001Good evening. Evening everybody. Today is Monday, January 5th, 2026. This is a regular meeting of Board of Education of Tos School District. Um I need to call the meeting to order. I have a motion in favor. Now we're going to executive session. I have a motion to executive session. Okay, we'll be back around 7:30. Thank you. Okay, welcome back everybody. We've just um joined from executive session and um our next order is allegiance. Um, board comments. Does anybody have anything like >> Happy New Year everybody. Um looking forward for the last home stretch from the uh final part of the school year. Um just one thing Friday night just reminder for the community the Oregon Dardone basketball tournament at the East High School girls varsity and boys varsity play it's a great rivalry that we've
002held many years but it's also fun. So hope to see their Friday night to support the girls and the boys of course. I also just want to wish everybody a happy new year. Hope you all had a great break. Um it was a nice few weeks and um everybody needed that little bit rest and relaxation. So now we have superintendent. >> Thank you president color. Uh echo the same sentence. Happy new year. It's great to be back and welcome all of our students and staff today. Uh our last board for education meeting on the 9th. A lot is going on here at Tahoe. number of wonderful student performances, athletic events, uh great student celebrations. I had the pleasure of attending all of the high school, middle school, and even the codle performances, watching our amazing
003students perform in the chorus, band, and orchestra. And it was truly amazing to see their developments from young talented codle artists where they were performing, singing, playing the the strings and jazz band at the high school level. those really talented artists that we have and performers and kudos to our music department for preparing them and putting great shows to get everyone into the holiday festive season. Uh the athletics has been full swing as always here at Tucko. Our student athletes are performing very well across section one this evening. We have basketball boys away. Light ice hockey is doing very well in undefeated season thus far and we have a lot of additional accomplishments with our varsity bowling team and our swimming team with congratulations for a state qualifier with 200500 freestyle which is outstanding. individual
004will be able to Owen pronounc the last name correctly Kirsten will qualify for the state freestyle later this year so look forward for Owen and kudos to the girls varsity cheerleading so earlier this month in December last month the girls qualified at the game day at Farmingdale College was there to cheer them on and they were amazing uh they finished first in the traditional division so kudos to them and we look forward to their future competitions throughout the the winter season to nationals in January. Trusty Mcketti said the community event this Friday, the basketball tournament, the Augie Nardone scholarship tips off at 5:00 pm with the girls followed by boys at 7 p.m. All proceeds going to the scholarship. So, we'll have a great turnout for our community at that event. Looking forward to it.
005the steering team. A little bit of update on our steering team committee. Uh was able to launch the team put together a great survey. I believe uh canvasing information from our school community as we plan that on our strategic plan. So that survey is open until January 14th. Uh please feel free to jump on that link. Our parents to provide your input and feedback. Our experience team really look forward to taking all of that data and information from our school community to help shape and forge ahead with our uh priorities with the district. creating mission statement, vision statement plan. We're going to be touching base tomorrow as a strategic team to then set up our upcoming town hall meetings. We look forward to that. Another venue to listen to our school community, our parents, students
006and staff and different forums to hear their priorities, to hear what we're doing well here at Tuck and some areas that we want to continue to grow and improve and expand programs and opportunities for our students. So, that's all exciting work that our steering team is and engaging with our community. We really look forward to that process and and highlighting the things that are going on very well here at Tahoe and as we shape the future for our students is a very exciting time for us. So that's going to that survey is open until the 14th. Please take a moment to answer that survey, fill out your thoughts, opinions, feedback that we can take and really utilize for our work of putting a great strategic plan together later this spring. So, more to come on
007that with the dates will be sent out for those town hall meetings once we confirm those for the strategic team tomorrow. Then we'll start to advertise those throughout the community as well. Uh on the curriculum instruction front, a lot going on. So, we're excited to continue the work for curriculum mapping here at Taco. We started earlier this year conference day. Uh something that we developed as this very strong need that we wanted to make sure that we had really clearly defined and articulated K12 curriculums. uh then also to develop outward facing maps that we share with our parents and community so they know what's happening in our classrooms and create that transparent education. Uh so we're using the Atlas program and very excited that that work is going to continue. Our new interim director of
