What will be new at school districts?

With former Superintendent Norm Reed’s retirement, the district is reducing the size of its administrative team

With school starting Sept. 5, more local districts outline changes.

VERONA >> Along with other districts in the area, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill is facing the challenges of the new, Common Core implementation.

Superintendent Martha Group said that VVS teachers are currently learning and adapting state materials and developing their own materials to help improve Common Core test results in the district.

The district is also embracing a new hands-on, project-based initiative at the high school to enhance students’ college and career readiness. Thanks to a donation from the Siemens Corporation, VVS will begin to develop more science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum as well as arts programming.

Group said that this year, the administration will begin looking at new opportunities for partnerships with the community to help align with STEM initiatives and business programming. Group said she is continuing her cracker barrel style meetings this year and dates will be provided as those come closer. She wants to continue the meetings in order to maintain an open dialogue with the VVS communities.

One of the biggest changes this year in the district is the elimination of the special education coordinator position, a measure to reduce administrative costs. Group said that the responsibilities have been spread across other positions, with building principals and psychologists picking up most of the slack. This reduction was planned to follow Norman Reed’s retirement, shifting responsibilities in order to lessen the district’s administrative costs. Erin Tiffany is effectively taking over Reed’s position, and will become the assistant superintendent for finance and pupil services. Additionally, Mark Wixson will add technology to his to wheelhouse, becoming the assistant superintendent for instruction and technology.

The district is seeing a few other new team members, includ-

ing high school social studies teacher Elizabeth Molloy, string music teacher Kathryn Hess, occupational therapist Jennifer Blanchard , elementary special education teacher Dominick Timpano and middle school social worker Christina Ballard.

Another financial savings came from the new bus purchases, which were smaller than previous busses while maintaining enough of a fleet to safety transport the district’s students.

Group said that she is happy that the district will also continue its commitment to community service projects, starting with this year’s squash and pump- kin harvest, a project that raises money for the program and provides vegetables for the school’s food service program.

Classes begin Thursday, Sept. 5. W. A. Wettel Elementary will have an open house on September 19, J.D. George Elementary will have its open house on Sept. 5, E. A. McAllister on Sept. 10 and VVS High School on Sept. 3.