Does the Romulus Central School District have a culture problem?
The rural district, which is the smallest in Seneca County and among the smallest in the region has been dealing with big problems lately. Community members say a longtime culture of intimidation and retaliation exists within the district’s walls. They allege that it’s having a significant impact on students, educators, and support staff.
These challenges became regionally known last month when January’s Board of Education meeting featured an unusually high turnout. Those sessions are typically held in the district’s Board Conference Room. However, administrators moved it the school’s auditorium in anticipation of that turnout.
Community members point to one of the district’s principals — Chris Puylara — as a point of emphasis for these internal issues. In the weeks after that January meeting — FingerLakes1.com spoke with several parents, educators, and community members about the situation in Romulus. While each shared a unique perspective about the district’s situation — several themes developed.
Then in late-January, our newsroom received a copy of a report, which evaluated community culture. The report was generated from a survey, where educators in the district shared their concerns about administrators. The survey was conducted under the assumption that district leadership would take the information, and work with them to improve the culture.
That didn’t happen.
We spoke with several inside the district who said the report was scrapped, after it’s findings were deemed critical of administrators. The report titled, “Creating Community Feedback 2022-2023” is headlined by five primary concerns.
- Inconsistent communication from administrators to staff;
- Favoritism by within the ranks of administrators;
- Mistrust between administrators and staff/faculty;
- The need for improvements to the physical environment; and
- Frustration with new hires made within the district.
Each concern…
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