008technology curriculum instruction technology we very familiar and she joined us right before the break but her as our interim and she's already partnering with our building leaders like myself and we're moving forward with that and we look forward to Wednesday's in service to talk more with our middle school high school staff and is having her first two hour session. She's already been in the buildings working with teachers surveying some of the literacy and UDL at Codle and she'll be working with our teachers Wednesday of her work and support professional development for our teachers. A little update on the website migration. So that was something I talked about earlier this year. It's been delayed. I apologize for that. So with some unexpected challenges with resignation and some other transition issues with the legal platform, we're moving
009forward with that. I've been working with one of our parents who's a godended technology and getting some of her recommendations feedback and working well with company. So we're hoping that moves forward very quickly. Uh try to set the goal for the end of this month. I'm working with a Zoom meeting with the company tomorrow to see how we can expedite that. We have some drafts and models. It'll be a great addition, but uh want to give an update. It has been a little delayed unfortunately just unpristine expertise and needs that we did uh didn't anticipate, but we're hopefully to to get that moving very quickly and uh with a fresh pilot on our district website and get that moving forward. Uh last but not least, excited to have a lot of budget talks and discussions
010with the board and the community later this month, our next budget workshop. uh the board meeting on January 20th focus on budget process highlighting a lot of the uh the financial landscape that we'll be facing this year looking at some of the preliminary numbers released from the state education department uh looking at the tax cap cap levy numbers walking through the different timelines and detailed process step by step of how we'll put our budget together for this year to make sure that we have a great spending spending plan in place for next year excuse me that really supports needs and enhances programs for 2016. So, I'm excited about that and working with all of our teachers and administrators to put that plan together and parks as well. So, and also on the agenda today, I
011just wanted to put a kudos and thank you to our generous donor, we have a anonymous donor that put a very generous $10,000 donation to go towards student academic endeavors visiting colleges as they prep. So, thank you to that donor who's done so the Happy new year to everyone. Um, as we begin the new year, I just want to take a moment to recognize our facility staff who spent the break working to address building needs, facility needs um, throughout the campus. I also want to share a quick update for our community. This week we will be releasing the 20 2627 UPK application. Um and we will also be releasing some information um important information for resident families of non-public school students such as non-public school transportation and the textbook loan program. So that will be
012forthcoming. >> Thank you. And that will all be on the website. >> It'll all be on the website. Yes. And like front and center so people Thank you. I appreciate that. Um, and yes, thank you to the custodians for all the work you did um, cleaning up the school during the school during the uh, winter break. It's much appreciated. Um, okay. Comments from community partners everyone. Happy new year. Uh, a bunch of things coming up later this month from the PTA. Um, and our exciting um brand new heartto-he heart dance which is for our third through fifth graders. Um they get to select a special adult in their lives to be their date for the dance. Um so it can be a parent, grandparent, relative, you know, neighbor. As long as somebody is 18 or
013older, they can uh be their date to the dance. Um that's going to be held here at the high school gym because we thought that would be number one, it gives us a little bit more space to have three grades. Um and just be a little bit more special to get to come up to the high school and you know for those who haven't seen it you know we'll we'll sort of um make that look really special. So Hearttoart on January 23rd that's a Friday 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Um and I thank all of our athletics for vacating the gym for a few hours for us. It was kind of hard to to find that time with all the great uh sports going on um this time of year. Uh the next day we have
014our Westchester Knicks game at the county center. So that is a fundraiser. Um really, you know, like low cost, really fun community event, but it does give us a little bit of a boost. Um so that's that's kind of something fun to to look out for. It's our men's club that's actually um organizing that and putting it on. Uh the tickets uh link will be um information about that'll be coming out probably later this week. Um on January 26th, wellness week kicks off um mainly down at Codle and there's a lot of activities that'll be planned for the kids throughout the week like a little grid that goes out that they can do different wellness activities throughout the week. But a couple of things I want to make sure parents know about. Um on Tuesday
