West Valley Central School’s backup files stored off-site at Erie 1 BOCES were a main topic of discussion during the Board of Education meeting on Monday, Oct. 19. Business Official Michael Chudy introduced Nichele James to present the Internal Audit Report. James advised the Board to consider using a technology audit to inspect the school’s backup information. These audits are recommended for any organization that provides critical technology services to a particular entity. Erie 1, one of 37 BOCES statewide, is the company that the school would rely on after a disaster to get backup information up and running, but James says, “If, for instance, the school burned down, the administration would just go to BOCES and retrieve the backup files stored there. We have no accountability from the school to make sure that BOCES is updating the information regularly and making sure that no unauthorized personnel has access to the information.” Without this type of review the school is not able to see what controls BOCES has in place to make sure that information stays secure and up-to-date. “This audit is expensive,” said James, “and not something that one school could get on their own. A group of schools would need to lobby for it together.” The other schools in the district also rely on Erie 1 for their off-site backup. “I would take a lot more comfort in knowing what their procedures would be in regards to our information,” James said. “I am not qualified to do the audit myself but the schools really should get someone to do it.

“If we lost our files somehow we wouldn’t want to use files that were three months old. They have all of our student and financial data backed up there.”

Board President Stephen Kowalski recommended that Superintendent Hillary Bowen bring up the technology audit at her next superintendents’ meeting.

James’ report also contained her recommendations for the transportation department. James has examined the inventory in the bus garage and while there are not a lot of parts stored there, the existing inventory had been kept unlocked during the day in a small room adjacent to the workers’ break area. But James said the problem had an easy fix. She has moved the break area and ensured that the inventory room is kept locked so that the materials are no longer available to any unauthorized persons.

The school has been conducting fuel usage in the bus garage for the past couple of years that analyzes how much fuel is used per month and figures out the buses’ miles per gallon. James estimated that each bus averages six to seven miles per gallon. She believes that this information should be taken more often in order to spot problems and to discover more quickly if someone were stealing fuel.

In other matters:

• Bowen announced that the week of Oct. 19 was Board Appreciation Week. She acknowledged the Board members and thanked them for their hard work. “Your time, your effort, your commitment and your focus on all of the challenges that we have is commendable,” she said. “I would like to thank you for all the time and effort that you put into this.” West Valley Teacher’s Association Representative Amy Butler also applauded the Board members for their work. “We want to thank the Board for their dedication to an unpaid, thankless job where you are second-guessed all the time. We recognize your commitment and we appreciate that and all you do to help us.” Jim Howard of the West Valley Service Employees Association thanked the Board as well. He said, “It takes a special person to volunteer to be on the Board. Our members are leaders of our school and our community.”

• Bowen said that the school’s Jazz Band is up and running and the students are energetic about it. “There is a lot of sound that can be heard early in the morning while they are practicing,” she said. “The practices are very well attended and I am encouraged by the student response.”

• Bowen also gave an update on the Student Support Program that began this week; the program is required of all students that are failing one or more subjects. At least 20 percent of secondary students at WVCS fall into this category. They are given two hours of additional time per week to work on their failing subjects and are required to turn in their reports to the superintendent by the end of the week before being able to do extra-curricular activities over the weekend. This program runs for five weeks.

• Bowen also asked the Board for permission to present plans for the senior trip during the next Board meeting on November 12. She stated that at the next meeting she will have a motion prepared for the Board to vote on.

• Bonnie Smith, elementary principal, director of physical education and curriculum coordinator reported that the annual Grandparents Day in Kindergarten on Friday, Oct. 16 went very well. “The grandparents ate in the cafeteria with the kids and they also did arts and crafts together,” she said. “Then the kids performed several songs on stage.” The kindergarteners also received a visit from Ranger Bob and Smokey the Bear on Oct. 19.

• Smith said that the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick, sponsored by the NFL and part of the PE curriculum, is underway and there are four winning groups consisting of one boy and one girl each. All winners are going on to compete in the sectionals. If any students advance past the sectionals they will compete on national television at halftime at a Buffalo Bills game.

• Smith commented that the school surveyed students in a shared sports assembly to see if they would be open to sharing sports with another school district to increase the size of the sports teams. Grades six through 12 were surveyed although sixth graders are not allowed to play sports by law. The survey reports came back that most students voted yes to joining sports with another school district. Smith believes that about 80 percent of the students voted.

• The Board voted to allow two student teachers from Saint Bonaventure to student teach in the sixth grade from October 19, 2009 to December 11, 2009.

• The Houghton College Upward Bound high school program was approved to use the school library or other small study area every Tuesday from 2:58 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Dec. 15.

• The Board approved the Cattaraugus-Alleghany-Erie-Wyoming BOCES 2009-2010 Adult Education Sponsorship Agreement.

• Several new books donated by school staff members were accepted as additions to the school library collection, including The Pact, My Sister’s Keeper, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and New Moon. Board member Frances Engels asked if the books were acceptable reading for young people and Bowen stated that she has checked and approved the donations.

• The Board approved a trip by the International Connections Club to travel to Buffalo to work with Habitat for Humanity on Oct. 24 and Nov. 7. 16 students, led by Chudy, will be assisting refugee families at 45 Dartmouth Avenue.

• Board member William Welling moved to acknowledge Bill Sloan for his work on the furnace during the heat outage. Sloan even worked on repairs over Columbus Day to make sure the students had heat.

The next Board of Education meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16 at the West Valley Central School.