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board meeting

File photo

By Dylan Friedman

Northport-East Northport Union Free School District Board of Education held a meeting Jan. 23 to provide an initial overview of the district’s budget planning for the 2025-2026 school year. Superintendent David Moyer and Assistant Superintendent for Business Bob Howard presented details on the budget development process, expenditure projections, revenue sources and long-term financial planning.

“The objectives for the presentation are to provide an overview of timelines and the budget development process, review expenditures and five-year budget and facilities projections, and review anticipated revenue and levy history,” Moyer explained.

One key challenge the district faces is the shifting tax burden due to the LIPA settlement. As Moyer stated, “We recognize the challenges of the shifting tax burden to our community due to the LIPA settlement, and are sensitive to being as fiscally responsible as possible while maintaining the quality of programming that the community expects.”

The administration is also closely monitoring staffing levels amid declining enrollment. “This year, it is possible that the district may need to assess some staff to meet its programming needs and levy a budget target,” said  Moyer.

Providing an overview of the district’s five-year budget history, Howard noted that while personnel services costs have seen modest increases, the district has made continual reductions in staffing. “The fact that the total cost, despite those contractual increases, is only increasing by an average of 0.2% is illustrative of and showing the facts that there have been staffing and salary reductions,” he explained.

However, contractual expenses and employee benefits have faced higher inflationary pressures. As Howard stated, “These are the costs that are driving a lot of our budget increases so salaries are flat or relatively low. Contractual costs are inflationary sensitive areas [and] are higher than average.”

Looking ahead, the administration is anticipating modest increases in health insurance, salaries and BOCES tuition as well as a slight decrease in the teachers’ retirement system rate. “We’re expecting about a 3.5% increase in our BOCES tuition costs. They’re giving us an indication that, you know, maybe they’re trying to keep it under 4%,” Howard said.

The district also shared its five-year master facilities plan, which outlines a combination of “pay-as-you-go” capital projects funded through the annual budget and more significant bond-funded initiatives. As Howard explained, “The district has recently invested more in its facilities, budgeted more, and transferred more into capital to maintain its buildings than it has in the past.”

On the revenue side, the presentation reviewed the district’s tax levy history, which has been below the tax cap limit each year. The administration is projecting a tax levy increase between 2.1% and 2.3% for 2025-2026, which is lower than the current year’s 2.33% increase.

“We are committed to doing everything possible to minimize this year’s levy recommendation to the board,” Moyer said.

Despite the challenges ahead, the administration reaffirmed its dedication to fiscal prudence while prioritizing the continued excellence of educational programs for students. Their proactive approach aims to balance budgetary constraints with the community’s expectations for quality education, ensuring that every financial decision supports the district’s long-term goals and the success of its students.

Centereach High School

By Peter Sloniewsky

Middle Country Central School District Board of Education convened a regular meeting Jan. 22 at Centereach High School. At the meeting, they covered a variety of matters, including provisions for special education. 

The board approved committee recommendations from a series of past meetings with regard to special education. Specifically, they provided the programs and services recommended by meetings of the Committee on Pre-School Special Education, Sub-Committee on Special Education and the district administration office’s annual review. 

They also replaced some of the district’s impartial hearing officers. The IHOs oversee due-process hearings requested by parents or school districts regarding disputes over individualized education programs for special-education students, class placement decisions, services and accommodations for such students and disciplinary action for students with disabilities. 

In New York, IHOs are independent and neutral individuals certified by the New York State Education Department who are assigned cases on a rotational basis. At this meeting, the board approved the addition of four new IHOs and removed four existing IHOs. 

Lastly, on the point of special education, the board approved a contract with the therapy agency Little Angels Center to continue to work alongside students’ individualized education plans throughout the remainder of the school year. 

Assistant Superintendent for Business Beth Rella presented a report on property-tax exemptions that reduce a property’s assessed value before taxes have been calculated. She covered the exemptions that the district is both enrolled in and has opted into, including some basic points as to how they’re set. 

After the opening executive session, the board recognized the elementary students of the month: Thomas Castelli, Kayla Kowalczyk, David O’Leary and Aubrie Riccio. They then presented a certificate of appreciation to the owners of Salvino’s Pizzeria in Selden for providing free Thanksgiving Day meals to hundreds of families. 

The board also gave Athlete of the Month awards to Madelyn Madrigal (basketball), Andrew DiMondo (wrestling), Sheyla Lynton (basketball), Ryan Hicks (basketball), Anthony Cardiello IV (fencing) and Ava Kahler (track and field). 

