WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WKBW) — West Seneca Central Schools District parents voiced their frustrations as school leaders laid out redistricting recommendations. A new school year could come with a whole lot of new changes for middle schoolers.
Leadership is looking to address a population imbalance between West Seneca East and West. However, these redistricting plans are not sitting well with students and parents. Several of them took to the mic at last month's board meeting.
In the hopes of being transparent, the district has presented the possible recommendation plans for redistricting.
The Board of Education brought WNY Educational Service Council and Consultant Tony Day to break it down during the meeting.
There are four proposals, and the one many parents are against is proposal number 4: the elementary redistricting plus repositioning the middle schools.
To read the full redistricting proposal plan, click here.
It would send some of its current students at West Seneca West Middle School to West Seneca East Middle School, but then be placed back at West Seneca West for high school.
"So sometimes when the provided information doesn't add up with the hazy future of our schools in town, the best decision is no decision," Dan Scott said.
He shared that he wanted more communication from school leaders about this hefty adjustment.
"But what about the groups from Allendale and Westdale that are forever being separated from their peers moving forward?" Scott asked. "They're conveniently never mentioned. What's the plan for yearly transitional support for them? When they have to always be the odd group out, who doesn't continue on the trajectory that their best friends have been prepping for through six years of elementary school."
Another parent said he thinks the district should not pick a specific neighborhood to deal with this possible switch.
"When you just look at dots on a map and numbers on a page, of course this could make sense," Jeremy Weingarden said. "But these are not just dots on a map, numbers on a page. These are real humans, innocent children who did nothing more than be born and live in a house on the wrong street."
Weingarden believes the school should invest in other aspects that need more attention.
"The pool at West Middle will be in need of repair soon, and now is the time to consider reinvesting that money elsewhere," Weingarden added. "If you were to fill in the pool and repurpose that space by putting the library and more in that space, a project like that would be eligible for state aid."
"Still too many other options to consider to have you vote on what will probably be another band-aid while opening many kids to emotional wounds," Danielle Tomaszewski said,
There are still discussions to be had before a final decision. The potential changes, if approved, would take effect in 2026.
