00128. Um, public comment will be heard on agenda only items only at this time. The board of education encourages public participation school related matters at board meetings. Any group organization wishing to address the board must first identify a single spokesperson. The presentation should be as brief as possible. Speakers will be permitted to speak for up to three minutes. The board will not allow public session discussions involving a general district personnel or students. All speakers to conduct themselves civily, obscene language, legislate, spread of violence in statements advocating racial, religious, and other foreign predators will not be tolerated. Persons making presentations at the board meeting will address remarks to the president. They will direct questions or comments to board members and other district officials only upon approval of the president. So, do we have any comments on
002agenda items? >> No. Is it an agenda item? >> Hey, you're quick. If you want Do you want to hang out the whole time? You want to >> wait till the end? >> If it helps, I'm going to be followed by two seniors and it's past their bedtime. >> Yes, let's go. [laughter] [cough] [clears throat] >> Good evening. My name is Virginia McGovern and I'm a social studies teacher at the high school and I'm also the senior class adviser. A little background. On Monday, June 15th, Jackie Pritz and I are scheduled to bring our senior class to SIS, SCES, Tahoe, and hopefully OH for billing walkers, followed by lunch at Cooper's Beach. A trip that received three levels of approval and has been scheduled since early May. On Wednesday morning last week, I was given
003a heads up that we would need to change our plans as needed would be issued, ending all school trips to the beach. By early afternoon, it was indeed confirmed that all field trips involving the mortar were here to forband. I need to note that this decision was made and shared before the tragedy on Wednesday evening involving the Sag Harbor school trip. It is also worth noting mine and others embarrassment that as a district, we failed to publicly offer our sympathy and support to our brief neighbors. I can only hope we did so privately. Sag Harbor is a community with whom we share a great deal, including individuals immediately impacted by this tragedy. We have all endured enough to know that thoughts and prayers don't bring back a lost child. However, we could model what empathy,
004sympathy, and solidarity look like. So, as of Wednesday afternoon, field trips involving the beach or water, even if approved, were cancelled. At the same time, I made a joke about it being like the plot of Foot Loose. But the more I ruminate, the less funny I find it. I understand, in light of last week's tragedy, that the decision does not seem prudent. That the decision does seem prudent, if not clairvoyant. And I do understand an abiding desire to keep our kids safe, or at least as safe as possible. But air travel isn't always safe. Europe isn't always safe. Are we also deciding to end trips to France, Italy, and Spain? New York City isn't too safe these days. Are we cancelling trips to Broadway, the United Nations, and Nicks? For that matter, we have classes
005and clubs that go on field trips involving boats. Will we be canceling those as well, or is being on the water safer than being on its edge? If we were to stop all potentially dangerous activities for kids, our students would miss out on an awful lot of life experiences. If safety is the driving factor, I'd have to ask, statistically, is a child not more likely in this day and age to face danger by walking into a school building or a shopping mall than by going to a beach? We have spent a good number of man-hour and dollars in this district talking about cultural competence, relevance, responsiveness, mental health, and emotional intelligence. Is there anything more contradictory to these ideals than taking the beach and the water off the table for our students out here? Salt
006water runs through our veins. When something good happens, when something bad happens, our triumphs and tragedies are etched in our souls where the sky meets the sand. For our kids, milestones are marked and memories are made at the beach. As a community, when we lose someone, our celebrations of life and remembrances often bring us to the beach for memorials and paddle acts. At the beach, we teach our kids to be stewards of the seas. And they learn empathy and confidence through programs and organizations like Surfer Healing, the Surf Rider Foundation, the Biconic Baykeeper Community Oyster Restoration Program, and the South Fork Natural History Museum to name just a few. The first week of every semester, I give an assignment in each of my classes, a B-side slide. Nola has done it twice. Every student is
007asked to share who they are outside of school each semester. In every class, regardless of content or grade, we overindex on photos of the beach. Sometimes sunrise, sometimes sunset, sometimes with friends, sometimes without. Sometimes here, and sometimes in a country they once called home. This assignment shows me and I believe the students that the water is a unifying identifier for all of us, rich or poor, native or foreign, white, black, indigenous, or Hispanic. The water signifies what makes us more alike than different. I've been with the Southampton schools for 21 Septeers and we have held our welcome back party at Cooper Beach almost every year. It is one of our traditions that I appreciate most. And lest we forget, Cooper is one of the top two beaches in the country and one of the most
008consistently highest ranked in the world. We want kids to get outside and offer their devices. Why not encourage them to take advantage of the best natural resource our community has to offer? Our faculty book study on earthing joy even includes a section on nature and healing and the impact connecting with the environment has on our overall well-being. In recent years, we have started the school year with a senior sunrise and culminated the year with our senior sunset. The class of 2026 has already suffered a significant disruption to tradition due to the pandemic and certain federal policies that have made normally joyous occasions bright. Why are we the ones taking one more thing from them? I am from Hampton Bay and I will always be a baby. Our grieving neighbors in Sag Harbor are the whalers.
009Our brothers and sisters in East Hampton are the Bonikers. And correct me if I'm wrong. I don't think Mr. Smith is here, but Shikhot literally translates to people of the shore. >> We are mariners. Our logo features a wave and an anchor is in front of our building. To know the East End community is to know how meaningful the water and the sea are to us. To take that away from our kids seems a culturally irresponsible decision. Some might also argue that the decision seems short-sighted, insolent, and mildly contentuous. So, I'm standing here before the board of education and Dr. Morell asking for transparency and an explanation for how we arrived at this rather capriccious and very poorly communicated change to our policies. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> You guys want to wait first?
