Um the more people that hear about it, the better. Um I think I'm I'm certainly excited. I think the board is too to to see what kind of progress we're we're doing and and and trying to uh keep people informed, you know, because I think we take a lot we make a lot of assumptions, and to hear it firsthand is really important. I think at least it is to me, so. Mr. Wall, are you ready? Ready. So a little bird told me today that I now have the second longest school board tenure. So being on here so long, statistics don't lie. Your statistics are great. We are headed the right direction. You've done great. So I I want to thank you for that. It looks really good. I mean, I'm statistics don't lie. I'm a statistics guy, and what you what you're showing us here tonight is we're way above the state average.
Members, any questions? Questions? I >> got a question. >> Senator Favlla. >> So, just I like some clarification. So, >> I'm a special education student. I have u emotionally handicapped or I have some kind of situation and then um school is known notified principal teachers and I have an outbreak in a sense um you know being restrained of course that usually the teacher or their uh shadow helps to restrain. Now the student knocks the teacher down teacher get hurt that student going to get charged with a felony. I mean not a failing but immediately does it cover this child for being disciplined for that actions that happens on campus under the special education. >> There is no delineation under this measure for special education students or students who are non special education. >> Yeah. Um, I think what you've described in terms of the criminal statute >> or any applicable laws that may have be broken would go into the intent behind the behavior um and the conduct.
And then all of these investments are not isolated. They're intentionally aligned to our district's strategic goals. First is student experience. This budget expands access to rig rigorous curriculum, increases AP and enrichment opportunities, and strengthens individualized supports like AVID and interventions. From a finance and facilities perspective, we're being thoughtful about aligning program expansion with enrollment and making sustainable investments in core programs and resources. We are also continuing to strengthen communication and family engagement, ensuring families have access to information, resources, and opportunities to support their children. And finally, we're investing in our people through professional development, instructional support, and targeted staffing to build and retain a strong, diverse workforce. Overall, this budget reflects a balanced approach, investing in programs, people, and resources in a way that is aligned, sustainable, and focused on improving outcomes for all students. At its core, this budget is about ensuring that every student has access to highquality instruction, meaningful opportunities, and the support they need to succeed.
So, the challenges that this board is facing um as these boards reorganize over the next few years, those challenges are are going to get even more difficult um because the aid will either remain flat, hopefully, or more, um opening up a new a new uh building like that um working with the SDA is uh is going to be very interesting, but uh but we'll we'll we'll definitely get there. Thank you. Any comments from the board members? Ms. Butera. Okay. Very busy month. Uh I'd like to thank Mr. Riggs and the Garfield Middle School staff. Talk of the Penguin was a real success. Ms. Alfonso from number 10 school and her staff for tricky tray. Ms. Tamiko and her staff for Mamma Mia was out of this world. It was a great performance. The beam signing was beyond. Um there were city officials, all of us were there.
Um then I wanted to ask uh if our >> student board members had any input or any questions or >> No. Okay, go back to >> my last question is what um given all the external factors um what are the biggest risks uh to students if key initiatives like MTSS alignment curriculum updates or safety enhancements are delayed or underresourced and again this goes back directly to impacting our students. >> So she >> so in terms of the work that is being done kind of to blend your question Brandy to Dr. Pola. Um so we have um a curriculum cycle. So we are not undertaking every uh subject area at one time. Um so we are on um really a fourstage process. Um we have done some prioritization um from some of our areas that had uh seen the largest span. Um so we do fully acknowledge that there is some need for revision in both curriculum and in assessments um to be able to get some better data.
And so, it's really a great thing for them to have started this year. I know that Mr. Gene Ferme is going to talk about um some of the other things, so I don't want to step on anybody's toes, but there are lots of things that happen at both the state and the world level. Um so, we will talk about those, I think, in just a few minutes. Thank you, Mrs. Ramirez. Well done. Moving on to 7.04, Director of Exceptional Education, Mrs. Paskus. Good evening, President Smith, members of the board. Um first off, back on March 11th, the EE Department presented to our ambassadors and I want to thank Stephanie Penley and Meredith Taylor, two of our speech language pathologists, who uh presented on speech and language impairments and how we work with students in our schools on those. Um they included some hands-on uh communication devices uh and I think it was valuable for our participants.
We're headed there. I mean, that's good, so. Thank you. >> Is there anything in particular you need from the board? You know, I guess that's always the thing that we never ask is when you come up here and tell us all the cool stuff that's happening, um we probably should ask more often. Don't be afraid to come and ask us for things that we don't have any idea what they do until you tell us. Well, I appreciate that. Um off the top of my head, nothing specific, but I appreciate knowing that we can come to you. Um but your support is really um the biggest, and so I appreciate and I have felt that for me, so thank you. Thank you again. Mr. Allen, uh Mrs. Hoag has done an awesome job, but I know when we she first took over the position, uh we talked about a number of different things, but we talked about visibility, being transparent, being accessible, uh that support, be a great listener.