Lastly, the board approved past treasurer’s reports, minutes from their last meeting, a listing of extracurricular classroom activity and the calendar for the 2025-2026 school year and opened the floor for 40 minutes of public comment. 

The board will meet next Feb. 5, 7 p.m., at Centereach High School.

For more information visit the school website: www.mccsd.net.

Huntington High School. File photo

By Dylan Friedman

Huntington Union Free School District Board of Education held its latest meeting Sept. 30. A wide range of topics were addressed that highlighted the district’s commitment to strategic planning for the future, community engagement and student success. 

Superintendent updates

One notable announcement was the recent implementation of a new cell phone policy at Huntington High School, where students are now required to deposit their phones in pouches during instructional time. As Superintendent Beth McCoy explained, “This really is a step in the right direction to start getting our students acclimated to leaving those phones in a pouch throughout their instructional class time.”

McCoy also shared details about the district’s strategic planning process, which will unfold over the next six months. “We are going to be doing a strategic planning process throughout the next six months that will require a lot of stakeholder input from our teachers, our administrators, our staff, as well as our parents and community members,” she said, while emphasizing the importance of gathering diverse perspectives to shape the district’s future.

Celebrating student achievements

Celebrations of student accomplishments also marked the meeting. Board members took turns in highlighting the success of the Blue Devil marching band, which took home a third first-place prize in a row, and the football team. Isabella Careccia-Johnson recently received prestigious recognition as a National Merit “Commended Student” from the National Merit Scholarship Corp.

With many positives from the student body to highlight, the board also expressed its pride in the community for rallying around homecoming. As one board member said, “It was a proud moment and weekend to be a part of Huntington. I’d just like to piggyback on that weekend, starting off with the parade … then the bonfire and the making of the floats, and how it involves so many people within the community.”

Community engagement and advocacy

The district’s engagement with the broader community was also a focal point. McCoy discussed the recent round table session with state legislators, during which the need for a regional cost index for Long Island and the fair distribution of foundation aid were crucial topics of discussion.

Additionally, a community member, Helen Murdock-Prep, used the public commentary portion of the meeting to invite the board to visit her art installation at the Huntington Arts Council that addresses the sensitive issue of sexual abuse. As she explained, “This interactive installation is my attempt to embody all that followed, set in physical form.”

Looking ahead

As the meeting drew close, the board and superintendent expressed their enthusiasm for the strategic planning process and their commitment to continued collaboration with the community. McCoy emphasized, “We encourage you to share your insights on what we’re excelling at and where there’s room for growth, and we’re eager to hear thoughts on what we should prioritize for the future.”

The next board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m. at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School in Huntington Station.

Ward Melville High School. File photo by Greg Catalano
Additional transportation costs would come from within the budget

By Mallie Jane Kim

Will Three Village secondary students get 35 minutes more sleep?

Most parents who showed up to comment publicly at school district-sponsored forums Sept. 10 and 17 believe they should.

“This is basic biology,” said one parent, who identified herself as a neurologist and pointed to scientific studies on adolescent sleep needs. She said allowing teens to sleep later impacts more than academics and test scores. “Mental health improves, physical health improves, there are less motor vehicle accidents from those seniors,” she said. “It really seems like a very small price to pay for all of those advantages.”

The school board is considering a proposal to shift Ward Melville High School’s start time to 7:40 a.m., from 7:05, and push the junior high schools back from 7:40 a.m. to 8:15. Under the plan, Minnesauke Elementary School would join the three schools that start at 9:25 a.m., and Nassakeag would stay at 8:40. 

The district is gathering feedback from all residents and employees through an online form to inform the school board’s decision. Each household in the district was sent a flier with a QR link to the form.

The proposed schedule requires nine additional buses and will add an estimated $1.4 million to the transportation budget, based on the district’s 2024-25 contract with the bus company, which is subject to change. Those funds, however, will have to come from within the existing overall budget, which for this school year is $236 million. Superintendent of Schools Kevin Scanlon has made it clear there is no will within the district to go above the state-mandated limits on increasing taxes year over year.

“We don’t have an unlimited pot of money,” Scanlon said. “We do not want to exceed the tax cap for any of these issues.”

The superintendent noted that the district has already been working to tighten its belt anywhere possible, including a $770,000 savings from restructuring the administration and about $3 million from retirements last year.

At the forums, some parents pointed out that in the context of a $236 million budget, $1.4 million amounts to about half a percent.