010It's okay. How many you got? Three minutes. >> Jill Gaba yielded me three minutes. >> Uh yeah, that was that was You took Jill's time on there cuz I was about six and I >> Good evening everyone. My name is Maggie Glenn and I'm the class co-president of the class of 2026 the past three years. Alongside me is Bailey Brown who is filling in for Emma Tatalia, my co-president. Tonight, I'm here regarding the permission of the class of 2026 to be allowed to end our high school career at the beaches we grew up on. In preK, we ended our prek year at the beach club with Miss Haye, alongside the other prek classes. In first grade, we went to the ocean with Miss Wicker, also known as Miss Lubenoff. In second grade, we went to
011Scallop Pond to re-shirts the snails in the water. In third grade, we did swimming lessons at the YMCA and we were rewarded with a beach day. In fourth grade, we took a boat trip in our bays to see all the different aqua culture. Fifth grade, we went to the beach with Miss Palumbo. And in eighth grade, we ended our SIS career with a trip to the ocean. Growing up in the Hamptons, we are surrounded by water, and it is what we grow up on. Not only do the beaches give us the fun times, but it also gives us work opportunities to high schoolers such as lifeguard opportunities like students in our school. The ocean is seen as a place for us to tan, swim, and play spikeball. But has a deeper meaning than that. Even
012though we all have different backgrounds and interests, the beach is the one thing we will always share. Tonight, I'm not only speaking for my class, I'm speaking for all the classes below me. Taking away the beach from my district doesn't only affect us seniors, it affects everyone below us. I hope that my brother, cousins, and all the kids in SIS and SCES have the opportunities that we did to connect with the water. These trips to the beaches create memories that these kids will remember when they are closing down their senior year at the beach. As we come closer to graduation, these days are ticking by that we have left together. Being that many of us won't come back to live here after college since we can't afford it, this is our last opportunity to share
013the beach together one last time. We started our senior year at the beach for senior sunrise and we hope to end it on the beach. End it on beach day and senior sunset. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. [applause] Okay, Bailey, you're not gonna say [laughter] you good. All right. Um, yeah, there. Good job, Bailey. Um, yeah. So, just to clarify, we um we're going to be discussing this during um new business. This is something that we um found out about today. So, the school board only really gets to look at um overnight trips. So, this was something that was brought to our attention today and we've added to the agenda to talk about under uh new business. And just to reflect, um this was decisions that were made before anything happened in
014Sack Harbor um too was actually typically the same exact day that those memos went out um earlier in the day. So, it has no reflection on that. Again, we're you know, we always think about Zack Harbor and their their purse. So, we will be discussing this in a little bit. So it technically could be agenda item. There you go. [laughter] >> Thank you. >> Any uh any other questions? All right. Um that brings us on to superintendent report. >> Yes. So first thing is the enrollment report >> and with that our enrollment is steady. um same thing as May's enrollment 1152. Um we seem to be um maintaining that number. So we had one student leave out of that left for um out of the country and then we had another one that moved in
015from a um state in state public school. So for net um you know zero loss on that one coming in one leaving and um that's the enrollment report. The next thing um I did want to make sure that I included um for the community my dual language update. Um I did send an email or a um parent square communication to the um communities of SIS and SCES about the dual language. Um but I wanted to make sure that I came back after manyformational sessions and meetings and updated on the dual language program. So we started off with our goals of being our goals being to develop a program design for 2627 for dual language and optout classes. Um we wanted to provide parent choice parent re provide resources and supports for teachers determine language allocation.
016There was a lot of confusion around what the actual allocation of language was. Um we landed on 6040 um a lot of hard work with um the principal there Miss Denowski and coming up with that um allocation along with Dr. Zan. We wanted to create opportunity for inclusion um increase parental understanding and create uh commitment protocol. um wanted to definitely and must ensure alignment with um the nicit part 154 for English language learners um supports and their supports and then provide K4 dual language handbook as communication tools. So those were the broad goals for our update of the dual language program. And so we were um very um pleased to see that um the vast majority of parents attended the dual languageformational sessions. I think we were down to single numbers of you know three
017four um out of the entire community um of about 300. So single numbers in terms of who did not attend. So the vast majority of parents did attend the D the dual languageformational sessions. Um all parents all parents were able to enroll or opt out of the dual language program in alignment with their choice. The dual language model um use will not require a lottery. Um the model is a sidebyside teaching model. Um again 60/40 split with English uh and Spanish language allocation. Students opting out will have a regular classroom setting for Englishonly instruction as opposed to um being forced to learn in the dual language environment. All students have access to Scale Up, the Spanish Culture and Language Exploratory Program for exposure. Um, parents have brought up that they wanted to also receive training
018on dual language uh supports for their children. So, we're looking to add that to our parent university in the 2627 school year. And um those trainings will be ways that we support our our um parents who have children enrolled in a dual language program can support their learning at home. We already have parent training for English literacy and numeracy development. So this was an added piece that parents requested in the shared uh decision-making meetings and we're very honored to be able to offer that. And then um to ensure ongoing professional development on dual language program implementation for teachers. We know um many teachers are new um as you see by our 10 tenure candidates. We have a very new staff and um we need to just make sure that we continue to um provide the
019professional development support for them um and to you know for the um more veteran teachers to make sure that we provide ongoing supports and new and innovative um opportunities and ways for instruction for our veteran teachers as well. Um so some of the new um processes that um we have that we will implement is that it must be a one-year commitment to opting in or out of the dual language program as um we um kind of had a culture where we were actually um having a lot of transiency within the school with um changes mid year which caused quite a bit of headache for teachers. Um, so we want a one-year commitment to opting in or out. I think it causes a lot of confusion for the kids as well. Um, the scallop is um
020something we're um really proud of. We want to make sure that the students are exposed to Spanish culture and language in the arts and um and literacy and other uh fun um cultural things that they can engage in as well. Um love the new strategy for um encore strategy um where friends will be interacting with friends um because they are um they do move as a block and do not get to see other students um when they move like that throughout the course of the year. So having an opportunity um to engage and interact with one another whether you're in dual language or not too is really really important for um social social interaction with one another. Um the implementation of the new literacy program is aligned. Um that is magnetic and messiah. Um and
021also um the dual language handbook will be done and posted to the website this summer. And the side by side instructional model offers consistent programming throughout the grade. So wherein we had different models happening at different grade levels, now we'll be able to visibly see one instructional model that supports all students. [clears throat] >> Thank you. >> And um I just want to congrat you guys. You know, we had all the dual language stuff going on and no lotteryies. Everybody's going to be have the option to do it if they choose. And um I think it's successful and I think we got a lot of great parent turnout at the meetings and education. So very successful. Um we're [clears throat] not panicking. No lotteryies. We're all good. Um >> can maybe elaborate a little bit
