Message from the Superintendent

Message from the Superintendent-November 7, 2025

Dear West Genesee Families,

Thank you to community members who have attended the recent “Coffee and Conversation” sessions held this week relative to the Capital Improvement Project to be presented for public vote on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. The productive and positive sharing of information and opportunity to clarify topics is appreciated. The positive interactions also help to update the Frequently Asked Questions document that can serve as an additional resource.

As a reminder, comprehensive information is available on the West Genesee District website regarding the project. The “2025 Capital Improvement Project Referendum Newsletter” was mailed to all community members late last week. If you have not received the document or know of someone who did not receive it, please see the District’s website, email publications@westgenesee.org with your information, or call the District Office if you would like a hard copy sent to you.

The website information includes project highlights, visual of building and location of work, pictures to illustrate the need for updates, financial information, the proposition resolution, Frequently Asked Questions, voting information including absentee, early voting, and military ballots, dates and sign-up process for informational meeting, and details of the Community Forum being held on November 24, 2025.

The location of the vote is the West Genesee High School Auditorium from 6:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

Thank you for your continued involvement, and please reach out if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,

David C. Bills, Superintendent of Schools

Message from the Superintendent-October 24, 2025

Below you will find information about an upcoming Capital Improvement Project slated to be presented for public vote on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. The planning to reach this stage has been ongoing for over a year with discussions at Board of Education Meetings, with members of the District Facilities Committee, in conjunction with our Architectural Team, and through review of recent Building Conditions Surveys and related studies.

Please see the series of “Coffee and Conversation” Information Sessions that will be held in coming weeks. They are presented at various times and days of the week to increase the likelihood of your availability. We ask that you sign up in advance to predict the volume of attendees and submit questions to better help us prepare to provide information. Of course, there will be the opportunity for questions and discussion throughout each session should there be an area of interest to explore.

Information is now available on the WGCSD website (see the button below) and the Coffee and Conversation Presentations will be kept on the same site following the sessions. A special WGCSD Communicator: Capital Improvement Project Referendum Newsletter 2025 will be mailed to all community members at the end of next week and also housed on the website.

I look forward to seeing you in the near future to discuss the proposed project.

There is so much happening in our District. Our athletic teams and marching band are approaching the end of their successful seasons, and we are also looking forward to all upcoming events. Enjoy the pictures and stories below that celebrate our students with the thanks of the adults that support them. It’s a great day to be a Wildcat!

Sincerely,

David C. Bills, Superintendent of Schools

Capital Improvement Project 2025 Information

Message from the Superintendent-October 10, 2025

Dear West Genesee Families,

My family came together recently for a wonderful celebration of my daughter’s wedding. Surrounded by many, including her three older brothers, we gathered for a joyous expression of their love, happiness, and the new beginning of their lives. Of course, as parents, my wife and I could not be happier for our daughter and new son-in-law and for the gathering of two families and many friends who will continue to support them and who were a special part of the celebration.

The excitement and joy finds me sharing pictures and telling stories about the many parts of the wedding and festivities. My “proud dad” feeling reminds me of a past guest speaker and author, Stephen Birchak (aka “Dr. Bird”), who used the expression “bust my buttons” to describe the overflow of emotion and pride that we sometimes encounter.

I also find myself making the comparison of the daunting task of such a celebration to that of organizations, particularly when returning to the daily routines of work. I’m struck by the similarities of attention to detail, variation of roles, communication across different components, and coordination of parts to the whole that two seemingly contrasting experiences have in common. The importance of keeping many moving parts in sync and working toward a common goal is equally important to both.

So as I wallow in the glow of a family celebration, I am thankful for our work together as we support the students, families, and staff of our District each day. We are the florists, announcers, entertainment coordinators, speakers, officiants, photographers, ring bearers, wedding parties, families and friends that make our “celebrations” work every day. I feel blessed to be a part of both.

Enjoy this e-Newsletter that includes ongoing evidence of success and celebration that comes from attention to detail and hard work in preparation. Look to recognize the many Wildcats included in this issue and join me in congratulating them for their achievements!