“I can’t think of anything we could do that is this easy for a million dollars that could benefit the kids this much,” commented one parent on Sept. 17.

District officials have publicly acknowledged they believe early school start times are a major problem for adolescents but have pointed to issues of transportation logistics and related costs in delaying a change.

Scanlon, who mentioned about 10% of high school students chronically miss first period, presented a detailed background of efforts to make secondary school start times later, as well as the rationale for trying to do so. 

“The issue for us is the way the schools are structured,” Scanlon explained, referring to the staggered school start times that allow the district to use far fewer buses than if all the schools started around the same time. “This is saving us money — if we change back to a different configuration, it’s going to cost us money.”

The current setup started in 2011, after the district adjusted start times to use fewer buses. For that effort, Three Village received a management efficiency grant from New York State paid out over three years and totaling $747,789, according to the district. 

But some commenters said these early start times highlighted an equity issue within the district: Certain parents have the ability to drive their students to school in the morning, which isn’t possible for those who have to be at work early or do not have anyone to stay home with younger sleeping children. 

“What we’re saying is the kids who have advantages — whether that be financial or their parents’ time — can sleep an extra half hour or 45 minutes and do better in school,” one woman argued. “And their mental health is more important than those kids who don’t have those advantages. That’s really troubling.”

Not all public commenters were against the early start times. 

“I thought it was disciplined,” said a woman who identified herself as Karen and said she had two Three Village graduates and current student. She added that her son couldn’t compete as a track athlete because he was up too late at night, studying. 

“If we had moved that start time up later, he would have stayed up even later,” she said. “I know in my household, it would not work.”

Others on social media and at the forums raised concerns about future transportation costs soaring due to the New York State mandate to electrify bus fleets in coming years, something Scanlon emphasized was out of the district’s control and an “unfunded mandate.”

Scanlon indicated that, as of the Sept. 17 meeting, about 200 people had participated in the online survey, and so far the opinions were varied. He encouraged every stakeholder to participate and let the school board hear their feedback.

“They read everything,” Scanlon assured audience members. “They will read every comment made by every community member, good, bad and indifferent.”

The online feedback form will be open until Sept. 30, and the board of education plans to discuss the issue in October.

Screenshot of the BOE meeting panel. Courtesy Northport-East Northport Union Free School District

By Aramis Khosronejad

The Northport-East Northport Board of Education met Wednesday, Aug. 22. The board began with an executive session on contract negotiations, potential litigation and property leases, emphasizing the need for a respectful environment.

Public comments followed. A community member raised concerns about transparency regarding the Bren building and supported its community use. Support was voiced for leasing agreements, particularly for Bellerose and Dickinson Avenue buildings, despite some concerns about short-term leases. Denise Schwartz discussed two major lease agreements: The Variety Child Learning Center will lease Bellerose Avenue Elementary School, starting summer 2025 for approximately $7 million, and Western Suffolk BOCES will lease part of Dickinson Avenue Elementary School for its Elementary Applied Behavior Analysis program.

The board approved the formation of four committees with goals in Student Growth and Development, Belonging and Safety, Long-Range Financial Planning and Stewardship and Communications and Community Engagement. These committees will focus on student growth, demographic trends affecting education and summer programs. New teacher orientation, including community tours, mentoring and ongoing support throughout the academic year, was introduced. The board also addressed declining attendance in the summer learning program, initially funded by a grant set to end next year.

Additionally, the student dress code was discussed. Village trustee Joseph Sabia raised concerns about bias and stereotypes in the current policy, suggesting Seattle’s dress code as a model. Lauren Bindelglass supported incorporating student input.

The board explored strategies to generate additional income, including leasing district buildings and seeking other revenue sources. The long-range planning committee will investigate potential opportunities and the impact of recent legislation allowing districts to seek outside income.

Plans to improve public accessibility to board meetings include adding links to the board agenda and installing Promethean boards in seating areas for easier presentation viewing.

The next Northport-East Northport Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 5.

Mount Sinai High School. File photo

By Ava Himmelsbach

Mount Sinai School District Board of Education held its Aug. 21 meeting at which it considered its District-Wide School Safety Plan. The discussion covered the contents and purposes of this newly-revised draft for final approval before submitting it to the state. Also under consideration was the Student Records Policy, which covers the district’s legal responsibility of confidentiality.

The policy statement of the safety plan emphasizes the district’s refusal to tolerate violence or threats on school grounds, stating that it “will make every effort to prevent violent incidents from occurring.” In compliance with state Education Law Section 2801-a, the district Building-Level Emergency Response Plan will be remaining confidential in order to assure maximum safety for students and staff.