022more on this the scale up program for exposure? Do you see that as um a a mechanism to kind of reduce the what to say or bridge the gap between the dual language and the non-dual language because when you have the primity of students language and the smaller section of English only classes there will need some social and other aspects that naturally derive you when you have um that differentiation. So I'm just can you just maybe tell me a little bit more about the scale of Spanish culture like how do you see that that for every grade is that it's for it's for every student. Um, I'll let Melissa speak a little bit more about it, but it is for every student and it's a little bit like her plus program that you you have
023seen, but it's not officially a plus program. We're um we're going to make it um of course have literacy in the foundational piece, but we don't want literacy to be only being. So we want to and yeah we want to integrate um you know um art, music, um singing, song I mean it's it's to explode all the children will actually have access to that. >> So is it happening in the classroom or is it happening as a extracurricular type of thing? It's going to be every day or >> Yes. So it's once a week for 40 minutes. Um Dr. Moral mentioned the innovative encore strategy. Um so students that are in dual a language and not in dual a language will go to scale up at the same time. Um so let's say there's four
024sections. They will be shuffled into three groups. So they will be engaging in conversation like friendly conversation during the classroom um instruction directly dual language instruction. It's more literacy based. This is more of an opportunity to engage with others through song, dance, art, music, um all of that. So that's a mixup. And then they will also have access to their peers during recess PE art and music. >> And additionally with the scala with um so many of our students being of Latino heritage and culture, it's really important that all of our children know and understand um the community that you know every you know the community that they're in. We have our Shin curriculum and we have Scala Up. I mean, those are some of the added themes that we've added over the last two
025years to engage in and bring inclusion for all. >> Thank you very much. You're welcome. >> I just like to say something real quick. Um, last week Dr. Robinson, Mr. Robinson and uh Dr. Zan um were nice enough to like come to the high school and meet with me. Um, and also Mattea. Matea didn't make it, but doesn't really matter. um he met with us and he kind of overviewed the schedule and everything and it's actually a really cool planned out schedule. I think the competition did a really good job of it and um I I'm I was just really like happy to see this the schedule and how it was planned out and um I feel like them like following up with me and everything now I can now send the information back to
026people because one day when we had that board meeting a lot of stuff got miscommunicated. I got bombarded with questions. Now I can answer them more efficiently. And I don't know, I just I think they did a really good job just updating me. And then now I can like go go through the school and like actually like show like I have like on my Chromebook and I can show them like the slides and stuff. So thank you. [cough] >> I [clears throat] have a question. We had a lot of discussion about uh students with IEPs. Did that get resolved? So now students that want to be in dual language with an IEP will be able to have an ICO teacher. >> Correct. >> Okay, great. >> Yes. >> And um can someone say what percentage
027of students have opted out? >> Was it a few? Was it a significant amount? Or >> it ranges? It ranges every anywhere between eight on a grade level to 17 on a grade level. >> About 60 about 60 students. >> So we may have a class with only eight students [cough and clears throat] in it >> at present. Yes. >> Yeah. Any other Monique, did you have session? >> I just wanted to say that um I'm really glad that Dr. Morurell held that you heard your community. You held an immediate meeting and this is a result of it. Dr. design, everyone who worked on it, Noah, everyone who helped with the input. And I'm really um I'm really happy that parent training. [snorts] I really want the parents to start getting engaged more because then
028it might not seem so foreign to him to them to them anyone to have their child either speaking this language that language doing this doing that with more parent training and just being aware and having knowledge. I feel like that would be a great asset and just getting it out there with this right here. Is this for only um English lang language learners or is it for >> that's what I Okay, that's for everybody. >> That's for everybody. >> Okay, beautiful. >> Yeah, thank you. >> I I I definitely heard we definitely heard the community. [laughter] >> Thank you. >> Awesome. Um great. Thanks. On to our administrator's report. Assistant Superintendent for Business, Jean. >> Thank [clears throat] you, Mr. President. Um I'm happy to inform the board and public in general that um earlier
029today um Dr. Morel, myself, Miss William, and Mr. Smith, we had a pretty successful and positive conversation with the New York State Office of Indigenous Education. um they give us an update on the contract, although the conversation primarily centered around an increase in the supplemental funds. And just to remind everyone, every year the board receive a letter from the council of trustee, the shikat council of trustee to advance the um nation um $85,000 um toward supplemental funds. So, that's the conversation we had today. They announced that they would um the state will be increasing the the funds from 85,000 to $99,000 and the additional $14,000 is retroactive to um 2425, which is the first year of the new contract. So, that's good news. Additionally, um it seems like um there we're nearing the end of
030the process. Um seems like uh any day now they should have information on the contract being fully executed and Uber promised as soon as the contract is fully executed we will start receiving the funds. Um in the last uh I think the the audited finance committee prior to the last one I informed the board that we the state owe us about $11 million. So, um you know that obviously is a big hole in our budget and I would be happy that once we start receiving those funds because the um the accountants were in the office today and one of the things they asked me was has this been resolved because they need to actually reconcile the finances of the district. Uh so hopefully we will have a a conclusion to this sac very soon. The
031next item is um I informed the audit and finance committee that we received a letter from the town of Southampton um their community preservation fund. Um there is um they have an interest in acquiring a property located at um 1020 Matrix Path and I was advised to have this conversation with um the whole board to see if there's any interest in the district perhaps looking at um selling the the property to the community preservation fund. So, I don't know if you want to have a discussion how >> the I looked up the property on the map. What is it? What's so special about that property that they're interested in? It is are the wetlands on it. I know where it is right next to um Sys. >> I think they just want to preserve it
032because a lot of that property up there is trails and preserves. So, um CPF just wants to they want to look at it. It's a form letter that goes out if you're in the pres preservation like catchment areas. Um so you know to move forward with any kind of CPF purchase from my understanding is like you have to show that you're interested to the town and then we write back and let them and then it goes to the town board on whether they want to order an appraisal or not and then once that appraisal comes in they come back to us and tell us what it's worth and at that time you have to you'll make a decision of whether you you would sell it or not. Um, I, you know, again, I don't know
033what it would come back in as. I don't know. There's no real, from my, from my view, there's no real harm in having the appraisal and seeing what it's worth. >> Well, we're not using it for anything. >> We're not we're not using >> for land preservation. If if they're interested, >> what better use of that land than to sell it to the CPM? So I think you know again yes and I don't know again I couldn't begin to guess what the Brazil comes in and there's a little bit of but I don't see >> make sure that because this has come up in the past before. >> Yep. >> And I don't know I think it might have been before James time but I believe it came up in the past before. There are
034some restrict there may be some restrictions in the the gift the donation that was provided to us or in the coming through the property. So again, I agree land preservation is fabulous. You know, I'm open to that, but we need to have a determination on whether or not we we actually have the ability to sell it. [clears throat] >> Okay. Yeah. I mean, if I I agree there might be some kind of covenant that we can't give it to CPF or something. >> This came up before like very early on. I just don't remember the details, but >> I can I can reach out to our town attorney and send them and and see what they um they say and see if there's anything in the records and and then come back to you guys.
