Two Liberty Central School District alumni shared a special moment on Friday, June 27, as one was honored with induction into the Wall of Fame and the other spoke in tribute to her late father, who was also being inducted.

The 14th annual Liberty Wall of Fame induction ceremony took place in the Liberty High School auditorium recognizing Class of 1979 graduate Samuel Sanders Jr. and Class of 1948 graduate Albert Van Dyke.

“Each of our inductees represents a unique blend of personal and professional achievements,” said Liberty Interim Assistant Superintendent Marianne Serratore. “Together, they reflect the spirit, pride, and legacy of the Liberty Central School District and the broader Liberty community.”

Albert Van Dyke

Van Dyke’s daughter Diane Mutter took the stage first to accept the honor on his behalf. She briefly spoke of his accomplishments as a trailblazer in special education, a devoted community leader, and a champion for students with special needs.

She spoke of the early days when he established the district’s first special education class, which 10 years later expanded into a countywide program under Sullivan County BOCES. The organization’s first director of special education, he created and expanded programs at a time when special education was often overlooked.

Van Dyke was also an Eagle Scout, a member and Sunday School superintendent of the Liberty United Methodist Church, and a participant in civic organizations such as the Liberty Lions Club and the Sullivan County Mental Health Board. A historian and collector of local artifacts, he donated more than 2,000 cataloged postcards to the Sullivan County Museum.

Whether helping a Liberty graduate become a police officer by arranging for a civil service test to be read aloud or even rescuing two small children from a burning building, Van Dyke’s selflessness knew no bounds.

Van Dyke continued to serve his community after his 20-year career at BOCES by designing and implementing the county’s preschool special education program.

But what stood out to Mutter the most was his role as a father and family man. She recalled him teaching her how to bowl, play horseshoes, as well as all his work in the greater community.

“I miss him,” she said. “I miss his humor, and I miss his help, but I don’t miss his love, as it lives on.”

Samuel Sanders Jr.

Sanders’ friend and former teammate Dean Smith spoke next, telling stories of their days in Liberty.

As a standout multi-sport athlete, Sanders was a four-year varsity basketball player, team captain and two-time recipient of the Ivan Richards MVP Award. His athletic talents led him to play at Mansfield College, earn all-star status in a semi-pro league, and receive a tryout with the New Jersey Nets.

But where Sanders shined was helping others, especially the children of Liberty, so much so that he literally gave them the clothes off his back.

“His clothes can be found across Liberty because he gave his gear away to kids who wanted it,” Smith said.

Sanders is founder of Rising Stars Basketball, worked as a coach at LHS as well as the Hudson Valley Hawks and Hudson Valley Rivermen, where he has shaped the lives of many aspiring athletes.

For Sanders, it is all about community and family. After receiving his award, Sanders brought the family members who were in attendance on to the stage to recognize all they had done for him. He also thanked members and the pastor of his church, Friendship Baptist, for inspiring him.

Finding a place for everyone has been his hallmark. He has organized community events such as the “Pursuing Your Dreams” workshop and the “Fathers and Men’s Unity Event” as well as mentored prisoners.

“I love everyone,” Sanders said. “It doesn’t matter your race or your color.”

Each of the honorees were also presented with proclamations from state Assembly Member Paula Elaine Kay, state Senator Peter Oberacker and the county legislature.

The Wall of Fame was established in 2011 by the Board of Education to honor extraordinary alumni. Nominees are judged on exceptional accomplishments and significant contributions within their career, community or personal life.

Dear Liberty,

As we prepare for the end of the school year, I would like to take this opportunity to provide our school community with an update on the District’s Strategic Plan and Comprehensive Improvement Plan. In our ongoing effort to help students innovate, persevere and thrive, we’ve made meaningful progress toward our strategic priorities.

This year, we continued advancing the Strategic Plan’s pillars of MTSS, Curriculum, Culture and Coherence. Building on the work of previous years, we introduced several key initiatives, including the implementation of our new curriculum mapping platform, Eduplanet, and the launch of the Syracuse University Project Advanced Biology course at Liberty High School. We also continued to expand the use of our Woz Ed STEM-based curriculum, grew our Student-Led Conference initiatives, and piloted a data warehouse program designed to help us more efficiently analyze and support our students’ academic, social and emotional growth.

While I’m happy to share additional details about ongoing initiatives, I especially want to highlight the District Comprehensive Improvement Plan (DCIP) goals we achieved this year, as these accomplishments reflect the collective work of our students, administrators, faculty, staff and community.

