001one. >> Good evening and welcome to the January 27th, 2026 meeting of the Spacken Hill Union 3 School District Board of Education. The board will immediately take a vote to enter into executive session for the purpose of seeking legal advice for contract negotiations. It is anticipated that the board will resume the public session at approximately 6:30 p.m. Do I have a motion to go into executive session? >> Do I have a second? Second. All in favor? >> I passes 4. Welcome back to the January 27, 2026 meeting of this facility school district board of education. I ask that you rise and recite the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice
002for all. Thank you. Okay. Item 4.01 is comments from the public on consent agenda items only. public comment board discussion that needs to be uploaded and discussed. >> Okay, with that I'll ask for a motion to accept consent agenda as written. Do we have a second? All in favor I 6.01 is second reading of policy 011 type any further discussion on that from the board. Okay, with that I'll ask for a motion to accept policy 011 title 9. >> All in favor zero 8.01 we are officially entering budget season. Good evening everyone. This is And we start off with a recapility of the current year. Um the current year's budget is 57 million 68788. Um compared to the support budget, it represents an increase of 5.99% or a little over $3.2 million. The levy to
003support the 5 years budget is 33 million 665757 which represents an increase over the 245 tax 75% or 597,8 starting to look at um assumptions for the 2627 budget um TRS pass rate for the teacher retirement system is estimated to be n 9.59% salary which is a slight decrease over the engagement year the current year for ERS we are looking at a slight increase to 17.6% 6% of salaries. Um the annual change for the CPI for is 2.7% which is a slight decrease over the 2024 CPI of 2.8. Um other components of the assumptions for the 26.7 budget is current salaries and those salaries are dictated by the current directive agreement that in place and we'll provide estimates for those contracts that are ending um June of 2026 if those contracts have not been settled
004prior to um the budget action for those services. We're an estimate of 5.8% increase over the current services um special ed tuition again 5.8% set kind of based on historical trends. Um we find both of those numbers as those in their process budget. So we have to get a better for that and we'll look at um tuition for the special um tuition rates that we that will be anticipated for 26.7 health insurance um right now it is estimated somewhere between 15 and 17% increase over the current cost. Um that's very significant. It's probably more than double. Um we do not anticipate any additional volume that service is kind of anything. Other things that we're going to consider for the budget um retirement rings and additional staffing retirements we have had some discussions um about those
005discussions will be continue by um the other impact the final posts and insurance cost we'll get better or closer estimates process. We're going to look to do some vehicle purposes this year. Most of that will be used to deliver vehicles and equipment. Um, and also the biggest component is the final statement allocation. The government has been at least overall in the process that the district uses a line by function instructional budget and all of those broken down by the budget. notification process information and some discussions that we have administrator tax budgets budget. Um after that we will ask the board to adopt that budget and event format capital and the public next four months um discussions the first to take identifying factories. March 16th will be updating members. March 24th budget on April 14th will
006be on you and the election process here. and personal questions, comments. >> Too early. Not yet. But >> there will be some. >> Okay, thanks. >> Uh 8.02 goals update. This will be an update uh from the goals presentation we had uh in September. Um this will probably be quick. and just kind of give you an update and there'll be a full goals report uh a few months from now to go over. So we had two main goals. Uh first one uh dealt with uh facilities. We'll talk about this a little bit. Uh the first goal overview identify districtwide facilities and program manage needs to support district short and long-term strategic plan and then really to look at you know create an inventory of repairs upgrades enhancements to the physical plan to support our um
007our program. So some of the things that have already been done uh been working with the buildings uh Val's been very instrumental in this uh building administration is kind of saying what they're thinking their building needs. Um you know and then we also have the district level telling us you know adding to what we think is needed also. Um this also is really including our uh architects and looking at our plans uh prior to that our facilities plan. Uh look at kind of a three-step process here. We're doing we're doing an energy audit um kind of look at where we can save on that end. We're doing safety and security audit to look at what we can do and make recommendations you know to improve districtwide safety. And then we're really match inventory kind of
008just develop an inventory of all these things that say we need you knows reports and energy audits really kind of look at put everything there so that we can have it all one spot to try to figure out what our priorities are. So if you look at the master inventory uh building level assessments, district level assessments, recommendations from the safety audit, recommendations from the energy audit, that's going to be the the key factors in that we will uh need to establish structure and objectives uh before we able to create a district facilities committee. Identify participants you know that that should be on it. Engage experts. uh we just talked about our architects, construction managers, legal engineers define the structure, the rules, we need any uh subcommittees. So that's specific items and then you know schedule.