035>> Marcus Dilva has information about it. He's mentioned that in facilities before >> there there are some covenants that it's like dedicated for field use and education and like no bus garage. they don't have bus but um but I don't know if that >> the use of the property I don't think matters to CPF you know because they preserve it but there might be something in there saying like this was a gift to the school you can't now turn around and then sell the CPF >> so that we we get clarity from our attorney I'll send the letter um if you want to send me we'll over to the attorney and then go from there >> yes um I don't know if you need the original, but uh it was shared with the entire board.
036>> Oh, yeah. Yeah, I saw it. So, yeah, I'll forward it over to Tom Lincoln. We'll see what they say. >> Um you we also had a party and finance committee meeting on um May 26, last Tuesday. So, all these items that you see on the agenda for tonight have been reviewed um by the participating members. Uh if anyone have any questions um I'd be happy to answer them. We have um a number of transfers. Uh we have a couple of summary uh warrants. We have a treasures report for March 20 or March and all director reports that we normally um submit to the board for approval on a monthly basis. And um there's a claims auditor's report as well as um a couple of corrective action um letters as well as final report from
037our internal auditors for the app assessment. Does anyone have any questions any questions about? >> All right. [clears throat] Awesome. Um thank you G. Um and congratulations again on the budget passing. I know it's a big one for you. So I know you worked hard on that and that's uh >> you know I I could see you smiling with a little with relief and everything that night. So I know the process. This is our first meeting since then I believe. So uh >> thank you to the entire South community for holding the budget up. >> Yeah. So awesome. Um that brings us on to assistant superintendent for curriculum instruction. >> Thank you Mr. President. Um just a couple of updates here. the first one and I really really wish that he was still here but
038we had one of our students um Kodiak Torat who is with us um just earlier for the ceremonies and celebrations but last Thursday we were uh all together after school to witness his seal of biiteracy presentation and um after that after the completion of the seal of bi literacy presentation and the grading of that we were all there to um witness and celebrate with him as he became the first student in New York State to earn the seal of bi literacy in the Algangquin language and which was just a tremendous tremendous um you know just experience to be there with him. We were so proud of him. And I have to say during that um that presentation, he really did come up with a great creative way that kids would love um when learning algangquin
039language. And uh we can't wait to get that into push that into the elementary schools part of our infusion project. But he designed a really clever um Uno game that was using algangquin language to learn colors um numbers, you know, different positional cards and everything else. Really great uh activity. It was a nice crowd that was there for him and we're just so proud. So congratulations Kodiak. Um first student in New York State to earn the seal of biiteracy in the Angan language. Um following that with the uh seal of bi literacy and looking at the performance of our multilingual learners last Thursday we also had our Easter ceremony. Um that night we had the atache from the international Spanish academy Mr. Diego Martin joining us and he was there to honor our 47 students
040from the elementary school who earned the the um ISSA diploma. 41 students from the intermediate school that earned that diploma and then we had 18 high school students that sort all the way through and earned that highest level of diploma. So we were very very proud of them um last Thursday night. And then finally um last Friday we did participate at West Hampton Beach uh our annual military enlistment ceremony. We have seven students from Southampton High School that were jo are joining the armed services and we were there to um you know just celebrate them with all of the pump and circumstance uh around it. So we're very proud of Jennifer Cruz who's joining the United States Marine Corps uh Camila Figueroa the United States Army Liam Squires the United States Army. Paula Rodriguez Gutama,
041the United States Army. Oliver Edson, Sunni Maritime, Andy Pinos, United States Navy, and Morelli Gonzalez, the United States Air Force. So, congratulations to our seven students that are serving our country. We're so proud of you and thank you for your service. And again, congratulations. Thank you. >> Oh, there we go. Thank you. Um, brings us on to our committees here. So, we had audit and finance. Uh, we met on 526. Chip, anything you wanna >> Oh, you weren't there. That's right. I'm so used to going to anything you wanna >> pretty much everything that Mr. Mango had said. Um I did um suggest that um the monies that we got from the jewel um uh lawsuit be spent towards um maybe awareness and education for our students and getting students involved in that process. >>
042All right. Awesome. Um personnel committee um Laura [laughter] >> yes the personnel committee met on June 2nd where we discussed personnel items 14.10 1 through 5 which is the resignations terminations and leaves of absences and reductions and then on the 14.02 O2 side. We discussed the approvals and the appointments of the many tenure candidates that we had here tonight, salary changes and um a few other moving parts that we're working on to fill our tenure gaps and make sure that we have everything we need for the upcoming year. >> All right. Awesome. Cool. Thank you. Um merger committee, we have not met. I know we got everything signed. Um, and we are having a meeting sometime next week. It's on our schedule. So, we'll hopefully have something to to bring back to you guys on
043the the next meeting. Um, facilities committee, no new report. We have not met. Wellness met on 512 when did you go on? No, >> that was rescheduled. So, I was not able to make that. >> All right. Awesome. Um policy committee report anything. >> Oh, we canled no new. No, it says no new report. Um we have no policies for a third reading, none for a second, none for a first. That brings us to consent agenda items. Are there any consent agenda items from 12.01 through 12.40 that any member wishes to discuss or has questions about? No. Um, oh, I will I'm going to hold out consent agenda item 12.40 for separate action. Are there any other consent agenda? Oh, I'm not holding any anything for uh Yeah. Um for separate action. Sorry. Um anyway,
044um may I have a motion to approve consent agenda items 12.01 through 12.40 as presented in the agenda? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Sure. Will the clerk please call the role for a vote? >> Robert, >> yes. >> Bobby C. Pearson, >> yes. >> Proctor, >> yes. >> Sydney, >> yes. >> Laura White, >> yes. >> Great. Um, on to financial items. Is there any financial items in 13.01 through 13.16 that any member wishes to discuss or has questions about? Nothing. All right. Um, are there any financial items from 13.01 1 through 3 13.16 and any member wish to hold up for separate action? >> No. Um, may I have a motion to approve financial items 13.01 through 13.16 as presented in the agenda. >> Motion second. >> Second. Laura. Um, will the clerk please
