Gary Tutty Introductory Letter to District Residents - Fall 1997

Dear Parents, Students, Friends and Supporters of Ilion Central School,

First of all, I am enormously thankful for the many cards, calls, handshakes and words of congratulations and support on my appointment as the new Superintendent. I am very proud to have been chosen. I realize it will be a challenge to fill the shoes of Mr. Fusco, who did such an excellent job for so many years. As many have said, he will be missed.

While I look forward to many productive years at Ilion Central School, there are a few staff members who are retiring from our system after many years of dedicated service. They touched many of your lives, and they also will be missed: Bernard Anderson, Peter Daley, Martin Manion, Michael Skinner, and Elizabeth Barrell-Skinner. I know you join me in wishing them a long and happy retirement. In addition, a special thanks to Mrs. DelGrego for her many years of service to the district as a board member.

As we begin the new school year, we will continue to focus on the State's Higher Learning Standards. Because the State continues to place more of the financial burden of education on the local taxpayer, while promoting the higher standards we all want for all our students, it will be our job to find new and creative ways of helping all our students succeed while keeping taxes under control. It will be a challenge, but working together we can meet the challenge.

Having been raised in Ilion, having lived here most of my life, and having had the experience of living in other areas of the state and country, I know how special our school district is. I will work hard to lead us in fulfilling our School District Mission:

We all will have to make critical choices in order to make our Mission Statement a reality. Together it is our job to work as one to make the right choices for the success of all our students.

I am grateful to be here, and I am ready to face --with you-- the challenges ahead.

Yours truly,

Gary Tutty

Superintendent of Schools