Literacy Scores Surge, but Algebra Remains a Challenge: Albion Board Reviews Year-End Academic Data
The Albion Board of Education reviewed year-end data Monday showing significant gains in elementary literacy, while high school math scores remain a concern. The Board also approved several new hires, including a new Elementary School nurse and a Middle School counselor.
Chimney Bluffs on Lake Ontario, NY — photo:
Andre Carrotflower
(BY-SA 4.0)
▶Key Actions & Decisions
●Approved Personnel Changes: Accepted the resignation of High School Assistant Principal Paul Gilbert, effective June 30.
●New Hires: Appointed Laura Maier as Elementary School Registered Professional Nurse ($50,000 salary + $1,000 stipend) and Thomas O’Donnell as Middle School Counselor.
●Literacy Data: Elementary School Principal Angela Conway reported a 13% increase in K-5 students reading at grade level (rising from 47% to 60%).
●Safety Upgrades: The Health & Safety Committee reported the installation of exterior signage with door numbers to assist first responders on the single campus.
●Policy Updates: Approved the "Guidelines for Board of Education Members and Administrators" and the "ACS New Board Member Orientation Manual."
●Athletic Recognition: Celebrated the Boys' Track & Field team for their 5th consecutive Niagara Orleans League Championship and the "School of Excellence" status.
The Albion Central School District Board of Education convened Monday night for a regular meeting that highlighted substantial academic progress in the elementary grades, personnel shifts, and safety improvements to the campus.
Vice-President Mrs. Linda Weller called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
**Elementary Literacy Shows Strong Growth**
The centerpiece of the evening was a presentation by Mrs. Angela Conway, Elementary School Principal, regarding the 2023-2024 building goals. She reported significant strides in literacy, a primary focus for the district this year.
According to data presented, the percentage of students in grades K-5 reading at or above grade level jumped from 47% at the start of the year to 60% by the end. Furthermore, the number of students requiring "urgent intervention" dropped by half, falling from 21% to 10%.
"Growth took place in kindergarten, first, second and third grades where students learn foundational skills," Mrs. Conway told the Board.
The data showed particularly strong results in the lower grades: 70% of kindergarteners and 73% of first graders are now reading at grade level. However, Conway noted that comprehension remains a challenge in the upper elementary years. Fourth-grade reading levels saw a slight decline, while fifth grade remained relatively flat. Conway stated she would be working with teachers on specific strategies to assist students with comprehension in the coming year.
**Middle School and High School Updates**
Mr. Brad Pritchard, Middle School Principal, reported that 61% of middle school students met or exceeded the national average for expected growth on the STAR reading benchmark. However, he noted that 144 students still require intervention services, with 68 of those students being chronically absent.
At the High School level, Mrs. Jennifer Ashbery shared Regents exam results. While the Living Environment exam saw a 91% passing rate and Earth Science a 75% passing rate, the Algebra results remain a concern. The January Algebra exam had a 54% passing rate.
Mrs. Ashbery placed a "pin" in the academic goal regarding Algebra, noting that the new exam was scheduled for June 4 (today), with additional testing dates set for June 14. The district is waiting for those results to see if the 10% improvement goal was met.
**Personnel Changes and Hires**
The Board approved a slate of personnel items, including the resignation of Paul Gilbert, Assistant Principal at the High School, effective June 30.
In new business, the Board moved to fill key positions supporting student health and guidance:
* **Laura Maier** was appointed as the Registered Professional Nurse (RPN) at the Elementary School, effective June 5. The position carries a salary of $50,000 plus a $1,000 RN stipend.
* **Thomas O’Donnell** was appointed as a School Counselor at the Middle School for the 2024-2025 school year.
The Board also approved the removal of several inactive substitute cleaners from the list.
**Athletic and Safety Highlights**
The meeting also celebrated student success outside the classroom. Ms. Mariah LaSpina, Athletic Director, announced that for the second year in a row, Albion was recognized as a School of Excellence. Spring sports teams had a successful season, with the Tennis team and Boys’ Track & Field team both winning Niagara Orleans League Championships. The Boys’ Track team has now won the title for five consecutive years.
On the operations side, Board Member Mr. Schmitt provided an update from the Health & Safety Committee. To improve emergency response times on the district’s single campus, new signage has been installed on the exterior of buildings displaying door numbers. The committee is now moving forward with marking individual interior rooms to ensure first responders can locate specific classrooms quickly in an emergency.
The meeting concluded with the approval of the new "Guidelines for Board of Education Members and Administrators" and the "ACS New Board Member Orientation Manual."
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Coverage of the Board of Education meeting on 2024-06-03,
Village of Albion, NY.
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This article was drafted by AI (claude-sonnet-4-20250514) from the official meeting transcript and reviewed by a human editor.