045call the role for a vote? >> Robert Zachary. >> Yes. >> Pearson. >> Yes. >> Proctor. >> Yes. >> Sunni. Yes. Laura White. >> Yes. >> And yes. On to personnel items. Are there any personnel items from for 14.01 1-5 that any member wishes to discuss or has questions about? Um, are there any personnel items from 14.01 1-5 that any member wishes hold up? Is separate item? Um, may I have a motion to approve personnel items 14.01 1-5 as presented in the agenda? >> Motion. Um, will the clerk please call the role for a vote? >> Robert, >> yes. >> Pearson, >> yes. >> Proctor, [clears throat] >> yes. >> Laura White, >> yes. >> And Ruth White, >> yes. >> Um, are there any personnel items from 14.02 6 through 42 that any member
046wishes to discuss or has questions about? Are there any personnel items from 14.026 026 through 42 that any member wishes to hold up separate action. Um may I have a motion to approve personnel items 14.02 6-42 as presented in the agenda. >> Motion >> second from Monique. Um will the clerk please call the role for a vote? >> Yes. >> C. Yes. >> Yes. >> Um on to action items. Um may I have a motion to approve the minutes of the 55 2026 budget hearing, the 55206 regular meeting in the 5/19 2026 budget vote and board of education election and the 5/19 2026 work session meeting as presented. >> Motion second. Um, will the clerk please call the role for a vote? >> Robert, >> yes. >> Dudley, >> yes. White, >> yes. >> Awesome.
047Um, public comments will be heard at this time. Any board of education, the board of education encourage public participation in school related matters at board meetings. Any group or organization wishing to address the board must first identify a single spokesperson. That presentation should be as brief as possible. Speakers will be permitted to speak for up to three minutes. The board will not allow public session discussions involving individual district personnel or students. All speakers that are conduct themselves civily. Obscene language, liberty statements, threats of violence, and statements advocating racial, religious, and other forms of prejudice will not be tolerated. Persons making presentations at the board meeting will address remarks to the president. They may direct questions and comments to board members or other district officials upon approval of the president. Yeah. [clears throat] >> Hi, Denise
048Williams, director of education, Shikok Nation. I came here to celebrate with you your person's recommended for tenure. I think it was a great class of uh staff administrators and it's been a pleasure working with especially administrators that we work so closely with. Uh so, thank you for that. I had nothing planned about anything here uh except to just celebrate with you guys. But since Dr. Zan brought up the uh awarding of Kodiak for his um >> seal of my literacy and that my heart is beating quickly because it means so much to me for the efforts that we have put in. For those of you who do not know, Germaine Smith began this voyage many years before the actual classes began here at the state level. And we started participating with the Office of Indigenous
049Education. And we hear from fellow tribal um you know, fellow tribes about what they're doing with their language. And of course, ours is much more lost than theirs. they own a lot more of it than we do because of the exposure to uh the colonies, the uh British, the whomever came over to uh live here. So when we found out what everybody else was doing with their language and to you know uh rejuvenate and you know claim it again and to make it their own, we too began to say well how did you do that? Like you know that kind of thing and we began to have conversations with Dr. was on with uh Dr. Dino at the time about you know there's money that goes along with this. Let's start it. Let's find out
050what we need to do to get it here. So I am uh taken a back a little bit because we did put such great effort and time. We worked with um Andrea Cook from Salamanca. We got her curriculum. We worked with community members from the Shenik nation with the uh lots of history, lots of research. We started a Shenikov language team um territory so we could kind of get it right. So uh and this was with great I don't want to say opposition but great concern from the Shenikov Nation about uh is it the right time? Should we shouldn't we? So we you know danced a very delicate dance and Brian was along with us for a lot um and other administrators who are not here. Uh so we spent many many many hours having
051meetings about what the curriculum for the language team look like etc. So the activity that Kodiak did that I'm finding about just tonight unfortunately uh is one that they did start in the class. It was part of what you know you have to learn to in a playful way in order to own a language. Uh you know language is not there just to learn it. It's there for a purpose. As a speech therapist that is how we uh base everything that we do you know are the beginning pieces of it. So imagine my surprise when I get an email from the language teacher at the high school for the Shenikov algangquin language teacher class and he asked me how come there were no persons there from Shenikov at this monumentous like event and I'm like
052what are you talking about and he begins to tell me that Kodiak sat for this um seal of biiteracy which is a big deal for people who have all but lost their language. We communicated with Candace Clark from the Office of World Language. We I sit in meetings with Office of World Language to develop this New York State standards for the indigenous languages for all tribes in New York State. So, I am greatly disheartened that we did not know, we did not get officially invited to this monumentous occasion and we missed it. And then people perceive it as though we do not care. How come you weren't there? I was expecting more people from this genocide nation to be present for this glorious event because nobody told us nobody invited us. I you all know
053me. I come to everything that is uh that you asked me to number one or that we have a purpose in being there and to not have been included on this. I'm hurt. Um, I am hurt and uh I don't know what my council has felt yet because I haven't met with them officially because I had to digest this a little bit. I put a lot of time into uh having this being available for Kodiak and others to have the opportunity to do and uh yes, we would have the I know there are council members. I know there are elders. Could you not want to meet with Wana who have been there? you know like she comes to everything and nobody let us know. So it is a missed opportunity. It is a missed um
054representation of the persons from Shinik Nation and I'm asking please you all have my cell numbers. You have my email. I live right by the pl at the Shinak Nation. The front door is always open. Stop by. And I work from home 90% of the time when we're not camping. Right. Brian, um, for us not to have been informed about this is greatly disappointing and I ask that you please do not think, do not allow, do not assume that somebody else is going to do it. I don't care if I get 10 million phone calls about it. I would prioritize it and I would be here. I would encourage my council persons uh to attend and my elders and the entire community as best as you can accommodate us to celebrate these collaborations that we
