WESTFIELD – Westfield Academy and Central School Board of Education members unanimously approved the 2025-26 District Goals, as well as the 2025-26 Code of Conduct and District Safety Plan at their August meeting.

The School District Board of Education goals include objectives for student development, financial operations, communication, facilities, and technology. The document emphasizes the board’s commitment to honesty and integrity, responsible citizenship, respect, excellence and discipline.

The Code of Conduct now includes a section on Smartphone & Internet-Enabled Personal Devices, which provides information on device storage, emergency communication and student use of social media. The Code of Conduct is posted on the district website.

The District Safety Plan is in compliance with The New York State Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) law. The SAVE law requires school districts “to develop a school safety plan to prevent or minimize the effects of serious violent incidents and natural/manmade disasters and to facilitate the coordination of state, local, and county resources in the event of such incidents or emergencies.”

In a related matter, District Superintendent Ryan Sikorski thanked Ivana Hite, whose last day as Interim Secondary Principal was Aug. 26,for all of her help over the last two months. Board members also thanked Hite for her service and for her work on the Code of Conduct.

Sikorski also told board members that the district has again been recognized as a School of Distinction. “One hundred percent of our teams are recognized as being scholar-athletes,” he said. “This plaque will be placed next to the one WACS already displays.”

The first day of school for students was Sept. 2, Sikorski said, and everyone will convene at 8 a.m. “We’re ready to roll. Let’s get everybody here and get started,” he said. “Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t compliment the facilities department on all the effort and attention to detail that they put forth,”

In other business, board members approved the 2025-26 Safety Committee, and approved the Agreement between Westfield Academy and Central School and Southwestern Central School for Mechanic Assistance for the 2025-26 school year.

The board also approved new teacher’s aides, cleaners, food service helpers, bus drivers and bus attendants for the 2025-26 school year. Board member Deanne Manzella expressed her appreciation for these appointees. “I really appreciate all of these people who want to work with our kids,” she said. “I have a soft spot in my heart for people who not only want to work with the kids, but want to drive a bus.”

In another matter, board members Manzella and Phyllis Hagen commented on the Chautauqua County School Boards Association meeting which they attended with Sikorski on Aug. 21. “It was very humbling to see how important it is that people on the board respect one another,” Manzella said. “I think we are close to achieving and certainly want to achieve what they presented at the meeting.”

Board member Tom Tarpley addressed the board regarding two articles on education which were recently in The Post-Journal. The editorial “State Test Results Do Not Indicate Real Progress” explains that there has been no real progress in proficiency rates.

Another article discussed New York State’s initiative, Portrait of a Graduate, Tarpley said. The article, titled “JPS Hears About New State Ed Program,” seems to contradict the editorial, he said. “The article on state test scores and the one on portrait of a graduate seem contradictory,” he said. “Why would we take valuable class time to teach subjects like financial literacy and climate education when we aren’t making progress with proficiency in core subjects?”

Superintendent Sikorski responded that WACS has decided not to implement the new curriculum for now. “Any time the State rolls out new curriculum as they did with Earth and Space Science and Biology, districts have the option to determine when they want to roll it out, ” he said. “I was pleased that Westfield decided to wait on the rollout and see what the commentary from the educators around the State had to offer.”