(Cutline: Wellsville School Board President Jason Mattison, left, welcomes new Wellsville Superintendent Aaron Wolfe to the district)
By JOHN ANDERSON
You could’ve forgiven Aaron Wolfe if he was a little tired Tuesday night at the Wellsville Elementary School. After all, on his first day on the job as the new superintendent of schools, a board of education meeting was scheduled and he was in his 14th straight hour of work.
However, Wolfe ended his first meeting by going into the audience and meeting staff and community members and having additional conversations with school board members.
His first board of education meeting was a long one, a seven-page agenda with three presentations. On the agenda was resolution to adopt a $37.4 million budget for the 2025-2026 school year.
The public will vote on the budget on May 20. Wellsville is well ahead of the state mandated time frame for a budget that asks for a budget to be completed seven days before a public hearing.
The current budget is a 1.8 percent increase over last year and Wolfe was impressed with the budget put together by the administration and Interim Superintendent Dr. Colleen M. Taggerty.
The Wellsville Central School District School Board of Education has a lot of new faces —four of seven to be exact — and several asked about the process and different accounts.
Board member Dr. Rob Gilfert said he would like to see the budget pass as-is, but would like to see a reduction in the tax levy. Wellsville School Board President Jason Mattison said his request will go to the board’s finance and audit committee.
Gilfert said, “I think we are all learning and I appreciate it.”
Wolfe said the new board members have a lot of questions and the district has to have additional sub-committee meetings to get all budget questions answers.
The budget passed, 4-3 with Mattison, Alan Mosher, Steven Pettenati and Patricia Haggerty voting yes and Gilfert, Shane Vogel and Kathleen McKinley Murphy voting no.
As for the increase, Wolfe said state-wide, he has seen a few budgets come in at no increase and others with up to a 7 to 8 percent increase. he said 1.8 percent is a good number.
“I think they did a very good job with this and Dr. Taggerty is tremendously experienced in this work,” Wolfe told the Wellsville Sun after the meeting. “Dr. Taggerty has been doing (budgets) for a long time, she did them Olean for many years, she worked in Erie 2 BOCES and several districts … in the superintendent’s world, there are certain people who rise to the top in conversations who do the work well, and she is certainly one of them.”
Wolfe, who comes to Wellsville after over two years as superintendent at Panama Central School, has also served as the Human Resources Director for the Olean City School District and was an elementary principal, high school principal and curriculum coordinator for the Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School District. He lives in Olean.
“It was a really great first day … The welcome and the warmth people have shown me, it’s been humbling,” Wolfe said. “It was a busy first day, but a good first day. I got to spent time in the elementary building and the high school building and spent time with the kids.”
He also had a fun moment when a group of seniors wanted a first-day selfie with their new leader.
“They called me over for it, ‘Hey Mr. Wolfe!’ I was surprised they knew who I was!” Wolfe said. “So I went over and took a photo with them.”
Wolfe said he has always been impressed with Wellsville.
“Living in Olean, we come over here from time-to-time. What impresses me most is people have a deep, deep pride in the community — they care,” he said. “As it was mentioned in the school board meeting tonight, the school has been a central component in the community, there is a deep caring I have seen in my time here and over the years.”
Wolfe added, “There’s some cool stuff in Wellsville, I mean, who does balloon rallies? Wellsville has some great events that attract a lot of people.”
In other action Tuesday night:
• Wellsville Technology Coordinator Caitlin Bowen and Kristina McCracken, representing Microsolutions, gave a presentation on cybersecurity in Wellsville.
Across the nation, data, including student information, has been compromised by hackers, and Bowen explained the No. 1 way there is a breach is from emails. She explained the safeguards being put into place and new technology that is checking all systems 24 hours a day and can stop issues at nights and on weekends without a staff member having to be in the building.
There is also training for staff that is taking place. Wellsville is also upgrading operating systems to Windows 11.
• Wellsville Cafeteria Manager Bob Meyers gave a report on his department and how the school was able to continue to serve lunches and breakfast despite food shortages and price increases.
He said he expects an increase in the free breakfasts and lunches this summer. They are open to anyone age 18 or under regardless of where you live. The school will work with the David A. Howe Library again as a location for lunches.
Meyers said the school provides meals for kids at the library or in programs, the YMCA, Montessori School, different daycares and more. There is a drive-thru option.
“Anyone can come in and get meals,” Meyers said. “You can drive up and ask for five meals for kids in your home.”
For large groups who will need lunches during the summer or even for a week with camps, Meyers needs to be contacted before June 1.
• Several appointments were made for coaching vacancies and a few full-time and part-time positions were approved along with substitutes in several areas. The board also accepted several resignations.
• Three trips were approved, an overnight trip for softball to Ballston Spa; a Maker Faire trip to Syracuse and the Anatomage National Tournament in Las Vegas.
