October Ken-Ton Board of Education Meeting

On Tuesday, October 8th, I attended the monthly Ken-Ton Board of Education Meeting. Here's what happened:

First, the Franklin Middle School Chorus sang the national anthem. There were a lot of families present to watch the kids perform. It was refreshing to see so many people supporting the arts. Shortly after, there was a presentation on building safety plans which focused on notifying parents, staff, and students when safety drills such as lockdowns and fire drills are happening. After this presentation, we were told about a virtual presentation for parents happening at Kenmore Middle on October 24th, from 6-8 pm. The presentation will focus on online safety for their children.

Returning from a short recess, the board members went over some important dates happening this month such as the walk for breast cancer. Charlotte Brach, the Kenmore West student representative went over some important dates happening this month: Homecoming Spirit Week, the Tailgate, Spikeball Tournament, various home Varsity games, band concerts, fundraising for Community Club, and the West vs. East Varsity Football game on October 25th. October is a busy month for our school!

Then, there was a very educational presentation on student enrollment and testing statistics throughout our district. Kenmore West enrollment is actually down 8.11% in the last five years. When it comes to testing, there's been an overall increase in Regents and AP exam scores. However, there's been a slight decrease in the graduation rate over the past six years. They also went over the Kenmore West IB 2024 outcomes.

Finally, the meeting ended with a moment of silence for some people in the Ken-Ton community who have passed away:

John Lawrence Cullen - Father of Franklin Middle School Math Intervention Teacher, Susan Zummo.

Nancy A. Scozzaro - Mother of Deana Dymond, who works in the District's Athletic Department.

Philip H. Geraci Jr.  - Father of Melissa Moore, elementary school teacher and Trustee of the KTA Welfare Trust, and Uncle of Anthony Geraci, math teacher at Kenmore East.

Ronald E. Nawojski - Former District bus driver.

Beverly Delp Zebulske - mother-in-law of Franklin Elementary teacher Jennifer Zebulske.

Overall, I found the October Board of Education meeting to be very informative when it comes to our schools. I encourage anyone curious about how our school district works to attend the November meeting!