055have done uh for years now with with great outcome and impact on our communities both sides because you know when the canoe rises so do the yachts you know the tide comes in everything rises uh so that is just my share I wasn't planning on saying anything but oh my god what a great tenure night um and to celebrate with you. But when you brought that up, I was like, well, I guess that's why I'm still here. Uh and I do co-sign with uh Virginia McGovern about the waters also. I don't know what drove you to say, you know, no more water trips. Well, that means no more trips whatsoever to put all the kids in plastic bubble wrap because the world is a dangerous place and they need to be taught how to navigate
056it properly and and safely. So, thank you for hearing me and please just text call. We'll be there. >> Thank you. Thank you. Um, anybody else? >> No. Joe. >> Um, all right. That brings us on to new business here. Um, so [clears throat] let's talk about beaches. All right. Um, who would like to All right, Dr. Merl, you want to talk about beaches here? >> Um, yep, I I will. Um, so I want to first say that it's a very painful, traumatic thing that happened at Sack Harbor for sure. And It it did break my heart. But I am not going to tell you that my decision to stop the beach trips was based on what happened at Sack Harbor last year. [snorts] Dr. Z came and asked, "Can the seniors go to the
057beach?" And I said, "No." This year, Mr. Robinson said, "We would like the seniors to go to the beach." And I said, "No, because I understand that we're an Oceanside community." I get all of that. But as superintendent, it is my primary responsibility to ensure the safety of every all 1152 students that walk our campuses every day. That's my first job. And I'm just sorry that um it seems like I'm taking something away. Um I don't want to [clears throat] take anything away. However, when I think of 100 students on the beach and I hear about three maybe four um some of them are official lifeguards and some maybe are not in a in a in a 80 and a 100 kids and I don't know the full structure of that. I'm going to say
058no again and again because there are rip tides. It's an ocean. There's water. And I don't want to have I'm I don't want to have that conversation with a parent. I just don't. I'm sorry. But if that's, you know, if if we're all good with that as the board, then hey, I'm here at your will and what the board wants I will do. But if you ask a team of morale tomorrow and the next day and the next day about going to that beach and taking you know the the healing surfers is different. I know everyone want to compare. It's seven or eight kids with like five or six adults. It's it's it's very protected. I don't see um 100 seniors at the beach as a protected environment. I just don't see it that way.
059I don't see eye to eye like that. Um, and so with that, um, you know, maybe I need to get used to things on the ocean side, but I don't think that as a I just don't think that as a superintendent that I'm going to say, yeah, take take all take all 100 of them out there and like who's watching who, how many are in the water at once? Like I'm sorry. And so I know people think that I may be having an overreaction to Sack Harbor. The day before Sack Harbor, I sat in Dr. Zan's office and Mr. Robinson for the third time came to me with this speech request and I just said I don't have a good feeling and I don't in my gut I don't have a good feeling. That was
060the day before Sack. We never saw Sack when that decision was made. So, I made that decision and I will if I mean if if I'm not seeing this clearly because when you even look at our liability insurance and everything with nicers, there's a lot of things they wish Southampton didn't do and particularly with overnight trips. So, I understand that there, you know, we do have to let the children live. I understand that. But a board sanctioned beach trip or district sanction district sponsored beach trip with 100 kids to me just didn't seem wise. So that's that's what happened with that. But I'll do whatever you guys want. >> All right. Um I just want to hear from anybody on the board, but you guys to take it away from the kids and then take
061it away from the kids. Um you know in the past and we've done this year after year and in the past we've had village lifeguards um you know come and watch kids it's never been that they've been unsupervised or you know not safety watch. So I think that as long as we have the um the coverage for 100 students we should do it. I I I agree with Sunhei. As long as we have supervision from certified lifeguards, they should go. So, I agree these lifeguards have appropriate certifications to be in charge of every individual child and adult that steps steps foot on on the beach from Memorial Day to Labor Day, they're qualified. And as long as we have the appropriate number of chaperones staff members to go with them, there's absolutely no reason why
062this couldn't be um another [clears throat] successful trip as there have been years in the past. Every district has beach days out here. Uh and it's just not okay to take that away from this community. >> Yeah, I agree across the board. Um, we do all these overnight trips. We do everywhere there's a trip, there's water. So, I I just see it as an overreaction and uh I would I would tell, you know, I have great memories uh of being in Southampton and school trips and going to those those places. So, um I think definitely we can't bubble wrap the kids. It's all been said. this is we got to get them out there. The beach is part of our life here. And I don't see any reason why we can't um you know, help
063them have that experience. And if it makes you feel better, let's beef up the security. Let's get more people. I'm I'm all for that. But uh you know, don't don't take it away from him. >> And I feel the same way. >> [laughter] >> Um, just how many lifeguards and staff will we need for that? And how close is the date? >> I don't know if they have a date picked out yet. >> So, the 15th. >> Okay. The 15th. Also, just the only reason I stepped up here is like whatever misinformation is there, like the village is on duty for lifeguards and we double up with ocean rescue, midi, elms, and Dave Riley get us guards and they come. So, we're like doubly stacked. We have like our own personal lifeguards and the beaches
064staff. Um, you know, we're not relying on the four kids who are ocean certified to be our lifeguards when we go to the beach. Like, like Cooper's Beach is open and then we're there and then we have ocean rescue with us. Um, and we have an appropriate number of chaperones for a field trip. So, it's, you know, 145 kids in our class. We would love if 140 or so are in attendance. And we were approved at all three levels in early May, like on May 7th for the trip at Coopers. Um, so we had all that stuff sort of like lined up and in the bag, including meals and such. So if we decide because again you know school board we look at overnight that sort of stuff everything else goes through the building process
065um what you know we can offer and you know we'll get back and talk about the stuff um if the administration and everybody was to kind of pick can we still have all that stuff in place or is it still in place and we haven't cancelled >> I think it's 98% still in place I'd have to double back committee and Dave just to make sure that we still get search and rescue to be with us. Um that would be the only part that I'm not confident in saying that we have access to still just I think it's still doable. I just want to double back. >> Okay. Um again Cooper's these are the beaches that are inside our school district. Um beaches that we all go to all the time. Um personally sand my feet.
