Gowanda adds additional School Resource Officer
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GOWANDA -- Usually, a retirement of a valued member of a school district means a loss to the school. In one unique case, the Gowanda Central School District is set to benefit.
The Gowanda Board of Education accepted a revision to the agreement with the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office, which will result in an additional part-time School Resource Officer serving the district this upcoming school year. The district will now have two full-time School Resource Officers and one part-time Officer.
The district's longtime School Resource Officer, Ben Shields, has elected to retire from the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office. However, he has chosen to take on part-time duties with the department. In doing so, Shields will be serving as a part-time School Resource Officer. He will help train the new School Resource Officer throughout the year and remain as a trusted adult for students throughout the district.
The Gowanda Central School District already signed an agreement with the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office for the upcoming year with the belief that Shields would return to the district. With a new officer taking his place, likely at a lower salary, the addition of Shields on a part-time basis will not add any cost to the district for the upcoming year. The agreement will be revisited in future years.
The Board also approved the 2026-27 District-wide Safety Plan, as well as the Elementary School and Middle/High School Student Family Handbooks. The district's 2026-27 Tax Warrant was officially approved in the amount of $5,488,398. A series of budget transfers were also approved, as well as a series of transportation contracts.
The Board also welcomed its newest member, Jenna Luther, who will serve as one of the district's three Student Representatives. Luther took her oath of office at the beginning of the latest meeting. She joins fellow students McKoy Luce and Jayden Fish on the Board.