Lewiston —
A parent defending Advanced Placement classes, young musicians telling the school board of their love for the trumpet and a high school principal recognizing hard-working students and the best graduation rate in Niagara County, all brought resounding applause to the crowd of more than 95 teachers, parents and taxpayers at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Lewiston-Porter school board.
A standing-room-only crowd lined the walls, showing support for programs that could be lost as the district works to eliminate a proposed $1.8 million budget deficit.
“A quality rigorous education is the strength of a community,” said Robert Minicucci, who spoke to the board in defense of AP classes. “It not only supports our youth, our future, but I look at it as a draw to bring other people to live in our area. Families who may be considering Western New York, I would love for them to consider Lewiston-Porter.”
Minicucci has three children in the district and believes AP classes have a direct relation to college acceptance.
Four middle school students told the board that band is not a non-mandated program, it is a class that they have learned to love.
A concerned parent, who teaches in another school district said her two children have participated in numerous extra-curricular programs and said there importance are what drove her family to live in the area.
“If we go forward (with the proposed elimination of programs), do we really think the children of this district will be recruited to ivy league schools,” she asked the board. “Do you really think I would have chosen this district to live in?”
Superintendent Christopher Roser apologized to parents and staff members saying budget discussions and proposed cuts were hypothetical, and it was never proposed all of those programs would be cut.
“It was basically to say it’s not going to be an easy road for us to go through,” Roser said. “The board is relying on us administratively to give them an idea how much a program or teacher costs to the district.”
Roser said he and the board will work diligently to piece together the cuts and see what fits best for the district.
“It won’t be easy,” Roser said.
In other business, the board appointed a new representative to the BOCES board of education to replace outgoing member Edward Lilly.
Board member Robert Weller motioned to keep Lilly on the board citing his experience. The motion was defeated in a 2-4 vote with Ed Waller being the other yes vote. Weller then recommended Board Member Wendy Swearingen be appointed to the BOCES board and it was approved 4-2.
Following discussion, the Cost Control Referendum was unanimously approved by the board 6-0 and will be voted upon by the public at the May 18 elections.
The referendum authorizes the school board to call a special district meeting and hold an advisory referendum vote whenever a contract between the district and an employee union or the superintendent results in an increase in cost greater than $100,000.
Board member Michael Gentile harshly criticized the referendum questioning if it is lawful and calling the public’s vote “non-binding.”
“I have never supported that, philosophically I don’t agree with it, but I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, I’m going to vote for it,” he said.
Communities
Related Audio
Related Photos
-
Community Banner Sig
LEW-PORT: Students, teachers defend programs
Superintendent says proposed cuts were hypothetical
- Communities
-
-
It's ni hao Lew-Port for Chinese teacher
“Knee how.”
While the spelling is incorrect, the pronunciation is exactly how the Chinese say hello. The sentiment is precisely how Wang Ying, the newest — though temporary — member of the Lewiston-Porter faculty greeted her students for the first time when she arrived in late January. -
Memorial Day parade participants being sought
The Niagara Falls Veterans Memorial Commission is organizing the Niagara Falls Memorial Day parade this year.
-
Shining a light on the issue of teen dating violence
Kim Davidson didn’t fully grasp what her daughter had gotten herself into.
Although she had seen “changes” in Kari’s behavior — sudden distance from old girl friends, quitting the cheerleading squad, downsizing her college and career plans to accommodate a boy she’d only dated a few months — Davidson confessed she had no idea those changes were warning signs of a looming tragedy. -
Joseph Davis State Park gets some green
Officials in the Town of Lewiston received approval Thursday to spend a significant portion of the community’s incoming greenway funds on the redevelopment of Joseph Davis State Park.
-
Lewiston's welcome center honored as project of the year for historic restoration
A piece of Lewiston’s history is about to be honored as a preservation project of the year.
-
SLIDESHOW: Volunteers Search for Judith
Volunteers gathered on 102nd Street in Niagara Falls to search for the missing Judith Burr, 67. Shortly after the search began, the body of Judith was found in the dense brush just east of 102nd Street.
-
Niagara woman is fooled by ‘phisher’
Beverley Porter was taking a nap one day last week when her phone rang.
The scammer at the other end of the line had gotten lucky. After most likely making random calls to numbers in the 716 area code, he was able to catch the Town of Niagara woman when she was groggy, and slightly medicated from a minor surgical procedure earlier in the day. -
On the hunt for blue jeans at Niagara Falls High School
Students at Niagara Falls High School are ready for one final push in its campaign to win a national contest.
-
Lewiston Relay holding kickoff party
The kickoff to the 15th annual Relay For Life Lewiston will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, at the Hard Rock Cafe, 333 Prospect St.
-
Teacher likes this Apple at Lew-Port
Keeping up with technology is a problem almost everywhere. But in the classroom, a deficiency can cripple children as they move through their formative years into post-high school.
- More Communities Headlines
-
Raw Video: Israeli Embassy Car Attacked
Coroner: Don't Know Houston's Cause of Death Yet
Valentine Greetings Sent Worldwide From Loveland
Greek Austerity Measures Spark Riots
Raw Video: Obama Budget Goes to Capitol Hill
Arab League Wants U.N. Help in Syria
Nordic Festival Puts North Korea in Spotlight
'Rumor Has It' Adele's Rolling in the Grammys
Grohl, Grammy Nominees Cut Up on the Red Carpet
Greece Passes New Austerity Deal Amid Rioting
Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote
Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