009So that has not happened yet. That is all in the works. Try to identify all that for this year path forward. This kind of simplifies everything. We have the assessments, we have the audits, we have the inventory and then form committee everything for next year. That's the first goal. Second goal dealt with AI. Uh if you remember this is a slide from the original presentation looking at what we're doing. develop comprehensive AI guidance documents for spack and guild that prioritize and incorporate the following key elements. Look at them there. So what do we want to do this year? What do we currently need deep policy development? You know, district leaders, teachers, department chairs, we try to create four layers of AI guidance, district, school, classroom assessment specific. I look at professional development. So my area
010has been very key to that. I found myself uh legal and policy review and three outreach administrators will communicate you know our updates uh you know and how we're you know utilizing AI. Some of the things we've done this year um or even before this leading up to this year. So I went to something uh in AI at a tech kind of conference at up Westchester Boseies. I met this guy named Jerry Kishi. Uh I really liked him and John went to something like right around maybe maybe a week or two after. Um John probably fell in love. Uh uh really really like Jerry uh and he has been very instrumental for us ever since then. We sort of got him I think the two conferences that we each went to were his beginning point
011and he was starting out kind of being the AI AI guru. Um, and we really developed this nice relationship with him was very helpful. He has been at our conference days uh March 24th, September 24th and this past November. Um, our virtual techmies have been great. um Marcilla puts stuff together and Jerry has come and he's put on some uh some PE with hitting that and that that that virtual tech academy is for our teachers and it's just so burn uh has done a great job with for PD so what specifically what have been some of the PD so uh myself and Mr. Carl went to a AI for admin administration that was very informative at our own bunch of places. In August, we put a team together for a AI circles uh which is
012a team that meets monthly to really look at AI in the classroom. There's a thing called AI and 30 which is once once a month maybe once every other month um for 30 minutes. Uh Jerry Kishi actually hosts it uh virtual people from all over uh our area attend and that's been very informative. Um I go and know Miss Bird goes and then when others can go I know Mr. B go sometimes go sometimes. At our principal meetings uh Miss Burn comes and she leads a PD just for us. It's kind of an engine group. It's good to have just us in one room talking about different things. And then external PD are Mr. Frell uh Brett Hasbro and M they went to Nicecape along with some other teachers um which is really one of
013the best technology conferences that we had. So that's pretty key. What are some things that Miss Burn has really worked with with our teachers on? Here's a list of them. These are just specific platforms uh you know tools that our teachers have access to and that Marcela has helped them you know learn how to use or or or you know use better than than than what we know about it. We did a survey uh with our district and basically they go over the observations. You know, our staff has moderate familiarity with it. So, we want to raise that. Uh there's a positive perception of of AI overall, but there are concerns. Um there's a clear need for professional development and guidance, which is one of our goals, you know, to create that guidance. Um, student
014AI is very much present. You say that's accurate. >> Yeah, we use it for assignments. >> Recommendations. Enhance AI literacy and practical application. Address concerns with clear policies and guidelines. Provide structural support, embedded resources, and proactively guide student AI use. Some pictures. This was from the November uh 2025 conference. Uh these are basically the leaders of the district, all different coordinators, directors, administrators, everyone was in there. Um and that's Jerry appreci. We did some cool stuff. Uh I kind of talked to Dan about it one time, but we did this futuring exercise where we talked about the four Ps. probable, plausible, possible, preposterous. And we had to we had chart paper. I think there's a we had to chart things that we thought were probable that that were going to happen, plausible, might happen, possible,
015and then the preposterous. So, if you look at preposterous, no human teachers. We don't think that's really going to happen in the near future. Um, but it was I don't want to say it was actually fun. Uh it was it was a nice exercise to go through to really kind of look at the future of education. And the point of the preposterous is really think of things that can't you know flying cars you know or things that well maybe it could happen you know uh you know and one of the things I did with my team is we looked at like we said when we were kids what were things that we would say preposterous that actually did happen you know talking about a cell phone you know would you be able to look things
016up or take pictures or whatever it is or so forth um so that was a pretty cool thing um creat creating uh the guidance document, you know, drafts of support materials shared with me and really trying to get the alignment within, you know, the secondary classrooms and the secondary disciplines to really try to figure out, you know, what's our best way to guide everyone through what we're doing with AI. Does that work? Jerry and actually one of our teachers who was involved in that AI TV actually did the uh 4P things with with their own students. So it's kind of cool how it trickled down into uh the classroom. So where are we with our goals? So we're kind of to develop the AI guidance documents phase one initial draft share with administration reviewed by
