WESTFIELD – Westfield Academy and Central School board members unanimously agreed to send a letter asking the state Department of Education, requesting that WACS be stricken from the proposed state requirements regarding mixed sports competition.

At their regular meeting last month, board members reviewed the letter relating to proposed changes to mixed competition and the school district’s desire to not be a part of these changes.

The letter, addressed to Angelique Johnson-Dingle, deputy commissioner of the state Education Department, is a response to the state’s proposal to allow male students to try out for traditionally female sports when a male equivalent sport is not offered.

The letter raises two principal objections to the amendments. The first expresses the concern that allowing males to compete in female sports would have an adverse effect on those sports.

The letter says, “We believe it would be unfair for boys to take over our girls’ spaces, which would upend the hard-won gains women have made. If boys are permitted to play in girls’ sports it is highly likely that biological males would now become the top performers on girls’ teams due to their physical superiority. It makes no sense to deprive our girls of recognition for their exceptional performance in their chosen sport.”

The second concern is the effect the amendments would have on enrollment at WACS. The letter goes into detail about the composition of the district and Chautauqua County, including the county’s poverty level, and declining population.

In the letter to Johnson-Dingle, WACS board members state that “According to the United States Census Bureau our county’s poverty level sits at 17.6%, and between the years 2010 and 2020 our county lost 7,200 residents.”

Superintendent Michael Cipolla said the board acted “without reservation” in deciding to send the letter to the state department of education. “Over the years there has been so much deserving and necessary work to ensure equality in athletics,” he said. “Our female student athletes are most deserving of continued recognition and opportunities to participate and compete at all levels.”

Board member Deanne Manzella expressed the concern that if the amendment is implemented by the state, it could result in families who are considering moving to Westfield to not do so.

Board member Tom Tarpley strongly expressed his belief that this decision would be detrimental to female sports. “I watch how hard our female student athletes train all year long for the sports they participate in,” he said. “By permitting boys to now play girls’ sports, we would likely have a situation where physically superior male athletes would be the top producers on the teams, and the performance and work of our female student athletes would be overshadowed.”

The letter concludes by saying “Sports are a valuable tool for our district to unify our school and our community. It is a reason why we have seen generations of students excel in our athletic programs. The proposed amendments will forever alter our girls’ sports programs, and diminish the year round work our female students put in to bring pride and a sense of purpose to the district.”

In other business, the board approved a resolution issuing a State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) Negative Declaration for the district’s proposed capital improvement project, 2024. A SEQRA is required to determine any possible adverse environmental impact before any project can be undertaken. A negative declaration affirms that the project will not result in a significant adverse impact on the environment.

In his report, Cipolla updated the board on the projected enrollment for next school year. He also noted two very important dates for the upcoming capital project vote. The last public hearing will be Aug. 13 from 6 p.m. in the auditorium. The public referendum will be on Sept. 5 from noon to 8 p.m. in the gym atrium.

In personnel matters, the board approved the increase of Julie Loewer, Occupational Therapist to a 1.0 FTE from a 0.8 FTE for the 2024-25 School Year, effective August 28, 2024, and approved the appointment of appoints Nicolette Damcott in the Special Education tenure area for a probationary period commencing on August 1, 2024 and ending on July 31, 2028. Board members also approved the permanent appointment of Lindsey Eggleston as School Secretary, effective July 11.

Director of curriculum Lauren Harper updated the board on regents assessments. All of the Special Education students who sat for the Regents’ exams earned proficiency, she said.

Elementary Principal Molly Anderson and Secondary Principal Corey Markham gave board members updates on summer programs. Markham noted that access to complete required forms (health forms, Athletic & Extra-Curricular Code of Conduct, etc.) is available now for families to complete.

Director of Instructional and Special Education, Lauren Harper spoke about summer professional development. “About 57 staff members will be taking advantage of offerings,” she said.

In another matter, the board accepted two donations. They accepted the donation of $500 to the Athletic Department from Eager 2 Run, Inc. they also accepted the donation of $500 from Steven B. Johnson for the lunch program.