OBSERVER Photo by J.M. Lesinski Wheelock Primary School in Fredonia is pictured in this file photo

Student safety remains a top priority in the Fredonia Central School district, as several new updates to Wheelock Primary School were the focus of the latest meeting of the district’s board of education. The board approved two change orders for the 2017 capital project, both involving the Wheelock public address system.

The first reflects a change in the labor, equipment and material for new speaker cabling for the Wheelock public address system, with an increase in the contract sum of $27,964.07.

The second reflects a change in the labor, equipment and material for Wheelock School public address system upgrades, including the Rauland TCU IP emergency communication system, to integrate with Main Campus, with an increase in the contract sum of $30,404.58.

“Safety for our students will remain a top priority in the system upgrades,” said Fredonia Schools Superintendent Jeffrey Sortisio. During the administrative reports, Sortisio also noted that the opening of the schools and first days had gone well, alongside his updates on the capital project.

The board also approved three contracts with outside agencies for the new school year. The first, an agreement between the district and Chautauqua County Health and Human Services for the reimbursement of preschool special education services, is retroactively effective Aug. 1, 2019.

The remaining two come from Children’s Educational Services. One is for a lease of three classrooms at Wheelock beginning retroactively Sept. 1, 2019, and ending Aug. 31, 2020, at a total cost of $12,000 per school year, paid monthly at $1,000. The other is an occupational and physical therapy contract beginning retroactively Sept. 1, 2019 and ending June 30, 2020.

The board additionally approved an ongoing association with the Jamestown Community College Nursing Program, to allow student nurses to shadow Fredonia Central School district nurses throughout the 2019-2020 school year.

In the sports world, two agreements with neighboring districts were also approved, as well as one new volunteer coach. Steve Johnston was approved as volunteer assistant girls tennis coach for the 2019-2020 fall sports season, while the wrestling program sharing agreement with both Pine Valley and Forestville for the 2019-2020 season was also approved.

The next meeting of the Fredonia Central School District Board of Education will be Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m.