After using feedback from families to make the safety plan preferable, the members of the board had no objections toward continuing the process of implementing the plan at this meeting.

Numerous other topics regarding safety and wellness for Mount Sinai students and staff are addressed in this draft. The district has clear plans in place for the unlikely case of any type of emergency that could otherwise put members and students of the district at risk.

The district’s Student Records Policy promises privacy to students and their families. The first section of the policy clearly states the limits of who can access the records of a student. The board recognizes its legal responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of student records. 

The board also discussed budgets and plans for new implementations to enhance the school. They considered solar power plans, strategic planning updates and building a bright future for the district. 

Energy savings

An update regarding an energy performance contract with Energia — an engineering company that works with districts to help bring energy-saving initiatives to schools — was presented to the board. The company defined the term “performance contract” in its presentation. 

“It is a facility improvement project,” Energia’s senior project manager, Justin Benoit, said. “But the key difference or the key factor about energy performance contract projects is that these projects, on one hand, generate guaranteed energy savings. And through this process you are able to then leverage those guaranteed energy savings as a funding source for the upgrades themselves. So in that sense, it’s a little bit different than a traditional capital project. You are not going out to the taxpayers in order to raise money for those projects, you are able to take your existing utility budget, reduce that line item ultimately, and then use those energy savings to then in turn pay for the upgrades that you would have received.”

With school right around the corner, Mount Sinai School District has a promising year ahead — and it seems as though the additions and updates in regard to the district will benefit students, staff and families.

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Northport High School. File photo

By Rokah Sejour

Northport-East Northport Union Free School District Board of Education held a meeting Thursday, Feb. 15, focusing on the non-instructional budget for the 2024-25 school year as well as possible changes in policy for attendant zones within the district. 

The proposed budget totals $189,934,741, an increase of $6,896,313 (3.77%).

The buildings and grounds, security and transportation departments of the district presented proposals based on their developmental priorities. 

Builidings and grounds

The buildings and grounds department proposed the purchase of a backhoe that would aid in the work being done in-house by the buildings and grounds staff within the school district.

“You’re really saving money in the long run,” said John Lackner, director of facilities. The backhoe would allow the department to save rental fees that have in the past amounted to approximately $15,000 for building four playgrounds. It would also be beneficial during circumstances like weather emergencies where one may not be readily available. 

The department does have a smaller backhoe available, but Lackner said that it is smaller and is not always optimal for some of the work that is being done, not to mention it is at 75 percent functioning capacity resulting from damages and has therefore questioned its “life expectancy.” 

Renovations for multiple restrooms, maintenance of parking lot, filter replacements and fire alarm upgrades, among other requests, were also part of the proposal.

Security

Supervisor of security, John McEnroe, proposed a glass mitigation pilot project at the high school reception and common areas. The technology would use a product called Smart Tint that would reduce the visibility in these spaces in case of a lockdown but otherwise would remain transparent. 

McEnroe requested that additional cameras to cover blind spots and new playground equipment be added, as well as computer hardware for camera system monitoring. He also advocated for ongoing staff training and development in order to build readiness for emergency responses.

Transportation

In an effort to combat increases in maintenance costs and issues, the transportation department is requesting two big buses. Trish McGrane, the transportation supervisor said, buses had to be “leased a number of times,” already during the 2022-23 and the 2023-24 school years due to “a number of buses” in their fleet being over 20 years old. 

McGrane further proposed an implementation of the Wayfinder program, through the company Transfinder. The program would use voice-activated turn-for-turn directions through a tablet in order to assist drivers in situations where they have to follow another route in an emergency or a bus breakdown.

McGrane anticipates that this will reduce any foreseeable rerouting issues and prioritize safety in emergencies.

Changes in attendance zones

During the second half of the meeting, the board reviewed several policies, one of which was attendance zones. 

As it stands, students’ transportation is normally zoned for a particular elementary or middle school. However, there are times when students are placed by the school district in different schools as when they have an individualized education program, other reasons determined by the district or if the request is parent led. 

The requests did not initially have a deadline for submission, which in turn has caused difficulties for the district in knowing what school students would be attending and to plan accordingly.

With this policy, the request would adopt a submission deadline of April 1 and coincides with the deadline for private schools requests for transportation.

This change is due to New York State Education Law Section 3635 requiring that schools must provide students transportation from the school of attendance.