017our uh grade uh grade level chairs and our curriculum coordinators. uh teacher feedback incorporated via committee structures and we're pretty close to have final documents scheduled to be released a little bit ahead of schedule the remainder of the year finalize those documents get the secondary schools you know to develop further great appropriate ways uh in their in their classrooms that a little bit more of the focus than the elementary schools more more use obviously uh secondaries um look at the policies that we currently have and see if they have to be updated based on some of the things that we come up with um let the community know what's happening and then um review the data from the AI circles team which is ongoing through this whole school year um to help inform what we're
018going to do next year which is where we are and then we'll probably have a very similar updated presentation in a few months to kind of close out. Does anyone have any specific questions about where we are at this moment? Um, when do you expect the uh The energy audit is about 90% complete and they're working some inventory everything. >> That's everything. So, what we've learned from the building assessments that we learn from district and everything goes into that's not those assessments. >> The AI circles sound very interesting. What What is the makeup of that? So it's it's administrator um and a lot of our tech fellows go to it. So our tech fellows are how many we have? >> 22. Uh they're spread out throughout the district and teachers who are interested in technology
019throughout our building. So we have a teaching representative of secondary elementary. Um and of course uh Mr. I believe Mr. Duza are you in it? Yep. >> Uh he's the elementary principal and Mr. priority is the uh secondary principal. We go to Olster Oceis um and they work as a team. So it's like one team there. So whatever is happening, whatever we're learning, they're actually learning it together. So it's a nice way of doing as opposed to just having a bunch of individuals that can go with the team. That's good. up on track. That brings us to 8.03, our elementary administration update. >> Good evening everyone. >> I don't need it. So, So Sandra, I'm going to show the video idea. Is that okay? All right. Um, so always a pleasure to come and kind
020of update you on how we're doing. Um, since the break, we have hit the ground running um at Hagen. This is our spelling bee season. So, the the students get their classroom B study guide before they leave for the holiday break. I send a letter home kind of explaining um all the different P2 traits that go into putting yourself out there and taking a risk and and and challenging yourself to study and and win your classroom B. At this point, we have all our classroom B champions. Uh they will present in the school spelling be tomorrow. Um, and whoever our Hagen representative becomes will go on to take the regional qualifier, which is a very hard exam. I've sat through three of them now, and I have no help to this child. Um, it's very
021difficult. So, the kids that make it to ESPN, kudos. Um, so, you never know, though. And, uh, we're excited to to see our our young, uh, young kids up there tomorrow really showing a lot of bravery. So um connected to that our our fifth graders have started their capstone project. So if you remember last year was the first year of capstone uh which was a wild success kind of and it it models a lot of what the New York State portrait of a graduate is looking to uh promote and that's inquiry based learning the idea of a student pursuing their passions. So really any topic is open as long as they can come with an open-ended question that they can research. They do research in the library with Miss Marchona. They do research online. They
022use AI in the classroom. Um, and probably the favorite part of the students and the teachers is they try to conduct an interview with an expert in the field. Um, so if they're doing something on pets, they'll interview a vet. They're doing something on energy, they may reach out to Central Hudson. Like there's a lot of connections within the community. So it builds that community and gets the kids into a space where they have to ask some questions. So um, really really excited for that. the questions are starting to formulate um as we move into season in February, March, April, and then we have our big capstone expo uh the first week in June. So, be looking out for that. Um another thing that's coming out very quickly, next Tuesday night, we are hosting Katherine
023Martino, who is the author of Childhood Unplugged. So, one of the things that we had focused on is the inschool control of the anxious generation reading that we did elementary level. where we focused on free play. Um so we added extra recess, the play club which has been a wild success and the idea of you know enforcing the no tech cell phone smartwatch type rules. Um and it's been great. Uh in addition to the let grow which Mr. Lynch is going to go further into tonight, we also formed a parent committee around the anxious generation. Interested parents that had read the book were passionate about that message and wanted to kind of bring that outside of the building. And one of the goals that we worked on with the parents was bringing in a guest
024speaker, someone who's an expert in the field that can kind of help us relate this to home. Um, so now we have looped in Mr. Lewis, Mr. Dohy, and our parent committee to bring in Katherine Martino who really speaks to the how. So we know the why. We know what we want. Um, and there's a lot of parents that that are fighting that screen battle. I I'm one of them um at home. and she is an expert in the field in telling you how you have those conversations, how you set those limits um for a productive home environment. So, we're excited. We're happy to host her and I think it's going to be a really big uh success. So, look out for that. Um and then the final piece which will the video will take
