Jeffrey R. Rabey, Ph.D.
Interim Superintendent Depew Union Free School District
5201 S. Transit Road
Depew, NY 14043

Phone: (716) 686-5105
Fax: (716) 686-5101

Secretary to the Superintendent: Jessica Neischel
Phone: (716) 686-5104

Dear Depew School Community,

As we enter the new year, I hope all of you had a restful end to 2024 with family and friends.

As staff and students return to school for the second half of the school year, I would like to take a moment to look back on all we have accomplished in our school year so far.

Our youngest Wildcats have been making Depew history, as they opened the brand-new Cayuga Heights Auditorium with musical and theatrical performances that brought joy and laughter to audiences. It’s been so wonderful seeing the community enjoying the new facility, and we are looking forward to Cayuga Heights students putting on their first musical at the new auditorium at the end of March.

We are also so proud of our Cayuga Heights students for raising nearly $2,000 for the Swing High with Shane Project. The initiative honors the memory of Shane Norton, a former Cayuga Heights student who passed away in April 2024.

In the Middle School, students put their focus on showing gratitude and making a difference. Students embodied those values as they created and donated blankets to Oishei Children’s Hospital, as well as wreaths for local first responders and community organizations.

Several Middle School and High School students also showed their commitment to inclusion and opportunity as they took part in the Buffalo Polar Plunge, raising thousands of dollars for Special Olympics New York. The students celebrated their fundraising success by taking a dip into the waters of Lake Erie on a bitterly cold December afternoon.

The values of giving back and helping the community are ones we strive to instill in our students, and we plan to continue to find ways to help students make an impact for others in 2025.

In the District office, we are looking ahead to the budget for the 2025-2026 school year. We are working to ensure that it addresses the educational needs of the children, while being fiscally responsible to our District residents.

Our Budget Development Presentation from December is available on our website, depewschools.org/page/budget-and-election.

As a reminder, the budget hearing will be held May 13, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. at the High School Cafeteria. The budget vote will be held Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at the High School Gymnasium.

We are also beginning work on our Capital Project 2025, which gives our District an opportunity to move forward with bathroom and air conditioning projects from the 2021 capital project that were not completed due to escalating costs.

Other updates we’re looking to make as part of the Capital Project 2025 include:

·         Track re-surfacing

·         Parking lot(s) and site lighting

·         Bug garage roof and masonry restoration

·         Family Support Center at Cayuga Heights Elementary

Please check our website, depewschools.org, for updates on this proposed project. As a reminder, these items will be part of the budget vote on May 20.

While I am so grateful to be back in this incredible District as Interim Superintendent of Schools, I know we are all eager to welcome a new, permanent Superintendent into this position. The next phase of the search begins later this month. To learn more about the process and the timeline, be sure to visit the Superintendent Search tab on our website, depewschools.org.

Thank you to the students, staff and families for making Depew Union Free School District a wonderful place.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey R. Rabey Ph.D.
Interim Superintendent of Schools