Gates Chili board candidates back district budget and emphasize staffing, capacity and literacy

At a candidates’ forum hosted by the Monroe County School Boards Association, five people seeking seats on the Gates Chili Central School District board outlined priorities ahead of the district’s May 19 budget vote and school board election.

Michelle Jennings, a one-term incumbent on the board, said she puts “students first” in decisions and stresses transparency and collaboration. Adam Reinhardt, a speech-language pathologist and parent, framed his candidacy around supporting students who use augmentative and alternative communication and building sustainable supports for staff. Katherine (Katie) Davis, appointed in December 2022 and completing a three-year term, cited committee experience and community outreach. Christina “Tina” Carney, a student-success project coordinator and dyslexia advocate, emphasized literacy and inclusive family engagement. Angela Stout highlighted her experience managing federal-funded programs and the need to balance services with fiscal restraint.

Why it matters: All five candidates told the audience they support the budget recommended by district staff and urged voters to weigh the proposed spending against ongoing pressures the district faces, including staffing shortages, enrollment growth in parts of the town, and expanding student needs. The forum gave candidates a platform to explain how they would prioritize resources amid those constraints.

On priorities and solutions: Candidates repeatedly named teacher recruitment and retention, capacity at elementary schools and student mental health as top issues. Katie Davis warned of capacity pressures tied to local housing development and called attention to recruitment and retention measures; she said the district is “53% economically disadvantaged,” and argued that sustaining personnel and programs must remain central. Adam Reinhardt urged realistic expectations for implementation in classrooms and said, “I’d rather see fewer things done well than try to do too much,” stressing the need for ongoing training and support for teachers.

Several candidates pointed to literacy gains and disciplinary changes as examples of recent progress. One candidate reported district data showing elementary reading benchmark performance rising from about 40% to 57% after a new literacy program and said that recent efforts were associated with lower suspension rates and higher graduation rates; candidates described those numbers as reasons to continue current instructional strategies while watching for sustainability.

Budget stance and ballot items: Every candidate expressed support for the proposed budget. Katie Davis specifically said the budget is a “zero-based, no-frills” plan that avoids program cuts and uses a combination of local revenue growth and reserves to limit tax impacts. She and others voiced support for Proposition 2, the planned purchase of buses, noting the district will use capital reserve funds to avoid financing costs.

Family engagement and communication: Multiple candidates called for clearer communication about district practices and data-sharing with families, and for strengthened implementation of Title I and parent-involvement policies at the building level. Tina Carney urged the district to be explicit about what “restorative practices” and data reports mean for parents so families can better participate.

Fiscal context and grants: Angela Stout described experience managing federal-funded projects and said partial grant awards require creative budgeting: “If you cannot stretch your dollar and you cannot figure out how to make it work, you don't succeed in your next funding request,” she said, explaining the need to pivot and seek shared-cost solutions. Candidates noted state and federal aid, Title I funding and grant streams as parts of the district’s broader fiscal picture.

Closing and next steps: Each candidate made a brief closing statement and reminded voters of the May 19 budget vote and school board election. The forum was streamed by the district and will be available for later viewing. The election and proposition outcomes will determine whether the budget and bus purchases move forward as presented.