>> Um, so it's a I'm I'm not trying to be evasive. It's just a little bit of a complex fact pattern, but but this bill um doesn't delineate any difference between any type of student no matter what their designation would be. The reason why is that at one time we had the no child left behind, right? And some of these kids are put in the education system because they need to be educated. But knowing that they would be in a predicament that they might act up to a certain point and then be criminalized or even justifies in in imprisonment. Um that's why I have a hard time with this bill. Um because coming from a special education uh background as a special learning disability, I had times that I would get frustrated because I cannot read and write well when I was younger, not when I got older.
I'm going to turn it back over to um Miss Lee, and she is going to get into more specifics about the um fund, the general tax fund levy. >> Fun stuff. Okay. Um we're talk about tax now. So let's see what impacts the tax rate. There are a few factors that impacts tax rate. First the state aid. So uh when we receive the state aid uh the more state aid we receive the tax levy goes down which means our local share goes down. Uh because the state covers the more bills. So um our portion of uh responsibility to cover the cost goes down. Fund balance um this is um the extra surplus that we um saved from prior years if we utilize those savings to the budget obviously we don't have to impose those tax levy to the community. Raitables ratables are taxable properties. So the more tax taxable properties are there because we are sharing all those uh tax burdens uh and spread amount so that uh the more the uh the more ratables are there the more tax burden can be spread.
We signed the beam and that beam is facing Union Street. We had working very, very hard on this budget, believe it or not. And as far as the new school, that was a long time ago when they agreed to it. We can't stop it in the middle of a project. Um and our co-op is going great. I see we have four new schools that joined our co-op, which is very good because that means percentage of the money to us. Congratulations to Haley, the student of the month. Also, congratulations to the two semi-finalists for the Honor Society, Daya and Emily, and for Damian, I don't know who he left, but congratulations to him also. And I think that's it for my notes. Thank you. Any other comments?
Um so that's the work that the team has taken on right now to ensure that we are looking at um current standards, current instructional practices. Um the team had prioritized uh literacy and English language arts has then followed um with Spanish language arts and then uh because of the uh K5 our teaching staff having all four core content areas. Um wanted to make sure that there was uh time in between launches. So have started uh stage one for math. So we wanted to make sure that we focus on those key priorities in terms of our curriculum. Um with resource allocation we work very closely with Mr. Oafme and his his team um the curricular groups and teams that are working on this um are trying to look at resources um ensuring equitable access. Um so I know uh Dr. Dr. Dubiel has done a lot of work to look at um languages available um accessibility features.
Uh next month, April 22nd at Crown Point High School from 5:30 to 7:30, we'll have our annual transition and resource fair. So, that is focused on vendors and exhibitors who have a product that may be interesting to our students and their families, especially post high school. So, they can gather some information there. Also, this month is uh known as Disability Awareness Month. And as you know, we don't just recognize our students with disabilities one month out of the year. We're a year-round focused on this culture of um acceptance, respect, high expectations for all of our students, including those with disabilities. Um but I did want to highlight a few activities. So, [clears throat] Lynn, um and if you happen to be in that building, you can stop and see this display. Each student in the school created a flower that represented themselves, fun facts, positive affirmations.
Um and she has done all that and and more because she comes from a highly successful classroom where her data year after year after year was strong. And so that is so important in the role that she is in because she knows what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Uh and that's highly important. So she's done a great job, truly a blessing uh to work with her and uh just a great person in this position. Excited for what the future holds for Huntington schools. Thank you, Mr. Peters. Anything further from Mrs. Hoag? Mrs. Hoag, I just like to tell you uh amazing job in year one. Um I you know I feel that way, but I will also tell you the growth that we continue to bring is uh the key element here. Achievement is expected one day after enough growth. And uh the system in place that you and Ms.
And uh my peers used to do way better than me. And I used to get frustrated and act out a lot in class verbally and throwing things and everything. And I think to myself, wow, if I was if this bill passed, I probably would have got in trouble back then. >> Yes. And to your point, uh, Senator, the verbal disruption, whether it's due to a, um, you know, a learning issue or a special needs issue, whatever it may be, um, if there was a disruption in the classroom, um, this the plain language of the bill as proposed would technically be harassment. That is our concern as well. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you for the clarification. Thank you, chair. >> Thank you. I think part of the issue as well is when we turned our schools into uh places where now they have to be experts in mental health issues and other kinds of um issues that they weren't trained to do.