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Related Board of Education Meetings
Albion Board Reviews New Graduation Pathways as President Questions Whether a Diploma Prepares Students for College
●• High School Principal Jennifer Ashbery presented the state's Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures, covering new multiple pathways (Arts, CTE, CDOS, Civics, Humanities, STEM, World Languages), the Seal of Civic Readiness, Seal of Biliteracy, and the 4+1 Arts pathway; Albion's 22.5 graduation credits (statewide requirement is 22) include a half credit for community service, and the district will return next year to requiring a full 30 hours of service for that credit
●• Board President Wayne Wadhams closed the meeting by saying he has "real concern" about how the Blue Ribbon Commission changes are being communicated, recounting an account from a BOCES meeting of an NCCC student who received a high school diploma but was later required to take, and pay for, additional English and math coursework
●• Budget Transfer Requests: $87,117.53 additional transfer for BOCES adjustments — BOARD APPROVED; a $900.00 Middle School 8th grade field trip transfer was presented for information only
●• Finance and Audit Committee (Mr. Kast) reported the enacted state budget restores save-harmless Foundation Aid cuts, sets Albion's Foundation Aid increase at 2.25%, and allocates $2 million to study the Foundation Aid formula, with recommendations due by December 2024; the district's proposed 2024-2025 budget aligns closely with the state allowance
●• Health & Safety Committee (Mr. Schmitt) reported an unplanned high school evacuation caused by dust in a sensor, with students moved to the elementary school during rain without incident; drywall dust from the ongoing construction project was also raised as a concern
●• Personnel: BOARD APPROVED resignations of Rebekah Thompson, Michael Fahy, and Peter Kemblowski; tenure was granted to Amanda Kast, Cayla Hutteman, Amber Marvin, and Stephanie Hack; two new 2.0 FTE Teacher Aide positions were created
●• Superintendent Edwards reported Orleans County has no preschool special-education program since Rainbow Preschool closed, leaving some eligible children without services; the district is starting an "8+1+2" program in response
●• Donations of $500 to the Albion High School Band and $1,000 to the district were BOARD APPROVED
●• Upcoming dates: Public Hearing May 14 at the HS LGI; Budget Vote May 21, Noon-8:00 pm, at Hoag Library; Graduation set for June 28 on the football field, with a rain-date contingency
Accessibility Concerns Highlighted as Albion Board Tackles Capital Projects, Staffing
●• Board adopted (8-0, Christopher Kinter absent) a resolution declaring a $100,000 bus-garage upgrade project (replacement of doors, frames, hardware, ceilings and lighting) a Type II action under SEQRA, exempt from environmental review, to be funded through a Transfer to Capital Fund line in the 2024-2025 budget.
●• Board adopted (8-0, Kinter absent) the Annual School District Meeting Resolution setting the May 21, 2024 vote at Hoag Library (noon-8 p.m.) on the 2024-2025 budget and three other propositions: $650,000 for bus purchases from the Bus Purchase Reserve Fund, $664,510 for the Hoag Library, and a new Capital Improvements Reserve Fund capped at $15,000,000 over a term of up to 10 years. Two Board seats (five-year terms) are also on the ballot; candidate petitions are due by 5 p.m. April 22, 2024.
●• Board adopted (8-0, Kinter absent) a resolution designating election personnel, naming Wayne Wadhams permanent chairperson, Cindy M. Ishmael chief election inspector, and Richard Recckio II assistant clerk; inspectors without a contracted rate are paid $16 per hour.
●• Finance and Audit Committee Chairperson John Kast reported the committee met March 26 to finalize the proposed budget, which goes out at zero percent on the tax levy; the minutes record him saying the process "has been challenging because theoretically, we're not sure of the state's budget."
●• During public forum, bus driver Heather Allchin asked the Board to fund an aide for every large bus route, citing runs of 20-45 students per bus; the minutes record no Board response or vote on the request.
●• Personnel actions: retirements of sixth-grade teacher Mary Jane Klips and cleaner Ricky O'Kussick; resignations of substitute cleaners Charles Hannigan and RoseMarie Matias; new hires Joseph King (custodial worker, $32,760) and Angela Boyce (district office clerk, $38,000).
●• Athletic Director Mariah LaSpina was presented a certificate for the 2024 NYSAAA Liam Frawley Emerging Athletic Administrator Award; Middle School enrichment students presented a repainted fire-station mural and a 3D-printed Hot Wheels track engineered to descend 60 feet from the auditorium balcony to the stage.
Albion School Board Approves New Hires, Staff Leaves Before September Start
●• Angela Conway, Elementary School Principal, presented mid-year STAR reading data: districtwide, students reading at or above grade level rose from 47% at the start of 2023-2024 to 57% at midyear; she called the district not yet satisfied but pleased with the progress.
●• Conway projected that if the trend holds, 60% to 62% of K-5 students could read at or above grade level by the end of the 2024 school year, and 70% or higher by 2028.
●• Rebecca Manfreda, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, reported a March 11 Staff Development Day will continue districtwide curriculum-mapping and scope-and-sequence work, now in year two of a three-year plan, with Orleans Niagara BOCES and Genesee Valley BOCES assisting.
●• School Resource Officer Deputy Matthew Prawel told the board that High School parking-pass sales rose from 31 in 2022-2023 to 79 in 2023-2024, with proceeds going to the Student Council; he also described a revamp of the district's Threat Assessment Policy and Form and a reconfiguration of campus cameras.
●• Board Policy, Process and Protocol Committee chairperson Mrs. Weller reported the committee's first read of eleven revised policies (3420, 5630, 6121, 6130, 6550, 7350, 7420, 7512, 7670, 8240, 8450); the board approved waiving second reading and adopted all eleven as a block.
●• BOARD APPROVED a $6,000 budget transfer for audio-visual equipment; a separate $1,200 transfer for fuel-tank electric-line installation was presented for information only.
●• Finance and Audit Committee chairperson Mr. Kast reported the fuel-price comparison favors Kurk over the district's Fuel Farm and that one of two originally scheduled March budget meetings was consolidated to March 26.
●• BOARD APPROVED a change to the budget vote location and final approval of the 2024 High School Band Trip to Toronto, May 10-12.
●• Personnel actions: resignations of Louis DiRienzo (substitute cleaner, effective 02/16/24) and Rachel Patten (clerk at the district office, effective 02/06/24); child-rearing leave for Rachael Dixson (first grade special education teacher), 11/28/23-03/05/24; new appointment of Eddie English as a monitor at the elementary school.
●• BOARD APPROVED the Middle School Enrichment Class's donation of chalk, chalkboard erasers, old soccer uniforms and soccer balls, to be delivered to children in Malawi by Mr. Tim Archer, along with donations of a flute and bottled water to the district.
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