At Berne-Knox-Westerlo’s regular board of education meeting, Yira Matiz, who was hired last summer to teach seventh- and eighth-grade Spanish, accused the school administration of not performing its due diligence when following up on complaints that Matiz was ineffective in the classroom. Matiz was forced to resign, she said.

Esports, or competitive video gaming, is a $1 billion dollar industry that Berne-Knox-Westerlo teacher William Dergosits wants to bring to the school. He says it may open doors for students academically, professionally, and socially — especially for those in what he calls the “hidden demographic.” 

“To be transparent,” Berne-Knox-Westerlo school board member Matthew Tedeschi said of value engineering, “there’s cuts made.”

Bill Dergosits stressed that the Promethean board is “a tool, not a toy.”

Many of the renovations to the secondary school are set to be completed by the beginning of the school year, while the construction at the elementary school will take place in phases in different sections of the building over the course of a year.

Richard Ronconi, member, Switzkill Farm Board

Berne-Knox-Westerlo staff said that one way the community can support the Farm to School program is for parents to complete the free or reduced-price school meals application. If 40 percent of BKW students qualify for free meals, the district would be able to serve free meals to all of its students.

A small number of students at Middleburgh hope to join Berne-Knox-Westerlo’s wrestling team, BKW officials say.

In the same meeting where Nathan Elble was elected Berne-Knox-Westerlo school board president, he voted to appoint his wife to a teaching position, a decision school staff backed, saying that she is the best of 100 candidates for the job.

The new school board president says communication is key.