The last student enrollment and then health insurance premium cost. These are two adjustments that we can apply. Um these are um state approved tax levy in uh incentives. Um so the enrollments when the uh the enrollment changes and then health insurance changes the difference uh can be um uh applied to um raise the tax levy to close the gap. So general fund tax levy, how we budgeted tax levy this year. So last year's tax levy was 14,244,882. So now we are allowed to have a 2% cap which is a 2% of 14,244882 which is uh 14,529780. Um that's the normally um the state allows to cap the uh tax levy. Uh this year we decide uh we are um proposing to uh utilize the adjustment of health care which is healthcare uh premium cost the difference between last year's health care cost and then the increased health co uh care cost this year.
Hearing none. Uh I want to come thank the retiree uh for their service to the district. Again, as Ms. Petrie touched upon the student of the month, as well as the National Honor Society recipients, and e-sports awardee. In addition, I want to thank and let me just get my notes here. Thank you. Uh Ms. Bolcar's class, uh Ms. Marianiello's class, Ms. Emiliano's class, uh Ms. Koleska Koleska, and Ms. Worlock, they uh we had a Read Across America. I'm really proud of uh some of the small pictures they sent to me and some of the other board members that got involved. And thank you cards, Ms. Worlock's cards. Uh one of the highlights with the Read Across America engaging with the children and uh trying to read my best. Uh with that, is there a motion to adjourn the meeting? I make the motion. Ms. Petrie, Ms.
So trying to consider all possible um just students as we onboard new resources also. So we definitely are aware of some gaps. Um but we have tried to stagger the plan to make sure that we have authentic engagement to create um new scope and sequence new assessments as Dr. Kilgotti's mentioned really working side by side with our staff to develop and then implement um through additional professional learning in that stage three. So um lots of work to undertake um as evident in the curriculum audit but really needed to have a thoughtful and thorough kind of phase in process uh to make sure that the work is is effective and implemented for um for our students. >> Thank you. And just last question I apologize as I noticed the curriculum audit continues to be um context that we continue to be gone. Does the public have access to this?
Um and now there's a huge wall that looks like a garden of everyone's flowers. Um Eisenhower had a special t-shirt that staff and students ordered. They're wearing those on the same days uh one day a week and also have some um buddy classes where they're participating in activities about disability awareness. And MacArthur uh highlighted a bulletin board that featured different methods of communication, including American Sign Language. They said it's really neat to see kids come by the bulletin board. They're trying to sign their own names using the posters on that bulletin board. Um they also have a disability awareness assembly this Friday. So, good to enjoy that. Thank you, Mrs. Paskus. Item 7.06, Chief Human Resource Officer, Mr. Kewa. Oh. 7.0 He was anxious to say something. >> here. I thought Mrs. Ramirez covered all of it. So, we're just going to >> She would have, but she was kind enough to leave me >> 7.05, Assistant Superintendent, Mr.
Brown have been working on with our principals, our teachers, our paras, and our and basically our school community is is about each student each day and the growth they can make and the interventions that we put in place that will become successful for them over time. And so really appreciate your efforts. Your presentations are always excellent, and I would tell you we are excited when you show up and Ms. Brown shows up because it's all about students. So thank you. Thank you. Thanks so much. We don't have any action on this item, so we'll move on to F1, science curriculum adoption. Mr. Peters. Thank you, Mr. Allen. We brought to your attention on the March 9th um uh board work session uh our K-12 science adoption. Uh you have a listing of what those materials are. We're we're asking you tonight uh for a uh a motion uh to approve um our K-12 science adoption for the 2026-2027 school year.
They're really not trained to handle it and that doesn't excuse the behavior and it doesn't make any of that right. And certainly the responsibility rests with DOE to either make sure they're trained or we we have to change the laws or something because that is happening more and more. So um but thank you. >> Thank you. >> Sure. >> There's one followup. So um back in the when I when I was going to school back in the day, the principal um played a pretty good role in the sense of um articulating on what's punishment, goes where and we I guess they had a lot of responsibility and back in that day we had students there. I think we still get chapter 19. Yeah. regardless of the fact of special education a lot of the students do have to follow within chapter 19 or getting you know expelled so there is consequences within the DOE it's just that it doesn't go to this extent so I just wanted to make sure that you know my colleagues and a lot of you understand that there is measures in place yes >> for the protection of our DOE and our employees on campus because um it's already it's there >> yes and there's protections that are not afforded to the general public um who are not designated as a protected class above and beyond what normal citizens would would receive already.