NCS Community Update 8-14-26
NCS Community,
I hope that you and your families have had a wonderful summer. Though summer is by no means over yet, the 26-27 school year is just around the corner. All NCS students will return to classes on Tuesday, September 8th. We look forward to reconnecting with our students! Prior to the start of the school year, I wanted to share some important information with families that may be of assistance as we partner to ensure the best possible school experience this year.
Transition to Parent Square
We’re excited to share that our district is transitioning from Black Board Connect to Parent Square for emergency and broadcast notifications and messaging. We will begin using Parent Square commencing at the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year. Parent Square offers the additional features that we will explore using as we move forward with this messaging platform, including:
- Receive updates via email, text, and the free mobile app
- View calendar events and announcements
- Send and receive messages
- Sign forms, schedule conferences, and more—all in your preferred language
See this short Getting Started One-Pager to help you learn more. We encourage all parents/guardians to set up a Parent Square account as this will allow full access to all of the features offered by the platform. However, should you opt not to set up an account, know that you will still receive important school information/emergency closing information etc. via both phone and email going forward.
Transportation Information
For students who have been previously enrolled at NCS, transportation times, routes, and bus numbers will remain consistent from last school year. If your child was recently enrolled in the district, the Transportation Department will be in touch regarding drop-off and pick-up details. Our district transportation procedures allow families one pickup location and one drop-off location, however in the event of an emergency you may contact transportation directly at 585-374-7945 to arrange for the drop off your child at an alternate location.
Please note that any alternate location or daycare provider must be located within the NCS district and an adult or older sibling must be at the bus stop for all students under third grade. Due to our ongoing focus on student safety, we will no longer be able to take permanent transportation information over the phone or by a note. A new application is required for all permanent changes that are made during the school year and will not begin until this is received by the transportation department. (Ex: You move to a new address, your daycare provider changes, etc.) Applications can be found on the district website under the transportation tab and can be sent via email to jschenk@naplescsd.org. Please feel free to reach out to our transportation staff with questions or concerns anytime at 585-374-7945.
Athletic Information
NCS continues to offer a variety of opportunities in athletics and extracurricular opportunities. Should you wish to register your child to participate in a fall sport, the link to registration can be found on the page below:
https://students.arbitersports.com/programs/fall-2026-athletic-registration-15
District Priorities
Each spring, district administrators and teachers finalize priorities for the following school year, ensuring alignment with objectives set by our NCS Board of Education. As we look to 26-27, some areas of focus for NCS include:
- Continued collaboration among NCS staff to create curricular alignment, both vertically and horizontally.
- Identification of opportunities to connect learning experience shifting NYS learning standards, with emphasis on community connections and career pathway goal setting.
- Ensuring rich layers of social emotional support are provided for our students and families, and that we recognize and celebrate the success of students across all programs.
- Regularly assess participation levels in both academic and extra-curriculars and strive to limit barriers to participation.
- Continued focus in providing a school environment that is safe and supportive.
- Continuing to assess our systems, structures, and schedules to ensure that we are maximizing our resources/capital, both financial and human, to yield the highest return on investment for our students and families. As NYS budgets become tighter and expenses continue to rise, we must be flexible and creative as we navigate the fiscal realities that most NYS districts face.
Both the elementary school and JH/HS have created building goals that align with the above priorities. The work in developing these goals and the commitment to them is greatly appreciated; they serve our students, district, and community well moving forward.
Welcome Jonny Zacharias—JH/HS Assistant Principal
As we embark upon the new school year, I wanted to again welcome Mr. Jonny Zacharias who began his new role as the JH/HS Assistant Principal on July 1st. I know Jonny looks forward to connecting and supporting our students, staff, and families in his new role. Heather Clark began her new role as the Director of Data, Assessment, and Instructional Support on July 1st. While Heather’s presence as an assistant principal will be missed, she will no doubt continue to support our students in new and meaningful ways going forward.
2026 Capital Project
In December of 2026, the NCS community will have an opportunity to vote on a proposed capital project. This project will focus upon needed facility upgrades including:
-Classroom renovations at the High School
-Window replacements at the High School
-Cafeteria improvements at the elementary school
-Upgrades to dugouts, fencing, scoreboards at the High School and Elementary School fields. These upgrades are identical to those proposed in the 2021 project, however, they were eliminated from the final project scope due to cost escalations for the project.
These improvements are much needed and will ensure NCS facilities meet the needs of our students, families, and community. It is also important to note that this capital project will have no new tax impact upon NCS community members. This was an important goal as the NCS Facilities Committee finalized the scope of this next project.
Again, we look forward to a successful school year and I thank you for your support and collaboration as it plays such a large role in our student’s success. As always, do not hesitate to reach out should you have any questions and enjoy the remaining days of summer.
Sincerely,
Kevin Swartz
Naples CSD Superintendent
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