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Parents, teachers and students press Buffalo board to keep Hutch Tech administrator and to speed commissary plans
Summary
Multiple Hutch Tech parents and teachers asked the board to retain Assistant Principal Dennis Lesniak; separate public commenters including parents and student leaders urged faster action and transparent community engagement on a new central food commissary.
A steady stream of public commenters at the Aug. 21 Buffalo Board of Education meeting urged the board to both preserve leadership continuity at Hutch Tech and to take concrete steps on a long‑delayed central food commissary.
Several speakers spoke specifically about Assistant Principal Dennis Lesniak at Hutch Tech. Karen Maguire described herself as an alum and parent engagement liaison and said Lesniak is "well respected by the staff and students" and credited him with maintaining a 90% graduation rate and a strong school culture. Jacqueline Gerwitz Dunn, an Algebra I teacher with 12 years at Hutch Tech, told the board Lesniak is "part of the fabric" of the school and warned that moving him just before the school year would create instability for roughly 1,200 students. Judith Gautier Ilsan, a veteran teacher, delivered an emotional appeal saying students and staff would be devastated if Lesniak were transferred.
On the commissary, parents, parent‑student organizations and students described the district's central food facility as outdated and unsafe, and called for action to provide fresh, culturally appropriate meals for students. Khadija Hussain (parent) and Jessica Bauer Walker (president of the Community Health Worker Parent and Student Association and Hutch Tech parent) urged shared decision‑making and stronger student and parent voice in planning. A student speaker described experiences in the farm‑to‑school program and asked that the district expand such offerings.
Speakers emphasized transparency and accountability: several said they had submitted an issue brief and asked for a documented timeline and engagement process before any final decision. Superintendent Dr. Tanya Williams Knight and staff reiterated openness to engagement and committed to follow‑up with parent leaders and food service staff.
These public comments set the context for the board's later debate on the commissary resolution and underscored the convergence of personnel, nutrition and student‑voice concerns that framed the meeting.
