OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Silver Creek Central School District Superintendent Dr. Katie Ralston spoke to the district’s accountability regarding diversity, equity and inclusion at a recent Board of Education meeting.

SILVER CREEK — Previous Board of Education meetings at Silver Creek featured comments from parents who felt their students were not being heard.

The district has taken steps in recent weeks to ensure that will not be the case moving forward.

With a perceived need for more representation for all students at Silver Creek Central School, Superintendent Dr. Katie Ralston spoke to the district’s accountability at a recent Board of Education meeting.

A detailed report regarding the district’s accountability data is anticipated in the coming weeks. Based on a report of last year’s report, paired with early results from this year’s report, the district sees a need for improvement, especially in the middle school.

“We can see that it’s time to start making plans and time to start thinking about what we want to do to make improvements across the district in all of our areas,” Ralston said.

Ralston stated that not only assessment scores and graduation rates should be considered, but also chronic absenteeism and discipline data to evaluate. “With that, I think it’s important that we first just take a step back and say, ‘What are our environments like? What is the environment of each building and the overall environment of our district?’ … The culture that is set and the environment that is set comes down to leadership within the building and within the district,” Ralston said.

The district has begun “equity walks” through the buildings – encouraged by Lisa Walker, an expert on Equity, Inclusivity and Diversity from Erie 2 BOCES – to evaluate how the district is making its students feel represented and welcomed within its buildings. Each administrator is required to conduct an equity walk of the district’s buildings.

“The focus was to walk through and see, ‘What story does the environment tell?’,” Ralston said. She noted student voices and displayed works of expression as points of emphasis.

Director of Curriculum Michelle Helmer and High School Principal Kyle Yelich both noted the collaboration with Walker has been very beneficial for an outside perspective on the district’s strengths and weaknesses. Yelich added that perspectives of the district’s teachers and students are important factors in the process. “From the ground up, that’s where it’s going to build,” Yelich said.

Ralston added that by the end of March, the district will submit action plans for the elementary, middle, and high school buildings to address the areas of need. She hopes that correcting the areas that are lacking will decrease absenteeism and increase attendance, along with decreased disciplinary actions and increased student performance.

“Numbers aside, (we want to) increase that positive feeling when students talk about school,” Ralston said. “… I think we would start to see that, not only in the numbers, but in the anecdotal data, as well.”

The Board of Education also recognized John Bifaro, Maintenance Mechanic, for more than 25 years of service to the district. Bifaro submitted his letter of resignation for the purpose of retirement, effective April 1, which was approved by the Board.

Additionally, the Board accepted the resignation of Bus Driver Gail Aaberg; approved the appointment of Chelsey Sundown to a probational Bus Driver position; appointed Kenneth Bolton as a substitute cleaner; and appointed Valeri Nasca as a substitute teacher and substitute teaching assistant.

Amber Lockwood was appointed retrospectively as a fitness guard, while Rachael Schneider was appointed as modified softball coach. Kristin McChesney was appointed as District Knight U Coordinator for the 2023-24 school year, at a stipend of $5,000. The Elementary Knight U Coordinator position was abolished.

The Board also gave its approval for Ralston to attend the New York State Council of School Superintendents Winter Institute in Albany, March 2-5.