Sincerely,

David C. Bills, Superintendent of Schools

Message from the Superintendent-September 26, 2025

Dear West Genesee Families,

I hope the change to more seasonable weather conditions has you enjoying cooler evenings and the changing color of leaves. It is this time of year that I remind myself to listen to “Autumn Leaves” written by Johnny Mercer from an earlier French Version “Les Feuilles Mortes” by Jacques Prévert and Joseph Kosma. The lyrics include vivid and beautiful leaves that eventually fade and are swept away by time as a metaphor to memories. The version by Nat King Cole is my favorite as it seems to cherish both while recognizing inevitable changes.

After only a relatively short amount of time, we are well into the school year and it is already filled with activity. Our classes are well under way, teams are competing, clubs are meeting, and school events such as Open Houses, Curriculum Nights, and PTA/PTO meetings are ways to get involved. We are truly complete when more people get involved as a part of what it means to be a Wildcat!

A phone call was received at the District Office in September that I would like to share with you. The parent indicated that their family recently relocated to our community. There was praise for our staff and appreciation for their children smiling. They noted the adults are positive and want to work with students. The change was described as very positive and the best decision they ever made. I include this in my message per their request of sharing thanks. It is also added to remind us that we all make a difference and impact others positively, even when we may not know it. Well done!

This e-Newsletter has evidence of our staff and students constructing quality learning experience, building opportunities, and paving the way for the future. Look for important information and enjoy celebrating our Wildcats!

Sincerely,

David C. Bills, Superintendent of Schools

Message from the Superintendent-September 12, 2025

Dear West Genesee Families,

Congratulations to all for a successful start to the 2025-2026 School Year! To borrow from a cliché, there is a “flipping the switch” that is part of the opening day that is quite remarkable and not easy. Thank you for our combined efforts to instantly transition to routines, old and new, that are part of the return to the norm.

Thank you to every adult who manages a part of our operation and without whom we would not be successful. Preparing classrooms, designing and implementing transportation routing, physical maintenance and upkeep of buildings, monitoring and adjusting to capital improvements, creating and adjusting schedules are just some of the systems that need to collaboratively occur for success.

Thank you to parents, guardians, caregivers, and families for the immediate change in routines that impact homes. The sudden schedule of pick-up and drop-off, the patience for inevitable delays, and the feeling that comes with your child being at school all day can come with emotions. Special shout out to all of the adults who love a UPK or Kindergartener. You did it! Well done!

Thank you to every student who similarly makes adjustments to new routines, classrooms, groups, timing, related surroundings, and parameters. For some, the prospect of a new building may have caused some anxiety in anticipation. For others, new coursework and new classrooms may have served as an unknown resulting in uncertainty. For many, typical routines have dramatically changed, as with the law and policy of internet-connected devices. Please accept my thanks and appreciation for your hard work, patience, and understanding as we move forward together with respect! Well done!

As a reminder, information was sent last week relative to transportation (found here) regarding upcoming annual changes. It is imperative that we know actual riders, who is riding the bus and who is not riding the bus, in order to most efficiently serve our students and families. Any information provided helps to make adjustments that are typical for the start of a school year. (Special thanks goes to our Transportation Department for all of their work these past days!)

Enjoy the e-Newsletter as an ongoing way to share information and celebrate our Wildcats!

Sincerely,

David C. Bills, Superintendent of Schools

Message from the Superintendent-August 29, 2025

Dear West Genesee Families,

Alice Walker is credited with the quote “Time moves slowly, but passes quickly.” There are many similar quotes that likely lead to the common expression that “days are long, but years fly by.” That has been my experience and is seen in the milestones that come with a school year, including the start.

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! There is a special energy and anticipation that comes with the start of a school year. Growing up in the Syracuse area, the days of the New York State Fair and returning to the school schedule was the transition from August to September, and perhaps summer to fall.

With such a transition comes the return to routines with excitement of that which is new; new classrooms, new experiences, new possibilities. Please accept a special welcome to those who are “new” and joining our District for the first time either by relocating or as you start the educational journey in West Genesee. We strongly believe this is a special place!

As you receive information from the different schools and departments, be sure to note ParentSquare, our primary resource for communication, the West Genesee Central School District website, this year’s Events Calendar/Information Guide (coming soon after school begins), and through this regularly published District E-News.

We are committed to a comprehensive education that is safe, provides support, and challenges all students to reach their full potential. We look forward to partnering with you to make this school year a memorable and successful one.

Sincerely,

David C. Bills, Superintendent of Schools