WACS board to meet with Ripley regarding centralization

A little conversation can't hurt, at least in the eyes of Westfield Academy and Central School officials.

[wespar]

This doesn't work unless Ripley closes. Too much money to keep a building open for too few students.

[Westfield Resident]

Ripley keeps crying and the dumb superintendent Mark Sissel at Westfield keeps listening. The WACS BOE members aren't much better. If Ripley wants out of the education business all the BOE has to do is call the state and say its over. The state will then proceed with having either Sherman or Westfield or both annex the Ripley school district and take the students. Its not that big a deal. The fact is the Westfield School Supt Mark Sissel wants the job and wants it on his resume that he got the schools to merge. Most of the WACS BOE members are fools and side in with him, when they should fire him.

[steelers]

Won't this be the 4th time a merger between Westfield and Ripley has been discussed in the last 15 years or so.

When is enough, countless taxpayer dollars spent, countless time, money and energy. Its been discussed to death. Wake up Westfield Board of Education do you need another major vote down??????????

[think about it]

If your gonna do a merger or talk about a merger, why is it so difficult to do it between Brocton, Westfield and Ripley? It makes sense, why try and force one between Westfield and Ripley when it hasn't worked and won't work out. The 3 school merger has a chance and makes more sense

[OMG]

Face it the Westfield Board of Education doesn't get it. They will keep trying to force a merger down the taxpayers throat, they have no character and the public doesn't trust superintendent Mark Sissel or the Board of Education.

[runningincircles]

Why not get rid of both corrupt boards and maybe people will start sending their kids back to these schools! Hire teachers to teach the subjects they are qualified for. Have you noticed how many children in the area cannot spell? I'd bet if they tested some of the students in another district, they would place at least 4 grades lower than they grade they are currently enrolled in.

[Steve Z]

While your getting rid of both corrupt boards get rid of Westfield school superintendent Mark Sissel, you know the individual who got caught inflating his travel vouchers and paying for toys for his kids with school funds. What a fool!

[Ripley Resident]

I even agree Ripley should be annex, if it means closing the Ripley school and sending all the students to Westfield.

[very interested]

No good will come of the merger between Westfield and Ripley unless Westfield's superintendent, and his led-by-their-noses Board Of Ed come clean with the taxpayers. We are being led by a man with a "Napoleon complex" and a Board of Education that has no backbone. The rumor around town is that he is trying to slide through the backdoor with this merger. The goal right now is to align everything that Westfield does with what Ripley is doing, that way down the road the taxpayers will be told "it only makes sense to merge because we are doing exactly the same things at both schools" I think too much emphasis is on this merger idea and not enough on the education of the children.

[wespar]

Please try and think in terms of dissolution rather than annexation. Disolve the Ripley district. South Ripley kids can go to Sherman. Does Westfield need/want the responsibility of owning the building in Ripley?

[think about it]

I agree Westfield superintendent Mark Sissel is pushing this with a little help from some boardmembers some from Ripley. Ripley doesn't want to go down alone and would rather take someone with them and a merger is the way to save face. The merger was voted down 2 or 3 times now. Its a done deal, Sissel can't drop it because as "very limited" put it he has a napoleon complex. He is a small man with big plans for himself, he cares about no one and uses people. The few that support him now will find out what he is really like when he turns on them, and sooner or later he will.

[dave]

How come you never here from anyone on the committee that picked him. They all now have their heads in the sand hoping no one will link them to sissel. The names of those who picked sissel should be printed in the paper.

We would like to hear from anyone who picked or supports sissel, where are u?

[runningincircles]

wespar wrote:

Please try and think in terms of dissolution rather than annexation. Disolve the Ripley district. South Ripley kids can go to Sherman. Does Westfield need/want the responsibility of owning the building in Ripley?

Ripley wants to rent the building out for a BOCES from what I've heard.

[snake]

BOCES has enough buildings now, taxpayers all over NYS pay for those buildings. I don't know for sure but I would thing that if the Ripley BOE asks NYS for assistance in an annexation then the Ripley school district would end and Ripley would become part of Westfield, Sherman or both. The Ripley school would close and NYS would have to deal with it just like alot of schools that have closed, a good example would be Mayville school.

The fact is the school in Westfield is large enough to hold all the Ripley and Westfield students k-12. We don't need to hear the B S about keeping Ripley open or doing an addition to Westfield.

We need to close Ripley, cut teachers, no building additions and SAVE THE TAXPAYER MONEY FOR A CHANGE.

[very interested]

where does mark sissel live? Are those big bucks that he's paid going back into the community or are they headed east with the mileage vouchers?(and the toys) While I am not still in Westfield I am still part of the community, friends,family,taxes and wacs employees. I may not be on top of everything but the Westfield School appears to need a good housecleaning before they even think about merger and/or annexation.This needs to start at the top, not at the bottom which I understand is happening (in positions that directly affect the children)I know that being a Board member is a thankless job but those people chose to be on the Board and do not seem to be listening to the taxpayer or the parents. A change is overdue.

[Really]

Sissel and the board have sunk to a new low. They have closed the elementary cafeteria so elementary students eat with highschool students. Kindergarteners cry because they don't have time to eat their food. Fourth graders don't eat until one o'clock. Third graders have 6 minutes to eat their entire lunches. The little kids are taunted by the older kids who bully them. Why? So Sissel can tell all of the parents how we need to merge with Ripley to solve these problems. Teachers who complain about the situation are told to mind their own business. This is the type of thing you see in inner city schools not small rural towns. The kids are suffering because these people have let the power go to their heads. It is sickening!

[Handcuff]

Mark Sissel should have been disciplined long ago by the BOE, the problem is the BOE is just as bad as he is. While a few BOE members have recently started to question Sissel the remaining members are either too dumb or would rather keep their mouth shut and eyes closed. REMEMBER BOE MEMBERS ITS ABOUT THE CHILDREN, IF YOUR NOT DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN FOR THEM YOUR NOT DOING YOUR JOB. If really and very interested are correct the BOE is not looking out for the students and sooner or later its going to come back and bite you, parents will not stand for that type crap and any merger will be voted down not to mention budgets. Teachers need to stand up and if they can't they need to contact individuals within the community who will speak for them. There are community members out their that are not afraid to speak up, contact one of them

[Teacher]

There are problems at WACS and they start at the top, both the Board of Education and Mark Sissel need to be questioned and kept in check. They have an agenda and it doesn't involve doing what is right for the students or the community.

[what ever]

Why does my son have to go to Ashville BOCES? Has this anything to do with that back door merger!!!By going to Ashville BOCES he is loosing a half hour per day so he can ride the bus to C.Lake school then be picked up by Westfield. What was wrong with Fredonia BOCES. What was wrong with Ripley going to Fredonia BOCES they used to, no it's please Ripley.If the superintendent wants Ripley so bad maybe he should leave Westfield and go to Ripley!!!!

[shortbus]

what ever wrote:

Why does my son have to go to Ashville BOCES? Has this anything to do with that back door merger!!!By going to Ashville BOCES he is loosing a half hour per day so he can ride the bus to C.Lake school then be picked up by Westfield. What was wrong with Fredonia BOCES. What was wrong with Ripley going to Fredonia BOCES they used to, no it's please Ripley.If the superintendent wants Ripley so bad maybe he should leave Westfield and go to Ripley!!!!

Does he ride the lil bus?