David C. Bills

The 2022-2025 Strategic Plan for the West Genesee Central School District focuses on ensuring that each student attains the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for lifelong learning and becoming a cooperative, self-directed, productive, and caring citizen. The plan emphasizes improving educational opportunities and academic performance, enhancing academic support programs, utilizing student performance data, and fostering social-emotional learning and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Key goals include increasing graduation rates, enhancing student engagement, and providing ongoing professional development to create a safe, supportive, and equitable school climate.

The 2021-2022 Strategic Plan for Educational Improvement of the West Genesee Central School District focuses on student achievement, personal development, and educational program enhancement. Key areas of focus include increasing graduation rates, promoting advanced diploma attainment, and expanding college-level course completion. The plan emphasizes enhancing academic support, utilizing student performance data, and improving communication among counselors, teachers, students, and parents. Additional priorities include fostering diversity, integrating creativity and critical thinking into the curriculum, and providing professional development for staff to meet strategic objectives.

The West Genesee CSD Board of Education meeting on October 4, 2023, focused on a proposed $4 million purchase of the 117-acre Westvale Golf Course. The purchase is contingent on a public vote and would allow for expansion of programs in career and technical education, technology, special education, pre-kindergarten, and college partnerships. Additional plans include improvements to athletic facilities, outdoor performance spaces, and a transportation center. Partnerships with the Town of Camillus, OCM BOCES, and Onondaga Community College were also discussed. The total project cost is estimated at $43.5 million, with a tax impact beginning in the 2025-26 school year. A public vote on the land acquisition and special referendum project is scheduled for December 11, 2023.

The 2020-2021 Strategic Plan for West Genesee Central School District focuses on establishing a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) to address academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs of all learners. The plan emphasizes providing high-quality core instruction aligned with New York State Learning Standards, along with targeted and intensive interventions based on student data and assessment results. Professional development for staff, parent communication, and data-driven decision-making are key components. The MTSS framework aims to improve student outcomes by preventing learning problems from becoming significant gaps and ensuring all students, including those at risk, students with disabilities, and English Language Learners, achieve academic success.

The 2023-24 Foundation Aid Plan for West Genesee Central School District outlines the use of a $5,652,179 increase in Foundation Aid to address student performance, needs, and safety. Key areas of focus include providing additional resources for students with disabilities (special educators, non-public tuition), English language learners (ELL teachers), and social-emotional health (counseling services). The plan also addresses the achievement gap through additional reading and science intervention teachers, continued support for fine arts programs, and academic intervention programs. Further investments are allocated to enhance school safety (school patrol officers, security cameras), address inflationary increases in materials, supplies, and employee benefits, and provide additional support for students and staff (technology support, coaching positions, pre-K teacher, DEI coach). The plan aims to utilize the increased funding to cover increased expenditures, maintain programs, and keep the tax levy increase within the limit.