West Seneca board to study two additional redistricting and reconfiguration options; public comment planned

At the June 17 meeting of the WEST SENECA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Krueger reviewed the redistricting committee's recommendations and told the board the administration will study two additional options over the summer and return in the fall with a full analysis and public-comment process before the board makes a final decision.

Dr. Krueger summarized the committee's work: the redistricting committee recommended a "base redistricting" that would shift Clinton students to Northwood Elementary and reassign Allendale students to Winchester Potter to address uneven class sizes and capacity problems. The committee also recommended an option that would move a swath of students (area south of Cazenovia Creek and east of Union Road) to East Middle and East High to better balance middle- and high-school enrollment. The committee did not reach consensus on a proposal to relocate fifth-grade students from Clinton and Northwood to East Middle; the board asked administration to study that option and a separate elementary reconfiguration model that would group schools as pre-K to grade 2 and grades 3 to 5.

"I'm not here to be right. I'm here to get it right," Dr. Krueger said, framing the proposed summer study as an effort to find the best long-term solution. She told the board the administration believes both additional options are feasible from an enrollment and building-capacity perspective but that the major outstanding challenge is transportation logistics: how new routes would affect travel times, stop patterns and the need for additional drivers.

Dr. Krueger recommended a two-phase approach: first resolve urgent K'0 issues (class sizes and instructional spaces) by studying and deciding on an elementary-level solution; second, continue longer-range work on secondary-school configuration and facilities planning. She said if the board selects a plan by December, district staff could implement reconfiguration by September 2026; if the decision slips past early winter, implementation could move to fall 2027.

Board members asked the administration to analyze transportation staffing and route impacts as part of the feasibility study and to show how any plan would affect numbers of students moved, transitions and program continuity. Several board members and speakers emphasized that students are not mere numbers and said the district must protect student services and program equity during a transition.

Public commenters raised the need for broader outreach and transparency to ensure neighbors and families are aware of potential changes, and expressed concerns about impacts on students with anxiety or other special needs and about preserving peer groups and program access. Kenneth Thompson said many neighbors "have no idea this is happening," and called for more public engagement. Carol Jarsick asked specifically how special-needs students would be accommodated and whether siblings would be kept together. Dan Scott urged the board and administration to ensure experiences and opportunities are preserved for families asked to move schools.

Dr. Krueger also noted an operational factor that could affect options: Winchester Academy is currently leased by BOCES, and BOCES has indicated a desire to lease that building for the 2026'—27 school year, which could influence space availability and planning.

Ending: The board directed administration to study the two additional options over the summer, to return in the fall with a pros-and-cons analysis for four total options, and to conduct a public comment period before the board selects a final plan.