OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Forestville Board of Education President Andrea Spengler, left, and Superintendent Dr. John O’Connor, right, were the first to greet two recent hires at a Board meeting earlier this month.

FORESTVILLE — After their appointments were officially approved over the summer, two new members of the Forestville Central School District were officially welcomed by the Board of Education at a recent meeting.

Makayla Coalts, the new Music and Chorus Teacher for all ages across the District, and Aaron Bevill, Director of Special Education, received a warm welcome from the Board less than a month into their tenures with the District.

Coalts was appointed in August, and through the first week of school, Elementary Principal Shauna McMahon has been very impressed. “We are really enjoying having her as part of the Forestville family,” McMahon said.

Coalts moved to the region from Lake George and student taught at the Pine Valley Central School District. McMahon listened in to one of Coalts’ classes and said “the kids are just having a ball.”

Bevill was appointed as Director of Special Education at a special meeting of the Board of Education in July. His employment commenced on Aug. 21.

Bevill is a graduate of the University at Buffalo and Niagara University, who is also a certified School Psychologist. Bevill most recently worked in Texas, but prior to that, he served as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director in Lockport. He also worked in various capacities at the Eden, Niagara Wheatfield, and Niagara Falls school districts.

“We were very, very glad that he applied to us because we loved what his resume looked like, and since he’s been here, we’ve loved what he’s been doing for us already,” said Forestville Superintendent Dr. John O’Connor.

The District also received Board approval to hire Elizabeth Locke as the new Library Media Specialist. Locke holds a Library Media Specialist internship certification and will commence a four-year probationary appointment with the District on Sept. 30. Locke replaces Susan Walterich, who left the District earlier this summer to accept a similar position at the Fredonia Central School District.

Justina Doner was appointed as a Floater Monitor Aide, for four hours per day, effective Sept. 18, with an anticipated ending date of April 3, 2025. Anita Stewart was approved for a change of hours to 7.5 hours a day as a Floater Monitor Aide. Lenora White, Floater Monitor Aide, resigned for the purpose of retirement.

Science Teacher Alexis Schuman’s appointment was amended to reflect a salary of $44,728 for the 2024-2025 school year. Racheal Clark’s request for child rearing leave was approved, beginning Sept. 20 until Nov. 4. Hannah Wilt was approved as an Uncertified Substitute Teacher and Substitute Floater Monitor Aide.

Brianne Hazelton and Amanda Tonelli will receive $900 stipends as Co-Student Council Advisors. Ralph Jackson, the former varsity boys basketball coach at Silver Creek and Forestville schools, will receive two $500 stipends for serving as Co-Ed Intramural Basketball Coordinator for Grades K-3 and Grades 4-6. Jeff Heim was approved as Trap Team Coach for the 2024-2025 school year.

The District has also negotiated a Memorandum of Agreement with the Forestville Teachers Association regarding the addition of a Social Worker to the negotiation unit of the contract. The 2024-2025 School Bus Driver Handbook was also approved.

The Board also approved an agreement with Children’s Educational Services for Physical Therapy for the 2024-2025 school year in the amount of $12,000. An agreement between the District and Rocket Monitoring Services LLC for maintenance and monitoring of the District’s sewer system and septic plant was also approved, at a cost of $5,000. An agreement with Stohl for Hazardous Material Testing was also approved for capital improvement purposes.

The Board also welcomed Mike Bobseine to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting as he seeks election to the New York State Assembly. A former Fredonia Board of Education member, Bobseine said, “I really do think that public education is probably the single greatest gift we can give to our kids.” He later added, “I don’t want to see our schools endangered. I don’t want to see our schools limited. I want to be as supportive as possible.”