025over is um our mural. So, Nassau last year with the help of Mrs. Sone, Joe Pimeintel, our muralist, uh, formed the sensory mural, and we knew we wanted that as well. Um, and this year it was Hagen's turn. When you see the turnout or the final product, I think you'll be pretty wildly impressed. Um, the fact that they were able to put this all together so quickly. Um, lots of time and energy went into it. A big shout out to Dave and Pete in our maintenance department for all the hookups that you're about to see. Um, so right on the wall where they go in for the lunchroom, they touch it anyway. Every year we repainting and you know they're waiting in line, so touch the wall. Uh, [music] >> you can go. It's better
026than me. So go. >> Welcome to the Higen Elementary sensory. [music] >> We're not going to watch the whole 10, but you have it now. >> Welcome to the Higen Elementary sensory wall. My name is Sharon. I'm the elementary art teacher at both Higen and Nassau and this has been a project that has been three years unique. We started three years ago planning out exactly what we wanted in both Aen and Nassau for our sensory journals. We had a team of um PT, OT, our social workers and of course myself and our special ed teachers. And what we looked at is what are the social emotional needs of our students and how can we incorporate their needs into a large mural that they can have hands-on experience with. What we came up with in both
027buildings is a way to address the four zones of regul of regulation through different aspects of the mural. We used earth air using VR technology part of the neuro and in each of those areas we have a different zone of regulation and I'm going to take you through all of that today so that you can see what part of the sensory neuro is that students are encouraged to touch. times they're asked to have a handsoff approach to things in our building, but this is one time where we're encouraging students to experience firsthand the entire wall. This has become a place for students to come sit when they need a little bit of time away from the classroom. We can use this wall as a teaching and learning space as well as well. So, let me
028take you through each area of the mural and give you a close-up look at what we are working with. The first zone of the mural is the water zone. And in this area, when students are feeling a little bit sluggish, to maybe a little sad, um just really don't have the energy in them right at the moment to be productive in the classroom. This is a place where they can come to get a little bit more energized. We have different breathing exercises that the students can go through. We also have different things like octopus yoga or jellyfish yoga. And of course, our favorite part of the students turn the antique shop. Dave and Pete were instrumental to making sure it doesn't turn out of control. So, this is a really >> It's my favorite thing
029cuz I turn it each time I pass. But you can you can stop the video. There's Dave and Pete. They did a great job. There's spinners all over the wall. Um so I'm gonna It's gonna kind of be a tease of a video. So come to Hagen, come play, come touch. Um cuz it's a really cool thing for our students. They have taken advantage of that. Uh the lunch line is a whole new experience for them. And you know, just when they need that time and space, we've seen students utilize it and go back to class in a productive way. So >> thank you. >> It's absolutely amazing. visual of it, let alone sexes. >> All right. Uh, good evening everyone. I um can speak to the sensory mural and what a phenomenal job and
030I think I think people know Mrs. Sakone is retiring at the end of the year, which is a just an immense loss uh for all of us. But uh we joke around that we'll not only need to replace her as an art teacher, but it's almost a whole another position to keep that wall up the way that it is because uh when when Mr. Duza says that every kid touches it, uh they really do. That's what that's what she wanted. Uh it's really really beautiful. So um I'm going to start off my report a little differently. Um, you know, I we we often talk about celebrations and and December, the last time we were here was kind of that um with the holidays and concerts, kind of that on steroids. But when when looking back
031on uh January, what really jumped out to me was um and something that we take a lot of pride in in Spack and Kill is is actually professional development and how are we making um principles better? How are we making teachers better? How are we making teaching assistants better? And the first four things right off the bat that jumped out um that I'll share with you uh we had the Pikipsy Children's Home come in um and work with our our teachers on trauma uh and ACES really built off of the work that we've done with uh Dr. Donna Ryder who we've spoken about um at length. Mr. Mr. Duza also mentioned the portrait of the graduate. Um, you know, we tend to think of that as a as a high school thing and a secondary
032thing, but the way that New York State really has envisioned it is it starts at prek and so Bosey's had an event um only for elementary uh people and I was there with Mr. Duza, Mr. Frell and Dr. Fanielelli. Um it was really um us learning about the portrait and really applying what we already do uh for each of those buckets and things um that we've brainstormed that we think we need to do to kind of add to the experience throughout the school system. Uh the third thing we had and I don't know you know how much people follow this um I'm I'm really fascinated by it but over the last uh five six years and any news outlet you could read about the the science of reading and kind of the reading wars we've