015the 27th, we're holding a webinar called the family table reset. Um there's an expert who's a she's a a staff a cook but she talks very much about how cooking and eating together is an you know you can connect right it's really about connecting um and this kind of spoke to me uh very specifically and which is why I talked to our health and safety committee and said I really would love for this woman to speak to our community. The family table reset is all about how to not be a short order cook anymore. That if one likes chicken and the other one likes pork and the other one likes beef and you're not making thing every single night for them. I don't know how I got into that craziness um where I was making
016multiple meals per night, but um as of uh as of January 27th, that's not going to happen anymore. Um anyway, so that's a webinar so that busy parents can tune in from wherever they might be to learn about that and learn about how how to connect over the dinner table instead of fighting over things. Um and then on the 31st, which is Saturday night that week for wellness week, it's going to um cap off with um Uh what was it called? Uh no limit ninja. It's a parent night. It's a it's a parent night out because you get to drop your kids off for two hours at the No Limit Ninja in Yonkers and then you can just go and do whatever you want for two hours. Maybe you're going to hang out with your
017spouse or partner, get together with some friends, whatever you want to do. But um that's something for the kids to do and then the parents can have a couple hours off. Um let's see what else am I forgetting? Anything? Ladies Night Bingo um is actually Friday the 30th. It's going to be at the Scarsdale American Legion. Um so look out for tickets for that. That's always a very hot ticket. So um be on the lookout for that one to open up. Um and then I also just wanted to make sure that everybody has the spring social on their radar. That's not till April, but it is earlier this year. Um last year it was such a great successful event that we we knew that there were some conflicts or we heard that there were some
018conflicts with first communions and other kind of that in May. So, we try we're doing it a little bit earlier this year to try to um be able to accommodate people's schedule. So, that's Friday, April 17th at Wiggill. And I think that is it for now. Oh, the one other thing that I wanted to mention that uh the PCA is working with SEPTA and with the Toko Athletic Council. Nothing is set in stone yet. So, if it doesn't happen, then don't quote me on it. But I did want to put it out there since it'll happen on um February 2nd, which we're not going to meet again or I'm not going to be able to address you again until after that. But we're going to try something called 24 for Tahoe, which is a little
019fundraiser that will send out something and then we will split the proceeds three ways. Um it's a way for us to be able to boost the SEPTA, especially since they're brand new, and also our Tahoe athletic council, which is doing such an amazing job. away really for us to educate the community about all three of us. I think sometimes there's confusion over who's doing what. And I'm not at all thinking that people are going to still understand it after this, but just knowing that there are three organizations working together. Um we're hoping that that will kind of galvanize everybody and um and maybe help them kick in a little bit. Um so again, it'll be 24. I think it's going to be on February 2nd. Um look out for more information on that. That's it.
020Now we have our first audience. Um, and just to remind everybody, the board of education allows for public participation at its regular monthly meetings. The first recognition of the audience period is reserved for comments or questions related specifically to items on the current public meeting agenda. Each speaker is permitted one opportunity to speak for up to three minutes. Responses from the board or superintendent may be provided later in the meeting during the board of education or superintendent comment section or may be followed up at a later date as needed. The board and the superintendent will not engage in back and forth dialogue during the public comment and question portion of the agenda. Anybody for first recognition for agenda items only? Okay. Um now we're up to the consent agenda. Approve a consent agenda. Resolve that
021the board of education of the TCO Unifree School District approve consent agenda items 2 through 4. Do I move second? All in favor of the board. Uh, approve, sorry, approve budget transfers. Resolve that the board of education of the Tahoe School District approve the attached budget transfers. Second, all in favor accept donation. Whereas the Tahoe Union Free School District has been informed of a donation to be made to the district from an anonymous donor. And whereas the district would like to accept such a donation, it is hereby resolved to accept the donation from an anonymous donor in the amount of $10,000 towards the Tahoe High School principal fund with the designation of college campus visits, uh, SAT, ACT prep program support, and expenses that arise from them. The funds will be allocated to budget code
022CM738 TE37. This generous donation is greatly app. It is truly um such a gift. Thank you so much to our anonymous donor. Do I have a motion? Scott P. All in favor approve a transportation service agreement. resolved that the board of education of the Tuahoo Unifiary School District approves Saddle River Tours LLC to provide transportation services for the varsity boys basketball team from January 16, 2026 through January 18th, 2026 at amount not to exceed $2,150. Do I have a motion? Scott second. Any discussion? All in favor? Amendment agreement. Resolve that the board of education of the Tahoe Unifree School District hereby amends resolution G8 from the meeting dated August 20th, 2025 to reflect an amount not to exceed $1,800. Do I have a motion? Second, Joel. Any discussion? All in favor? Personnel recommendations resolved that
