Liverpool Central School District
Encyclopedia
Liverpool Central School District is a non-public school district in a suburban community near Syracuse, New York
in Onondaga County
. It has nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school
with a district enrollment of about 8,285 students. Liverpool Central School District serves the entire Village of Liverpool
and portions of the towns of Clay
and Salina
. Its superintendent is Dr. Richard Johns.
The Assistant to the Superintendent is Kevin Nuzzo. Mr. Nuzzo also served under the previous administration led by Janice H. Matousek.
. Johns also proposed a large district-wide restructuring plan to the Board of Education, citing declining enrollment in the district. His plan has garnered a polarized reaction from district residents, parents, and students and has been tabled by the Board for a year.
In October of 2010, rumors surfaced that while the district was struggling fiscally, Dr. Johns had recently refurnished his office with Stickley premium furniture. Further rumors stated that Wetzel Road was being used for administrators, causing public outcry because the building had been closed the previous year in order to close a budget gap and has been set aside as a possible location for the Focus Academy. Additionally, the public was disheartened with the 2% raise given to administration. The rumors were met with such outrage that WSYR-TV
of Syracuse, NY met with Dr. Johns to discuss these issues. Johns explained that Wetzel Road was being abated for asbestos. Regarding the furniture, Dr. Johns explained it all came from his own basement.
students, in their junior year, elect a liaison to serve on the Board of Education for a two-year term. The board contains one senior and one junior member, both of which have no voting power but give insight to student affairs. The current student liaisons are:
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
in Onondaga County
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. It has nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school
Liverpool High School
Liverpool High School is a comprehensive New York public high school located on Wetzel Road in the village of Liverpool, northwest of the city of Syracuse in the Liverpool Central School District, serving ninth to twelfth grade students...
with a district enrollment of about 8,285 students. Liverpool Central School District serves the entire Village of Liverpool
Liverpool, New York
Liverpool is a village located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,505 at the 2000 census. The name was adopted from the city of Liverpool in the United Kingdom...
and portions of the towns of Clay
Clay, New York
Clay is a town in Onondaga County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 58,805, making it Syracuse's largest suburb. The town was named after Henry Clay, statesman....
and Salina
Salina, New York
Salina is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 33,290 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from the Latin word for "salt."...
. Its superintendent is Dr. Richard Johns.
Superintendent of Schools
The Superintendent is hired by and granted authority to carry out changes by the Board of Education. The current superintendent of Liverpool Central Schools is Dr. Richard N. Johns, who replaced former superintendent Janice H. Matousek in 2009 amidst public controversy concerning the excessive spending and untidy budget of the mid-sized suburban district, along with scandal involving district policies and Matousek's personal life. Prior to his position at Liverpool, Johns was a superintendent at the Webutuck Central School District in Amenia.The Assistant to the Superintendent is Kevin Nuzzo. Mr. Nuzzo also served under the previous administration led by Janice H. Matousek.
Controversies
Dr. Johns' policies take a much stricter hand in rehabilitating fiscal health involving the layoff of many district employees, closure of Wetzel Road Elementary School effective at the end of the 2009-2010 school year, and the reformation of Liverpool High SchoolLiverpool High School
Liverpool High School is a comprehensive New York public high school located on Wetzel Road in the village of Liverpool, northwest of the city of Syracuse in the Liverpool Central School District, serving ninth to twelfth grade students...
. Johns also proposed a large district-wide restructuring plan to the Board of Education, citing declining enrollment in the district. His plan has garnered a polarized reaction from district residents, parents, and students and has been tabled by the Board for a year.
In October of 2010, rumors surfaced that while the district was struggling fiscally, Dr. Johns had recently refurnished his office with Stickley premium furniture. Further rumors stated that Wetzel Road was being used for administrators, causing public outcry because the building had been closed the previous year in order to close a budget gap and has been set aside as a possible location for the Focus Academy. Additionally, the public was disheartened with the 2% raise given to administration. The rumors were met with such outrage that WSYR-TV
WSYR-TV
WSYR-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Central New York State that is licensed to Syracuse. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 17 from a transmitter on Sevier Road in Pompey. The station can also be seen on Time Warner channel 9 and in high definition on...
of Syracuse, NY met with Dr. Johns to discuss these issues. Johns explained that Wetzel Road was being abated for asbestos. Regarding the furniture, Dr. Johns explained it all came from his own basement.
Board of Education
The Liverpool Central School district's Board of Education consists of nine community-elected volunteers who meet bimonthly to determine the running of the district. They are the major policymakers and must approve a majority of district issues before they can be handled or instituted. One of the major accomplishments of the Board of Education is their establishment of a code of conduct for the Liverpool community. As per the Open Meetings Act, all BOE meetings are open to the public and meeting minutes are posted online.Current Incumbents
The Board's current members are:- Donald Cook, President
- Patricia DeBona-Rosier, Vice President
- Stacey Balduf
- James E. Kane
- John J. Kennedy
- Richard Pento
- F. Joseph Unangst
- David Watson
- John Woloszyn
Student Liaisons
Liverpool High SchoolLiverpool High School
Liverpool High School is a comprehensive New York public high school located on Wetzel Road in the village of Liverpool, northwest of the city of Syracuse in the Liverpool Central School District, serving ninth to twelfth grade students...
students, in their junior year, elect a liaison to serve on the Board of Education for a two-year term. The board contains one senior and one junior member, both of which have no voting power but give insight to student affairs. The current student liaisons are:
- Sydney McAlmont, Senior
- Julie Swenson, Junior
District Administrators
The district is run by a series of administrators, all of whom are responsible for providing pertinent information related to their subject field at board meetings. They work under the superintendent.Assistant Superintendents
- Peter Martuscello, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
- Dr. Maureen Patterson, Assistant Superintendent for School Improvement
- Katherine Phillips, Assistant Superintendent for Support Services
Executive Directors of Programs
- Mary Conroy, Director of Special Education
- Steven Garraffo, Director of Curriculum Development and the Humanities
- Ellen Kuno, Director of Elementary Education
- Bonnie Ladd, Director of Technology
- Timothy Manning, Director of School Business Administration
- Margaret Pendergast, Director of Instructional Support
- Dr. Thomas Zino, Director of Special Education
Elementary Schools
- Chestnut Hill Elementary
- Donlin Drive Elementary
- Elmcrest Elementary
- Liverpool Elementary
- Long Branch Elementary
- Morgan Road Elementary
- Nate Perry Elementary
- Soule Road Elementary
- Willow Field Elementary
Middle Schools
High School
- Liverpool High School (articleLiverpool High SchoolLiverpool High School is a comprehensive New York public high school located on Wetzel Road in the village of Liverpool, northwest of the city of Syracuse in the Liverpool Central School District, serving ninth to twelfth grade students...
) - Liverpool High School Annex (9th grade building, referred to as LHX)
Former Schools
- Craven Crawford Elementary - Turned into a district office complex
- A.V. Zogg Middle School - Closed after 1980-1981 school year to be used as district offices. It has since been sold and was bought by the Liverpool Community Church.
- Mark Loveless Elementary - now the Town of Salina offices.
- Wetzel Road Elementary - closed due to budget cuts at the end of the 2009-2010 school year.