033talked about it here uh we've done extensive work with that and you know this was kind of predictable but uh New York State kind of to follow that up has developed what they are calling the numerous see briefs and math. Not that it has been forgotten. Um, but it's certainly taken a backseat to reading over the last five or six years. And we're really excited that New York State uh created this document with uh what they call eight briefs or eight essential things that they they feel like all schools should uh be highly trained on. And we're working with posties on that. uh we actually have someone that comes uh for a full day uh for each of the briefs. So brief one and two are are done at Nassau uh in terms of the
034intros that we've had with our teachers and he comes next week for brief number three and that's exciting uh exciting work more to come on that and then the last thing uh and this is all the first half of January uh so far uh MTSS uh multi-tered systems and support Dr. Moler talks uh quite about uh quite a lot about this. Uh but basically what that is is it's a system to make sure that that no kid slips through the cracks. So every kid we hope gets high level tier one instruction. And then if a kid is struggling behaviorally or academically with math or reading, we basically have a child study team that kind of puts their profile up and we kind of attack it uh based off of a goal that's formed and possible
035interventions that we're getting from a a team of people. Uh so we partnered with with both Boseies on that. They actually observed both at Hagen and Nassau. um several of our NTSS meetings and kind of have um given us some feedback on how to improve on that which has been great. Uh today was the opening of our midyear I Ready assessments and you know I'm a data I'm a data geek so I get excited about this. I always think of midyear as being a time um you know if you relate it to to us um it's like getting a physical and my favorite part about it is we show a ton of growth in some areas and we show struggles in others and it's a time where we get to really meet with each teacher
036look at the different trends reflect back and kind of plan forward. Um kindergarten bike program. I recall a couple years ago when we first started this program, I I think we even had a board part of the board meeting. We went to the gymnasium and um Mrs. Spiegel was was demonstrating it with a couple students. Uh Mr. Herrera, who is our new PE teacher, um has really hit the ground running with that and he is coming up on his so it's a 8week program and basically most kindergarten kids learn to ride a bike by the end of the program. He's approaching the big week, which is week six where the uh where the pedals get added. So, we'll see how good he's doing uh next week, but that's been exciting. And then the last thing
037that I'll I'll add uh Mr. Duza talked about Katherine Martino. Um you know, I'm excited about that as a as a educator, also frankly a parent. um she has some incredible uh strategies and you know the the different battles that we all face at home are very different when you have a 4-year-old compared to a 13-year-old. Um and but you know one thing that I thought the board if and I don't know if Dr. Fanuelli has has mentioned this yet, but so Lenor Skynazi is the founder, one of the co-founders of the Let Grow Project, and I know we've spent a a ton of time talking about that, but we had a check-in meeting with her, and she was so excited about the work that we're doing. And there's over 700 schools that she works
038with that do like grow. And she and her her program have named us Lighthouse Schools. So basically what that means is um we are partners with them. She is coming um to Spacking Hill next fall um to work with our teachers to have a night event with parents and um basically we'll be one of her model schools and districts. So um we're really proud and excited about that. That was it. Thank you. Sounds great. Thank you. That brings us to item 9.01 board correspondence. So we have two emails with regard to issues with students uh that have been addressed by the administration. And as a followup to the email discussed at the last meeting, you can regard your previous capital project. Our district engineers have taken a look at that and that will be addressed
039to your person that email this to 9.02 is comments from the public on non-aggenda items. 9.03 03 comments from the board. Board comments. Okay. So, with that, this will turn over to 9.04 comments from Thank you. Just a couple quick ones. One is I hope everyone uh was safe over the past weekend and dealing with the amount of snow we got. Uh thank you for your patience uh this morning with our delay but we got in and and then got back to school. Uh do want to talk a little bit about uh having Katherine Martino come uh next week, next Tuesday, a week from today. If anyone could come, anyone listening, I it'd be great to come. This is an amazing event for us to have, you know, the author of of this book to
040come and really give strategies to to the parents. It's really amazing what we're doing with this movement. Um, and I really, you know, Mr. Lynch didn't really give it as as much uh uh respect as it is, but being chosen as a lighthouse school and a lighthouse district is amazing. I was on that call. I think they only have five in the entire country. Um so you know for them to to to look at us and and and see that you know what we're doing with started up you know really last year as just just a we we read the book you know happened to see the book uh bought it as a you know bought it before pre-sale got it so excited about it came to the administration and I found that a couple
041of them already bought it we already were looking at it um turned into a book talk turned into a goal and it turned into uh you more it keeps on giving. So definitely excited by that. That's that's amazing. And to be able to have her come and speak next year um is going to be awesome. So you know, kudos for that. We'll probably talk about that more like in the newsletter as that comes, but that's amazing. and uh congrats to Governor Clinton and Eric uh for leading what's going on there. And that my thoughts it thank you very much. With that I ask for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Do >> a second. All in favor? This is 4. We'll see you in February.