023the board of educa uh yeah resolved that the board of education of Tahoe school district approve personnel recommendations A through do I have a motion second Joel any discussion all in favor okay second recognition of the audience the board of education allows for public participation at its regular monthly meetings. The second res uh recognition of audience period is reserved for comments not associated with the current public meeting agenda. Each speaker is permitted one opportunity to speak for up to three minutes. Board response may be provided later in the meeting during the board comments or by the administration at a later date as appropriate. Responses from the board or the superintendent may be provided later in the meeting. Did I say that? Sorry. Um may be provided later in the meeting during the board or superintendent
024conversions may be followed up to a later date as needed. The board and the superintendent will not engage in back and forth dialogue during the public comment and enforcement of the agenda. Anyone for um recognition of the state your name and addresses. >> Good evening. My name is Kevin Lanigan. I reside at 120 Main Street, apartment B. Just want to say thank you and happy new year to everybody here first off and I'm here to talk about the recently passed or amended uh real property tax law. And what I'm talking about here is section 8- subdivision 11. This amends authorize local taxing jurisdictions to opt in provided a meaningful property tax exemption for the primary residents of our community's most seriously disabled veterans. The challenge is that this board, the village of Tahoe, Westchester, town
025of Eastchester, all have to opt in. I have been in contact with some people in the mayor of the village of Toko and I've gotten a lot of great responses from people and who qualifies for this would be 100% permanent and total veterans also would be veterans that are considered individually unemployable by the Veterans Administration. So I request that you make a resolution on this subject and put this on the agenda. I am more than happy to discuss this further at any point in time. This is a thing we need to do to honor our excellence and I think uh Chuck has done a great job of that. Thank you. >> And We're up to board comments. Um, I'm going first. I just want to say thank you for your service. Um, and um, we
026do receive your email regarding this. And I did ask um, our attorney, our business official, and superintendent to look into it further for us. Um, once we get all the information, we will um, make a decision whether or not we all support it. It is to opt in for you. You want to speak a little bit about >> Yes. So, um it is an amendment to the alternative veterans exemption that allows for a 100% exemption. So, they would be um for 100 veterans that are 100% disabled, there's certain um criteria for that 100% disa disability. Um they would get a % exemption from taxes. So they would essentially be completely tax free. >> We did something two years ago, right, with the veterans. >> Yes, we did. That wasn't around it. Um that wasn't around.
027that did have some levels um for certain veterans, but there w it was just signed into law that um certain veterans that are 100% disabled um you know as per the law would get a 100% exemption which is a full exemption to taxes. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's different. It it adds it's like adding on to that this this um special amendment. >> We can make our own determination. Not everyone has that. Not everyone has to opt in and it's it's by jurisdiction. So, um we would have to opt in, but if the town doesn't opt in, then the town tax would not be exempt. The school tax would. So, every jurisdiction has to opt into this. >> Okay. Superintendent. >> Great. Thank you, President. A few quick uh I wanted to to highlight and thank
028the board for approving the leadership statement for Mr. Yellow, our custodian in charge, going to take on additional duties here at the district, helping to coordinate a lot of the custodial facilities uh needs of the district working and myself. So kudos is a great asset to our current team. We know he's going to really support us in terms of taking on these additional leadership coordination duties with this type. So thank you to the board and congratulations Mr. Zerlo. I also wanted just to point out that the National Junior Honor Society positions have been filled. That was a question we were looking for advisors. Miss Hopkins has taken the position and Mr. Colano is going to be supporting her. he's done in the past and kind of providing some of that leadership and guidance to make
029sure that runs traditionally has a great experience. So, thank you for Hopkins and Mr. for agree to take on those roles and thank you again for your service and we are definitely we've already reached out to the county to to pull the data that we need to to the board and so they can make appropriate decision on the impact of any exception whether it's veterans or other exemptions that they proposed. But again, Taco added value to our veterans and can't thank you enough for your service. >> Okay. Um so now we are at the point to adjourn the meeting. Can I have a motion to adjourn the meeting? Joel second. All in favor? >> That's it. Have a good night everybody.