West Seneca board approves new social worker and fractional art, music positions; consent slate passes

The West Seneca Central School District Board of Education voted June 9 to approve personnel item 3a, adding one school social worker (funded with Title grant dollars) and fractional (0.4 FTE) art and music positions intended to reduce travel-related instructional gaps.

Dr. Krueger, the district superintendent, told trustees that growing student behavioral and mental-health needs and social-worker caseloads drove the recommendation and that the .4 positions for art and music would cut inefficient travel time for itinerant teachers. “By being 0.4, we can realize some tremendous efficiency and eliminate some travel in those positions,” she said.

Trustees moved and seconded the item and recorded the motion as passing 6–0. The board then approved item 4a and the consent agenda, which included routine personnel appointments, retirements and tenure recommendations, also by a 6–0 vote.

At the meeting Dr. John Cervone, who addressed the board under the consent agenda recognitions, said the district honored roughly 34 tenure recipients and just under 40 retirees this year, accounting for “over 800 years of service to our district.” The board also noted current hiring activity and directed interested candidates to the district jobs page.

The board briefly entered executive session later in the meeting to discuss contract negotiations, then returned to approve a slate of new business items (a through k) by unanimous recorded vote. The superintendent said the new staff additions are intended to address programmatic needs rather than expand services beyond current state and grant-funded parameters.

Next steps: the listed hires will be processed through the district’s human resources procedures; specifics about start dates and individual assignments were not specified at the meeting.