Westfield Academy and Central School Board of Education approved the appointment of Shelly O’Boyle as interim superintendent at their supplemental meeting on Jan. 27.

O’Boyle comes to Westfield after serving seven years as superintendent of the Frewsburg Central School District. She officially retired from that position on March 9, but stayed on as interim superintendent from March 9 until June 30, while that district conducted a superintendent search.

O’Boyle will serve as interim superintendent at WACS until approximately July 31. She fills the position left vacant by WACS superintendent Michael Cipolla who is superintendent for Randolph Academy.

O’Boyle began her career in education in 1996 when she was hired as a teacher of speech and hearing handicapped for the Jamestown Public School District. In 1999, she was appointed as the special education department chairperson/district committee on preschool education and was subsequently named coordinator of special education in 2002.

In 2004, O’Boyle was appointed as assistant elementary principal at Southwestern Central School District, and in 2007, she became elementary school principal. In 2009, she became the director of curriculum and instruction, and in 2015 was also named the director of technology integration.

In other business, the board received a letter from former board member Celia Molitor and her husband, Andrew. The letter addresses HIV/AIDS instruction in the district.

The Molitors state that “it was recently brought to our attention that the HIV/AIDS instruction for our sixth-grade students is not aligned with state regulations, and the current curriculum and teaching methods do not reflect best practice per the 2019 NYSED Guidance.”

The letter goes on to explain that WACS is required to establish an advisory council, consisting of parents, school board members, appropriate school personnel and community representatives. “Our concern, therefore, is twofold — our district is not currently following state regulations in regards to our HIV/AIDS policy, and the quality of the currently utilized curriculum is not in line with state guidance.”

In another matter, board members were reminded that the National Honor Society is sponsoring a blood drive on Valentine’s Day. The blood drive will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday in the large group room at the school.