OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Forestville Superintendent Dr. John O’Connor received a contract extension through June 30, 2028.

FORESTVILLE — The final Board of Education meeting for the 2025-26 school year featured a few notable items on the agenda. Most notably, the Board approved a four-year extension between the district and the Forestville Teachers’ Association, as well as a two-year deal to keep Dr. John O’Connor as the district’s Superintendent.

The agreement with the Forestville Teachers’ Association takes effect on July 1, and it runs through June 30, 2030. O’Connor’s new contract begins on July 1, and it runs through June 30, 2028.

O’Connor returned to the district as Superintendent in the summer of 2022 as an interim before he was appointed permanently that fall. He served 10 years as Assistant Superintendent for Management Services at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES in between stints at Forestville. He previously served as the district’s superintendent from 2004-2012, and was also the principal at Forestville Elementary for three years.

O’Connor has recently been filling in as an administrator at the Elementary School as Principal Shauna McMahon has been out on leave due to a family matter. O’Connor called it a return to his roots as an educator.

Along with the new agreement with the Forestville Teachers’ Association, the Board authorized O’Connor to execute a Memorandum of Agreement regarding the district’s Instructional Coach position, the Dean of Students, the Technology Integration Specialist, and Head Bus Driver Kris Richter.

Also at the recent meeting, the Board granted tenure to David McLhinney, Middle/High School Physical Education Teacher, and to James Pratt, Educational Technology Specialist. Both tenure appointments take effect Sept. 1.

Emily Merril was appointed as the district’s new Music Teacher. She holds initial certification in Music K-12, and will begin a four-year probationary period with the district on Sept. 1. Jennifer Hodkin, a licensed Registered Nurse, was appointed to a one-year probationary position as a School Nurse. She began with the district on July 1.

The Board terminated Grace Rakiecki’s role of long-term substitute Special Education Teacher. She will remain as a district substitute. Melinda VanArsdale, Cook, resigned on May 26.

The district also approved its Summer Enrichment Program instructors at an hourly rate determined by the new Forestville Teachers’ Association contract. Extra curricular advisors and coaches for the 2026-27 school year were also approved, including returning varsity coaches Brianne Hazelton (softball), Ralph Jackson (boys basketball), and Lisa Szumigala (girls basketball), among others.

The Board also authorized O’Connor to execute an agreement with the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office to continue providing a School Resource Officer through June 30, 2027 at a total cost of $121,343.45.

The role of District Clerk will receive a salary of $4,750 for the 2026-27 school year, while the Central Treasurer will receive $2,000.

The official bond resolution for the purchase of diesel school buses in the amount of $394,955 was officially approved by the Board of Education. Voters approved the purchase along with the school budget. A resolution to approve the 2026-27 Capital Outlay project was also approved, not to exceed $100,000. An agreement regarding data privacy with the RIC ONE Risk Operations Center was approved, as well.