066I'm not the biggest beach. I'm a more cool band. Um, but anyway, love Coopers. You know, I guess you were wrong, but one you said it was top two beach. It's number one beach >> always. Always. Yeah, cuz they rank you. But number one beach always Coopers. That's it. Um, >> I would be in favor of this as long as we have the the proper lifeguards that are on duty with those beaches. I know the village manages, Coopers. Um, I know the lifeguards there do a great job. Matt weeks is the beach tendant and you probably talked to him about it. Um, as long as they feel that they have the appropriate coverage for their beach and they're doing it and we're following you. I thought I would be pay for that stuff and same
067I know the middle school was looking at some of that stuff too, right? With um Coopers and >> yeah um 8th grade has June 11th as their Cooper trip. Fifth grade has Long Beach and seventh grade has Coopers also. >> Okay, cool. And um another thing too is I I know that every kid in our school goes and does a swim test when they are in third, fourth grade. So I would maybe look to kids that have not done that swim test and that are going on these trips that we we look into those kids and making sure that the ones that have passed it and how strong they are that um they're they're good to go. But I think each is personally it's um again it's not a poor decision but I would I
068would support that stuff if you guys were to um reconsider on that stuff. >> I just want to say one other thing I just wanted to you know I want to recognize Dr. like for your concern and for your touch just thoughtfulness of the safety of our children and coming from Buffalo I'm sure water activities on the beach we're not the forefront of your monitor or part of your daily life so um I do want to say that we appreciate the help on this concern safety but we are on the water like so the culture sh >> by five lakes >> well is different than the ocean We got a lot of >> they're frozen over what 11 11 and a half months a year. [laughter] >> Um and I I agree. I appreciate the,
069you know, like we're not, we're no one's, we're not tell, we're just looking at, you know, I appreciate the for our kids and, you know, and and there are these tragic accidents that can happen anywhere and, you know, I've always thought, you know, I say, you know, on the stuff and you're, you know, you're looking out for our kids and stuff. So, >> we all appreciate it and everything and it's not, we're not, no one's, we're not coming down on, you know, stuff. I'm always going I'm always going to be the one who think about what I'm sorry. I'm going to think about the disastrous thing that could happen first. I I I just will. Um especially when it comes to kids and um I I have to have that force. I have to think
070ahead of of things and I will always, you know, say no. But right now, the board is saying yes, and that's who's authorizing, and I'm going to do what the board tells me to do. So, everybody will be able to go to the beach. >> All right. Sounds good. Thank you. And you're and you're a mother and my my wife, too, would want to put all my kids in bubble wrap and walk around. So, I understand it. So um but I think as long as the proper precautions are in place >> well uh I was speaking to Dr. >> Dr. [laughter] attending but we also just so you know is set June 15 and the rainage June 16. So there's two days for the kids so you know. All right. >> With the appropriate appropriate
071SPF. >> Okay. All right. >> The appropriate amount of chaperons and the appropriate amount of lifeguards. That's the that's what we need to think about. >> Thank you. >> It's very No, it's we're all good. Um [clears throat] >> so again it it's these are building levels that come through so there's really nothing for us to approve but we would feel all important. Thank you sir. So um >> yeah just one other thing just to to wrap this up for me is you know the overnight trips come to us um just in this year that I've been on they have not been up to par. They come in late. there's different information that's given on the paperwork that's all got to come really and and get tightened up. We've talked about it before. Um, you
072know, last minute uh approvals coming on um and like I said, the paperwork being really not true to what is happening and uh all the approvals from bus garages to everybody up the line. Um, that all needs to be really tightened up and made sure that these these trips, whether they're a field trip to the beach or an overnight trip, we have all the paperwork and all the approvals and all the information correct. Very very very important. >> I I agree with that. Um, you get some trips and I want to um give a shout out here because we actually approved the France and Italy trip for 2028. So, um, that's two years in advance. Um, so I want to give a shout out that we got some paperwork and we're doing the homework here
073that came in tonight. So, >> um, yeah, they they got plenty of time because I know there's some issue, but um, two years to spare on that. So, we approve that tonight. Um, do we have any other new business? We're all good. Um, >> I have something kind of bring up. I want to propose that we consider revisiting the topic of one to personal devices useful appropriately like particularly K through I guess second and third um and just encourage like some thoughtful discussion um and evaluation like the long-term impacts on student learning and development because you know as more research is emerging regarding like attention comprehension handwriting social development and the importance of hands-on learning and younger children. You know, many I'm reading now there's so much uh data that's coming out where many schools
074now and districts across the country are reconsidering or re-evaluating how and when uh technology should be introduced in the classroom. And so, you know, we expand for us, we expanded the 101 usage in our elementary schools kind of as a a product of two things of COVID and and remote learning, but also because New York State had changed their testing procedures and made it more digital. Um and so you know while technology is un undoubtedly um has an important place in education like I think that we have an opportunity now to start reviewing the the data the growing data that's um coming from you know pediatricians educators child development experts that are questioning the I guess the frequency and the length of exposure in early childhood. And I also believe that it's important as a
075district that um we haven't established clear and consistent um expectations like regarding technology use across the classroom and grade level so that the implementations um align um and intentional um you know because it can vary from classroom to classroom and you know we need to ensure that those educational goals are like not led by individual classroom preference or capability and that we're guiding the student screen exposure um and instructional use and this is not like a criticism it's just that this is something that we've implemented and maybe we need to just you know take a look at it. So it's the reason why I'm having this conversation is not about eliminating technology but uh ensuring that we are using it in a balanced developmentally appropriate and I guess evidence informed um way that best supports
