The Lancaster Central School District is excited to announce the newest members of its administrative leadership team, as Arlene Denver assumes the role of district food service director and Kimberly Muth becomes an assistant principal at Lancaster High School. The pair brings wide-ranging experience and enthusiasm to their new roles

Fueling Student Success

For Arlene Denver, the new role comes after a decade of food service roles for the district. Denver was a stay at home mother with past work experience in human resources when she started as a substitute food service helper as her daughter first attended school. 

“It was a perfect fit,” she said. “It was that window to work.”

She later worked at John A. Sciole Elementary for five years and then for two years as a district cook manager. Denver said she loved the interactions she had with students and staff in the cafeteria, and seeing the students’ excitement when their favorite dish was on the menu. 

“Lunch is one of the most important parts of the day,” she said. “It’s a chance for students to recharge, and giving them healthy and delicious meals is what we do to help them recharge.” 

Assuming the lead of a department that produced approximately 65,000 breakfasts and lunches in the month of May, Denver said she was excited to incorporate changes she felt would increase student participation and enthusiasm. Among those is a Harvest of the Month program, 

which will incorporate locally grown seasonal fruits and vegetables into school meals, and give students the opportunity to try foods they may not otherwise enjoy. Vegan meal options are also being developed across the district, and all lunch menus will be moved online for increased visibility. 

"Arlene stood out because of her familiarity with our district, commitment to our food service program, and affection for feeding our students.” said Jamie Phillips, Assistant Superintendent for Business & Support Services. “She's passionate about feeding our students and we look forward to seeing the program evolve under her leadership and the new ideas she'll bring to the table."

Making a Difference 

Kimberly Muth said she has wanted to be in education since she was five years old, and has been inspired throughout her career by the opportunity to make a difference for young people.

“You start to see who they're going to become,” Muth said. “You're helping them navigate them through choices that will impact their life.”

Muth arrives at Lancaster High School from the Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District, where she served as high school assistant principal. Muth also held a wide range of roles for more than a decade in the Webster Central School District, from Spanish teacher to director of an English as a New Language summer program. The new assistant principal said her new role in Lancaster allowed her to be closer to family, and said her experiences getting to know the district have been very positive. 

“From the first interview I had, I had a sense that this is a big school that feels like a small family. I feel like I've found a gem of a place here,” Muth said. “Everybody I talk to loves it here, and I'm really excited to join this team.”

Working with high school students, Muth said, provides the chance to help students in a critical part of their academic journey.

“I see this as an opportunity to make connections and remove barriers that students have so they can have success,” she said.

Andrew Krazmien, Director of Secondary Education, told the district Board of Education that Muth was a “community builder and instructional leader.”

“We look forward to having her share her talents with our administrative team, teachers, students, parents, support staff, and community as a whole,” he said.