Here is an update on our growth towards achieving our DCIP Priorities

Priority 1: Provide an accessible, culturally responsive, relevant, engaging, vertically and horizontally aligned PK-12 curriculum, that makes connections to our students and community.

• We are especially proud of our growth in math proficiency. We easily met our goal of 7% growth per grade level since the start of the year. Based on Renaissance STAR Math testing, all grades measured showed substantial increases, with many gaining more than 20%.
• In two other areas, reading proficiency and student engagement, results were mixed, but overall positive.
  • Based on Renaissance STAR Reading testing, all but one grade level saw growth. While grades 2-4 had increases far above the 7% goal (18.9-36.6%), grades 5–8 had more modest gains (1.1%–5%).
  • Using Triangle survey data on student engagement, the district had hoped to see a 5% increase in positive responses on student engagement in the classroom. Middle school responders met the goal across all survey items. While there was progress in some areas, responses at the high school level did not fully meet the goal and showed some declines, which influenced the overall results.

End-of-year testing passing rates and Regents scores for the secondary level are not yet available. However, we anticipate positive gains and look forward to reviewing the results.

Priority 2: Provide a MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports) for academics, behavior and attendance that cultivates wellness and safety for students, staff and families.

• The district set a goal to achieve a 10% reduction in the number of students receiving out-of-school suspensions districtwide. This goal was exceeded during the 2024–25 school year, with the number of suspended students decreasing from 132 in 2023–24 to 97—a reduction of 35 students, or 26.5%. This outcome significantly surpassed the original target, more than doubling the anticipated decrease in out-of-school suspensions.
• Building on efforts to improve student engagement, the District also aimed to reduce chronic absenteeism by 5% from the 2023–24 to the 2024–25 school year. At the end of the 2023–24 school year, the chronic absenteeism rate was 39.7%. As of June 10, it has declined to 38.6%, marking a 1.1% reduction. While this reflects modest progress, chronic absenteeism remains a widespread national issue—one that demands ongoing attention and resources. Students must be present to fully engage in learning and succeed academically.
• An additional goal under Priority 2 was to achieve a 5% decrease in the number of students identified as at-risk based on DESSA (Social and Emotional Screener) results by June 2025.  We did see a small reduction (1%) in students identified as at-risk, but many more showed as having strong social and emotional skills (6%). This positive shift suggests growth in students’ social-emotional skills and well-being, even as we continue working toward the targeted reduction in at-risk classifications.
• Lastly, we aimed for a 5% increase in students feeling safe, as measured by the Student Voice Triangle Survey. While the elementary level experienced a 6% decrease in positive responses, the middle school successfully met the goal with a 5% increase. The high school showed no change compared to last year. This remains an important area of focus, and we will continue to explore ways to ensure all students feel safe and supported in their learning environments.

Priority 3: Create a positive, welcoming student centered environment that celebrates diversity and inclusivity to empower students, staff and families.

• Our goals for Priority 3 focused on increasing family and community engagement through student-led conferences, parent-teacher conference attendance and participation in schoolwide and community events. We successfully met our target of a minimum of five student-led conferences per building, demonstrating clear areas of student growth.
• While we did not have precise data for the 10% increase in parent attendance at fall and spring parent-teacher conferences, we observed strong participation at family engagement nights and other events. Notably, our Winter Fest attracted more than 150 attendees, meeting the goal for large community event attendance.
• Additionally, participation in schoolwide family events showed a positive increase throughout the year.
• These outcomes highlight encouraging progress in building stronger connections with families and the community, and we will continue to refine our tracking methods to better measure and support these efforts moving forward.

These results demonstrate that while we are making meaningful progress, there is still important work ahead. We remain committed to doing everything possible to ensure Liberty is a great place to learn

Sincerely,
Dr. Patrick Sullivan
Superintendent

Liberty Central School District will again offer free summer meals to all children 18 and younger through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program.

Starting June 30, sit-down and bagged breakfasts and lunches will be served at Francis A. Hanofee Park at 136 Sunset Lake Road in Liberty. Breakfast will be served from 8 to 9 a.m., with lunch served from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Meals will be served weekdays, except Friday, July 4, through Aug. 18 at the park. From Aug. 18 to 22, meals will be served at Liberty Elementary, with breakfast offered from 8:15 to 9 a.m. and breakfast from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

A link to the menus will be available on the district website’s Food Services Department page when they are available.

For more information, contact Assistant Superintendent for Business Laurene McKenna at 845-292-6171 or lmmckenna@libertyk12.org.