New superintendent, Molly Moore, of Southwestern Central School

Southwestern Central School District has a host of new faces within their administration this year, with one of the most vital roles of superintendent seeing a new person come into the position.

This new administrator already holds an incredibly strong pride for her district, and is full of energy for this back-to-school season.

Molly Moore was announced as the new superintendent of the district earlier this year, and is showing a quick comfortability in the role while taking no time to begin implementing measures to further opportunities and learning for students.

With so many new faces within the SWCS administrative roles it is important for staff members to familiarize themselves with one another to ensure a smooth transition. Moore detailed a host of ways in which this administration is working to advance their communication and internal cooperation. This included establishment of newer group norms, hosting instructional team meetings, and creating specific goal blueprints. All of these methods have begun throughout the summer to allow the administration to be fully prepared going into this school year.

Moore’s background as a psychologist, along with her long-term experience within this district, not only gives her a greater sense of awareness about mental challenges faced by students but also a better ability to navigate those challenges. One area in which this seems most clear is when Moore was discussing the NYS cell phone ban.

Moore noted that she, and staff, are “fully supportive of the ban,” going on to note scientifically-backed links between youth social media use and increases in certain mental illnesses. She even made reference to the 2024 book “The Anxious Generation”, which draws connections between a rise in youth mental illness and a shift towards heavier phone usage in childhood. The district has also implemented an Alternative Education Program, which will aid those struggling to graduate in a standard school setting, and have grown partnerships with the Chautauqua County Mental Health Association and Prevention Works so that children struggling can receive support for their unique scenario.

Moore’s goal of bettering her communication does not just extend to her staff members, but also to the parents and students of the district. She spoke on how many parents had concerns of the unknowns surrounding the new cell phone ban. Moore made it a goal of hers to both ease parents’ concerns and utilize their feedback when making future considerations. The school issued a series of answers to frequently asked questions on their website earlier this summer, giving parents sufficient time to understand the implementation of the ban. There is also advancement to the communication with students too, as mentioned, with Moore having talked of student advisory groups as a primary way of hearing the students’ voices more directly. This will take diverse groups from various grade levels and allow for them to spend a lunch period with Moore, not only serving to give direct feedback from students, something Moore can utilize to shape future decisions, but also grow further trust between students and administration.

“It gives me tremendous pride to know what these kids have accomplished,” stated Moore. Such honor in her school and satisfaction from her impact will undoubtedly continue to drive her to grow opportunities and resources for students, parents, and teachers within the district.