Highland's Cascio set for retirement
Jazmyn Martin
Thursday, June 03, 2026

The Great Wall of China, the Mississippi River and Colorado’s white water rafting sites are just a few of the places on Carol Cascio’s must-see list.

After the Highland Elementary School principal retires this month, she plans to relax for a while before packing her bags and visiting the places she’s only experienced through books.

“I’ve never not worked in a school,” she said. “I’ve had a desire to travel for a long time, I just never had the time. I’m anxious to taste all of the different flavors of the world and satisfy that hunger.”

Cascio, an educator for three decades, came to Highland seven years ago from the Iroquois district. Her decision to enter education was based on her experiences as a student.

“The fact that I had good teachers was so important,” she said. “It encouraged me to want to be a part of that.”

She attended Buffalo State College and went to State University of New York at Brockport to study school administration.

While studying education and working as an assistant principal in a New Zealand school, she reached a turning point in her career.

Cascio said she was impressed with how New Zealand’s education system bases its curriculum around artistic expression.

“The arts and education can come together to help children learn, we’ve been very successful at doing that at Highland,” she said.



See Cascio on page 2A

Under Cascio’s leadership, Highland was designated the most improved suburban school in Erie County by the New York State Education Department after the percentage of fourth-graders reaching competency in English language arts jumped to 79 percent.

First year school board member Joyce Hogenkamp became acquainted with Cascio while volunteering on Tonawanda’s Budget Advisory Team.

“She took the time to explain to lay people, like myself, the specifics of the budget,” Hogenkamp said. “By the end of the meeting, I understood what Highland needed and why they needed it.”

For Cascio her biggest accomplishment has been helping new teachers develop their talents. However, her work hasn’t been without hardship.

“It’s been a challenge to improve our way of doing things and helping teachers develop in the absence of resources,” she said.

Overall, Cascio said she’ll miss the interacting with students and their parents.

“When people from other schools come into Highland they can feel the warmth,” she said. “I’ll miss all of the happy faces and the hugs. The students have helped me to broaden my horizons, they’ve really had an effect on my life.”

Contact Jazmyn Martinat (716) 693-1000, Ext. 114.
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