🎓 Board of Education (Liverpool)

Liverpool School Board Spends 87 Minutes Behind Closed Doors, Then Splits 8-1 to Deny a Student's Suspension Appeal

2025-03-31 · 972 words

Key Actions & Decisions

◆ Approved minutes from the March 24 regular meeting and the March 25 capital project referendum. Motion carried 7-0.
◆ Approved a Budget Amendment as presented and acknowledged receipt of the January 2025 Treasurer's Report. Motion carried 7-0 each.
◆ Approved surplus items and the remaining Routine Business items as submitted. Motion carried 7-0 each.
◆ Recognized Liverpool High School for a POOLS Award.
◆ Approved revisions to Policy 7554 and the deletion of Policy 7556. Motion carried 7-0 each.
◆ Approved creation of the APISA - Asian and Pacific Islander Student Association Club. Motion carried 7-0.
◆ Modified the 2024-2025 School Calendar and adopted the 2025-2026 School Calendar. Motion carried 7-0 each.
◆ Entered executive session at 6:51 p.m. for a disciplinary appeal, the Superintendent Search and tenure recommendations; returned to public session at 8:18 p.m., an 87-minute closed session.
◆ Denied the appeal of "Student #1's" long-term suspension and directed Interim Superintendent Brian Nolan to notify the parent/guardian. Motion carried 8-1, with Stacey Chilbert casting the lone Nay.
◆ Adjourned at 8:19 p.m. Motion carried unanimously.

The Liverpool Board of Education passed seven routine items unanimously in the first hour of its March 31 meeting, then spent 87 minutes in executive session on a student's suspension appeal, the superintendent search and tenure recommendations. The board emerged to deny the appeal 8-1 — the only non-unanimous vote of the night.

People

Nicholas Blaney (Liverpool CSD Board of Education member) Jecenia Bresett (Liverpool CSD Board of Education member) Kimberly Melnik (Liverpool CSD Board of Education member) Matthew Jones (Liverpool CSD Board of Education member) John Solazzo (Liverpool CSD Board of Education member) Daniel McKeever (Liverpool CSD Board of Education member) Stacey Chilbert (Liverpool CSD Board of Education member) Kimberly Martin (Liverpool CSD Board of Education member) Hayley Downs (Liverpool CSD Board of Education member) Briana O'Brien (Liverpool CSD administrator (recurring in meeting attendance)) Kasey Dolson (Liverpool CSD administrator (recurring in meeting attendance)) Brett Woodcock (Liverpool CSD administrator (recurring in meeting attendance)) Dana Ziegler (Liverpool CSD administrator (recurring in meeting attendance)) Jason Armstrong (Liverpool CSD administrator (recurring in meeting attendance)) Jennifer Woody (Liverpool CSD administrator (recurring in meeting attendance)) Douglas Lawrence (Liverpool CSD administrator (recurring in meeting attendance)) Brian Nolan (Interim Superintendent, Liverpool Central School District (predecessor to Chapman))

The minutes, in full

Typeset from the official record — motions and recorded votes are detected automatically. The official copy governs.

Liverpool Central School District

Board of Education

Regular Board Meeting, Monday, March 31, 2025

Members present

Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

Others present

Brian Nolan, Interim Superintendent, Douglas Lawrence, Briana O'Brien, Brett Woodcock, Jennifer Woody, Dana Ziegler, Jason Armstrong, Jason Taylor, Kasey Dolson

Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM

1. OPENING

1.1 Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance

2. RECOGNITION

2.1 POOLS Award - Liverpool High School

3. ROUTINE BUSINESS

3.1 Approve March 24, 2025 Meeting Minutes

Resolution: Motion to approve the minutes from the March 24, 2025, Board of Education meeting.

Motion to approve, acknowledge and/or accept the Routine Business items as submitted.

Motion by Jecenia Bresett, second by Kimberly Melnik.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

3.2 Approve March 27, 2025 Referendum Minutes

Resolution: Motion to approve the minutes from the March 25, 2025, Liverpool Central School District Capital Project Referendum.

Motion to approve, acknowledge and/or accept the Routine Business items as submitted.

