiers—which creates cascading delays when one tier is late. Staff said moving to a three-tier model would require more buses or contracted runs and therefore additional expense.

The board discussed policy options such as changing walking-distance rules or an opt-out system where families who drive their children would forfeit assigned seats. Staff noted such policy changes can affect emergency routing and state reimbursement; a board member said state reimbursement rules generally use 2 miles for elementary and 3 miles for high school when calculating walker eligibility, though the district’s current local policy schedules every child for transportation.

No formal action was taken; staff said appointments for new drivers and attendants will appear on the March 4 agenda.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BOE Work Session, February 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Officials described a transportation disruption caused by staff absences and two contracted runs the vendor could not cover; the district is offering $500 recruitment incentives and plans a roughly $1.1M bus purchase funded from reserves.","taxTitle","WEST SENECA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",38550,"location","New York","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6304945,"Redistricting committee outlines options; community forum set for Thursday",495,1653420,2148635,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2452807-841208f08e9edd9757c77881687f2039&start=1653&end=2148","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2452807-841208f08e9edd9757c77881687f2039/thumbnail_1653420.jpg","/articles/6304945/New-York/Redistricting-committee-outlines-options-community-forum-set-for-Thursday","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304945-0931d16542f0f07ab98e6bb1be3a4e49/orig.mp4?Expires=1770980274&Signature=PQv6Aj4MeUHGlN4nTTGQoLes-wkj~Zm9OcAJL90PC8nVlMY25XkFeIX5jeAWcmP-IIRluRarHUiCWuKJ6CcpclZH6yKalfgkNlKRsEvg~e8xAeBdecJqLZXOMets7lNH-yatCB-PWFuJXL-NjPAsDQQhpeA9sf9BzYJgOUZ3LnB9dr0fAF7SORppUs7q9~fSwUrdbT0RrF~dZyLDriHbXNfK5zPVFml456VkxFlpGNR6VQx7mIXSmDjSBePZU2ogX39qHfQKfUHKwtN-Ixg7EjLI6AtpNcbtRgmoqbObpa9qIkjmKYQVLZ7CRccIyv2t3XGSNm4n7y-cBZNj50-hnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lisa, staff member, introduced a brief redistricting update and reminded the public of a community forum scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at West Elementary in the Board of Education conference room; the forum will be live-streamed and recorded.

Tony Dave, a consultant from the Western New York Education Service Council, told the board the committee has examined multiple models to address uneven elementary enrollments and high class sizes. He said the committee’s work began in 2023 and that members, including district administrators and community members, had reviewed building configurations and capacity.

Tony said the panel was explicitly asked to include at least one plan that maintained the district’s current K–5/6–8/9–12 configuration. Other models under review reconfigure grade bands (for example, primary/intermediate distinctions or alternative middle-school grade spans) to better balance enrollment. Tony cautioned that no plan will please everyone and that the committee evaluated options against board-established goals, building constraints and long-term flexibility.

Lisa said the district will publish materials, meeting agendas and FAQs online and welcomes written questions via the district FAQ email. The board emphasized the predictable pattern in community response: parents will first ask “how does this affect my child,” and staff urged patience and clear channels for feedback.

The board and consultants will present the committee’s remaining options at Thursday’s forum and then return to the board’s retreat for additional discussion and direction.","The district’s redistricting committee presented several configuration options and will hold a public forum Thursday at 6 p.m. at West Elementary to present plans and collect feedback.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6304950,"West Seneca previews budget draft, outlines $8.5M auditorium plan and capital outlay projects",1558,65600,1623804,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2452807-841208f08e9edd9757c77881687f2039&start=65&end=1623","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2452807-841208f08e9edd9757c77881687f2039/thumbnail_65600.jpg","/articles/6304950/New-York/West-Seneca-previews-budget-draft-outlines-85M-auditorium-plan-and-capital-outlay-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304950-7d490329a656044f9f9b69e0f61673a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770980274&Signature=L6vE3q4Dn2PuBkEsasX4640Qg9BPSqKgURy0geuYJt9CfkVmWfrr65xmgxd1L2amjwUWl6j3wZHuzmcswL0fb59wB1SOtF-QqndqyiPlSCJpDq7vMhpMaiXXLrbHY0G1Yysz6xwRe-PHvXf4hkv4S31gUtit5gXml6xLLtJVMpiVfXEL-RJNDPt4pPhHrU2Ei5vzYp5wk~gqLBPs4c5lMo~85yHbHIPkp~bzlxWWSS0ZbjdRoEBr1KeudVPZzOIpZ0P48JXQbymEzW4P48Jx5-EZlbm84VWgB99fvI0t7HM-W5lWozrMS6u3VWQevzT0JWv779od0D5L8wE2PlJW2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lisa, staff member, opened the work session by saying the board would receive an update on the budget development process and previewed results of a community “thought exchange” that drew 113 responses.

The exchange flagged facility upkeep, air conditioning, visual and performing arts, elementary class sizes and social-emotional supports as top community priorities, Lisa said. To broaden outreach beyond K–12 families, she said the district will launch a community email group; residents can sign up by emailing communications@westsenecacentralschools.org or via a QR code the district will publish.

Will Theo, the district’s business official, summarized the fiscal timeline and key figures. He said the 2026 tax-levy limit is $71,889,614, a 2.75% increase over last year that reflects a change in the capital-exclusion calculation. The district’s budget calendar calls for a first-draft presentation March 4, a second draft March 25, final board action April 8 and a public vote May 20, Theo said. He also said last year’s $6,300,000 gap had been covered with fund balance and that the March 4 meeting will include a preliminary calculation of this year’s deficit and possible gap-closing strategies.

The board reviewed planned capital work. The district plans to use the annual capital outlay allocation (projects generally limited to $100,000) to replace doors at Northwood Elementary; the district expects to receive roughly 76% state aid reimbursement on that work in the following year. Theo said the door work is expected to consume most of the outlay funds because doors are in short supply and expensive at present.

Board members and staff also discussed a proposed $8.5 million auditorium infrastructure project to replace rigging, lighting and sound systems in four auditoriums (two middle school, two high school). The district would apply $2.1 million from its capital reserve to reduce any local tax share and place the proposition on the May 20 ballot, Lisa said. A State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process and a negative declaration (no ground disturbance) are planned before the board considers a resolution to put the measure on the ballot.

Theo noted the district currently pays more than $10,000 annually for lighting rentals to supplement failing auditorium systems and argued the upgrade would reduce operating and maintenance costs over time.

Bus purchases for the coming year were discussed as a separate, vote-bound item funded from bus reserves. Theo said final vehicle availability and chassis choices remain under negotiation with vendors, but the district is targeting a roughly $1,100,000 purchase and will finalize details for the March 4 meeting.

The board was reminded that a building condition survey completed this fall will deliver results in April; the facilities committee will then prioritize urgent projects and recommend how to sequence them into future capital-improvement plans.

No formal votes were recorded during the work session; staff presented updates and scheduled future decision points for the board.","District officials reviewed community feedback, timeline and key budget drivers including a proposed $8.5 million auditorium project, a Northwood doors capital outlay and an anticipated bus purchase funded from reserves.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

District cites driver absences, outlines recruitment incentives and plans for bus purchases

Redistricting committee outlines options; community forum set for Thursday

West Seneca previews budget draft, outlines $8.5M auditorium plan and capital outlay projects