076the healthy growth and you know academic success of children. So I'd like you to just say that tonight so that it's kind of a place marker and we can tackle this conversation you know over the next I guess year but >> would recommend that we do that. >> I I agree. Do you guys agree with that? Is this is this something with us? Should we be looking at during like policy? Should maybe something the administrator just go back and look at and then come aboard presentation or go to policy with >> I think opportunity. I think >> an opportunity to um kind of do an audit of how our kids are using um at K2 first because um you know our literacy program is paper pencil. I you know I don't know if it's if
077it's all the strong use that is being reported. I know when I first got here um we had talked a lot about that DF that you're talking about in the effects on the um on the um um lo the frontal lobe for K2 children in terms of the blue light and all of that stuff and its impact on their learning. Um one of the things that um we noticed is that our students don't have a lot of books in hand. Um that was with the old program though. Um Font is Symphanel. Um they had a lot of the books on the uh computer and I think now with this new program there will be less of that. Um, but I want to before I make any um definitive statements, I would like to go in
078and work with our principal and see how are we actually using um the the the um devices right now and at the K2 level. I think it's a critical issue and I I'd love to take that up to see where we are with it and then bring that report back to the board and then um Dr. on could work with myself and Melissa and then we could say maybe if they're you know go from there with policy but I think first we need to know what we what we have actually happening in there. >> I think that's a good idea. >> Cool. >> You know to look into so awesome. Um sort of run through here. Does anybody have anything quick they want to add? I know it's been a three hour meeting. Um >>
079just gonna bring something up quick. I was listening to Virginia and I hear Noah over here saying how important it is to get outside. And um I was just curious, have we made any progress this year um allowing students during lunch to get physical activity or enjoy the outdoors? I know seniors can leave, but the ninth, 10th, and 11th graders, we had uh Noah has been a, you know, strong proponent all year for helping students either get into the gym for shooting hoops or getting outside. I didn't know if we have the weather is improving. I'm sure the kids would love to get outside at lunchtime. >> Yeah, so the kids have been going outside. We have a courtyard and also not only during lunch uh during classes uh teachers keep the kids outside so
080they have many opportunities to get outside especially with the weather being really nice as well. >> Um is there any do the lunch chaperons have access to like spikeball or cornhole or there's no outdoor basketball hoops or >> No, there isn't. But I know a lot of kids are now playing hacks of the building. So that's really the sport. [laughter] >> Yes. >> so they are having a great time with that and I know I have spoken to Noah and Mate and some other kids and some things that we're looking to kind of work in the cafeteria. Um I don't want to say it publicly but uh until we get it to our um approval process, but we are looking at some things for the upcoming school year as well because we want to capitalize
081on all these different things that our kids are doing. [clears throat] Um, and they're, you know, it's it's everywhere now. So, the kids are really excited about that. >> And what about during the um colder months weather, do students, did they end up getting access to the gym a little bit or >> That one was a little challenging because when we started to look especially in the winter time and when I met with Mr. Phillips and the gym teachers and try to see how we can build a schedule. Uh it will there let's say there five lunch periods only maybe one or two will be able to so it won't be across the board and that could become a problem. >> Um [clears throat] so that that was kind of the challenge with the gym
082because essentially it's an instructional class and they utilize it for different activities that they're doing. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Great. Thanks. Um we actually have to return to executive session. You guys are good for five minutes. Um, so >> I just want to say one more. >> No, you got >> um Yeah, to kind of piggy back off, Miss Dunn. Uh, the last couple weeks, uh, the courtyard hasn't been in the use as much because there's been AP testing going on, but I feel like when that happens, we should get uh someone else to step up and try to volunteer for the position. Maybe. I don't know if it's right with the contract or whatever, but uh, I think that that quality time outside is just super important. We talked about
083being outside all the time or I I talk about it actually. I don't know about everybody else, but it's crucial. It we it needs to happen. We need to find a way for it to happen. Um it's it's a big deal. It makes the kids day go by better. It makes the kids day enjoyable. They look forward to coming to school. I think it's something we really need to focus in, keep keen in on it, and really look at it at a bigger picture. maybe even have everybody sit down at one point and just talk about it and just resolve the situation because it's it's a big one. It needs to be fixed. I would like to um move on and recognize one of my friends and listen your class uh in on Instagram post
084recogniz fellow Nana Williams. He took the initiative to connect with WSP directors to discuss the needs of our children at the early childhood level. addition was to give back to the community and support the efforts of cultural nourishment of our youngest learners of Chinik. After planning and hosting a successful car wash generously gifted all proceeds to the I can't pronounce the name but to the Shinak priest sorry to the Shinak preschool. Thank you Nishan for taking the time to visit with us understanding our work and the importance of early childhood learning and development. We are so proud that you took your time with our younger generation to have someone to look to look to look up to you. Um, I'm very proud of him because, uh, he's come a really long way. Uh, he's he's
085one of my really good friends. Kind of been with me the whole entire way, uh, through my high school experience. He came in one day through my social studies class, just big guy just like walked through the me. I was like, "Holy crap." And he's a big basketball player and, uh, he just like kind of like move walked across the floor and, uh, it was it was pretty cool. Um, and he's he's just a really good kid. I'm really proud of him. He started his, uh, own bar. he's gonna he might start his own barber shop. So, I'm just really proud of his his success and his determination, his grit and grind and I just wanted to shout him out because he's just somebody that could really look up to. He spoke at one of
086the board meetings before this this school year. So, I don't know. I just think something to end off positive throughout the day. Yeah. [applause] >> So, thank you. >> Awesome. Thank you. Now, >> he put his grandpa last night for 25 bucks. But how's the look, isn't it? [laughter] >> Okay. All right. [clears throat] All right. Um All right. With uh being said, can I have a motion to move back into executive session at 9:43 to discuss a matter made compensation by state and federal law? Motion. Second. All right. Cool.