Motion by Jecenia Bresett, second by Kimberly Melnik.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

3.3 Approve Budget Amendment

Resolution: Motion to approve the Budget Amendment as presented.

Motion to approve, acknowledge and/or accept the Routine Business items as submitted.

Motion by Jecenia Bresett, second by Kimberly Melnik.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

3.4 Acknowledge receipt of January 2025 Treasurer's Report

Resolution: Motion to acknowledge receipt of the January 2025 Treasurer's Report.

Motion to approve, acknowledge and/or accept the Routine Business items as submitted.

Motion by Jecenia Bresett, second by Kimberly Melnik.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

3.5 Approve Surplus Items

Resolution: Motion to accept surplus items as presented.

Motion to approve, acknowledge and/or accept the Routine Business items as submitted.

Motion by Jecenia Bresett, second by Kimberly Melnik.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

3.6 Approve Routine Business Items

Resolution: Motion to approve, acknowledge and/or accept the Routine Business items as submitted.

Motion to approve, acknowledge and/or accept the Routine Business items as submitted.

Motion by Jecenia Bresett, second by Kimberly Melnik.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

4. REPORTS, UPDATES AND PRESENTATIONS

4.1 President's Report

4.2 Superintendent's Report

4.3 Student Liaison Report

4.4 Committee Reports

4.5 Department Update

5. FOR DISCUSSION

5.1 Draft 2025-2026 School Calendar

5.2 Budget Workshop

6. COMMUNICATIONS

6.1 Public Communications

6.2 Board Communications

7. FOR ACTION

7.1 Approve Proposed Policy Revisions

Motion to approve the proposed revisions for Policy 7554 as presented.

Motion by Kimberly Martin, second by Stacey Chilbert.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

7.2 Approve Policy Deletion

Motion to approve the deletion of Policy 7556.

Motion by Jecenia Bresett, second by Kimberly Melnik.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

Action: 7.3 Proposed New Club

Motion to approve the creation of the APISA - Asian and Pacific Islander Student Association Club as presented.

Motion by Kimberly Melnik, second by Matthew Jones.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

Action: 7.4 2024-2025 School Calendar Adjustment

Motion to modify the 2024-2025 School Calendar as presented.

Motion by Jecenia Bresett, second by John Solazzo.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

Action: 7.5 2025-2026 School Calendar

Motion to adopt the 2025-2026 School Calendar as presented.

Motion by John Solazzo, second by Kimberly Martin.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

8. ANNOUNCEMENTS

8.1 April 7, 2025 - Board of Education Meeting, 6:00 p.m., District Office

8.2 April 21, 2025 - Board of Education Meeting, 6:00 p.m., District Office

9. EXECUTIVE SESSION - AS NEEDED

9.1 Executive Session - As Needed

Motion to enter into Executive Session for a disciplinary appeal to the Board of Education of a long-term suspension resulting from a Superintendent Hearing for a particular student, discuss matters related to the Superintendent Search and to discuss tenure recommendations.

Motion by Jecenia Bresett, second by Kimberly Melnik.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones

Entered Executive Session at 6:51 PM

Motion to Return to Public Session

Motion by Stacey Chilbert second by Matthew Jones

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, Stacey Chilbert, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones, Daniel McKeever, Hailey Downs

Returned to Public Session at 8:18 PM

10. APPEAL OF STUDENT DISCIPLINARY DECISION

10.1 Affirm or Deny Appeal - Student #1

Motion to Deny the Student Appeal

The Board of Education, upon review of student appeal as discussed in executive session for Student #1, hereby deny the appeal of the Superintendent's suspension and further directs the Interim Superintendent to notify the parent/guardian of the Board's decision.

Motion by Matthew Jones, second by Kimberly Martin.

Final Resolution: Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones, Daniel McKeever, Hailey Downs

Nay: Stacey Chilbert

11. ADJOURNMENT

11.1 Adjourn Meeting

Motion by Daniel McKeever, second by Kimberly Martin

Final Resolution Motion Carried

Aye: Nicholas Blaney, Kimberly Martin, Jecenia Bresett, John Solazzo, Kimberly Melnik, Matthew Jones, Daniel McKeever, Hailey Downs, Stacey Chilbert

Meeting was adjourned at 8:19 PM

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