GOWANDA — The illustrious Century Club at Gowanda High School was highlighted at a recent Board of Education meeting.

The Century Club is comprised of students who received a perfect score on New York State Regents Exams. Over the past 15 years, the district has had approximately 8,000 Regents Exams submitted, with 27 students receiving a perfect 100% score. Those students had their names engraved on a Century Club plaque at the school.

“Students who are honored this way exemplify the meaning of Panther Pride,” said Gowanda Superintendent Dr. Robert Anderson.

Carol Propp, a high school English teacher, was recognized at the meeting for her work with the school’s Century Club. Of the 27 perfect scores in the district over the past 15 years, 11 of them came from Propp’s English courses.

Anderson shared how Propp joked in the past with him about what he would do once she had 10 students from her classes earn a perfect score. This past June, that number of students reached double digits. “Sure enough, she asked what we were going to do,” Anderson joked. Propp was presented with an award at the meeting.

At a previous board meeting, the topic of the $1 admission charge for football and boys basketball games at the district was discussed. After further examination, the district estimated between $185-$230 per game for football contests is generated and $80-$100 per game is raised for boys basketball games.

In a year prior to the pandemic, the district collected just north of $2,000 for the year in admission charges. The district also pays to have the admission collected.

“We have a $30 million budget, to where $85 an event is not really going to make or break us. We want to support families, so I would consider dropping it,” said Anderson.

When a member of the board asked for a student perspective, Gowanda student board member Lani Harley said, “If they’re doing it for a few sports, they should either do it for all or none of them.”

Harley cited the high rate of attendance at girls volleyball games, which do not charge an admission fee. “Girls volleyball always has a lot of spectators. The bleachers are always filled, and parents don’t have to pay for that. But when they want to come watch boys basketball, they have to pay. That could be a little unfair,” Harley said.

The Board of Education is considering the dropping the admission fees at a future meeting.

The Board of Education also reached an agreement on a contract with the Professional Support Staff Association. Anderson called the contract “fair to both parties.”

“We’re very appreciative of the Association, who worked very collaboratively and productively with us,” Anderson said.

The next meeting of the Gowanda Board of Education will take place on Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the High School Library.