A message from Dr. Wiles:
Dear GCSD Families,
The first full week of the 2024-25 school year is complete and Guilderland Central School District students are back into their routines, filling our classrooms with energy, enthusiasm and, of course, smiling faces. If you visited our social media channels recently, you were able to see some of that spirit for yourself. Here’s just a small sample:
LINQ Connect Replaces SchoolCafe
This is a reminder that GCSD has implemented a new meal payment system, LINQ Connect, which replaces SchoolCafe. LINQ Connect is a secure online system that makes it easy for families to set up payments, view transactions, transfer funds and receive balance notifications. There’s a mobile app for additional convenience. Please visit the Food Services page on the district website for more information.
Recent Media Coverage
Finally, as you may have seen, the district has recently been in the news due to a matter involving an individual student’s return to school after a suspension. This matter was a point of contention at the recent GCSD board of education meeting.
I’m writing about this situation because the question of safety has been raised, which has a direct effect on our learning environments. I am keenly aware that it is not easy for parents and guardians to put their children’s safety and well-being into the hands of others; as a district we value and respect that trust immensely.
It’s because of this trust that we prioritize the safety and security of students and staff. The district’s well-thought-out comprehensive safety plan has been created and reviewed with our safety specialist and in collaboration with local law enforcement. Our district and building safety teams continually refine and amend this plan to meet our ever-changing needs.
In this particular case, I can assure our families that the district has a plan in place to maintain the safety and well-being of all of our students and staff. However, we cannot share the specific details of the plan, beyond noting that it does provide, in part, increased supervision by adults.
In a further effort to resolve this matter and to do our due diligence, the district recently met with representatives from the New York State Education Department, including members of the Commissioner’s office. After hearing all aspects of this matter, they confirmed that individual student records are confidential as dictated by state and federal law, and reiterated that all students have a right to an education where they reside. SED recently released a statement on this matter that concluded as follows: The department supports [Guilderland’s] efforts to welcome a student who has been suspended back into the school community.
In Guilderland, we strive to create learning environments that are safe, secure and welcoming. It is our top priority from the first day of school until the last each school year. As we wrap our first full week of school, I am hopeful that the 2024-2025 school year will be one filled with strong relationships, engaging learning opportunities and joy.
Sincerely,
Marie Wiles, Ph.D.
Superintendent