Haldane Board of Education - May 19, 2026

001Um So, welcome everybody to the Haldane Board of Ed Hilton workshop meeting on May 19th, 2026. Today is also the annual district meeting and budget vote, SD election, and so we'll be getting those results later on this evening. Uh I'm calling the meeting to order. Please stand for the pledge. All right. 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 for all. Um All right. So, um We're going to When did we convene you? First. Oh, first thing, right? And I'm going to do this. Yeah. All right. So, our clerk is working the election, so I am going to propose the following resolution. Be it resolved that, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools,

002the Board of Education hereby appoints Maggie Valentine, Board Vice President, to serve as clerk pro tem for this meeting. May we have a motion, please? I move. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Oh, I should have done that first. All right. All right. Um President Kevin? Here. Trustee Clementson? Here. Trustee Capper? Here. And Trustee Mazzella? Here. And I guess Vice President Valentine is here. And so, may we have the resolution for the approval of the agenda? Be it resolved that, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools, the Board of Education hereby approves the agenda as written. All those in favor? Aye. Oh. oh, sorry. May we have a motion, please? So moved. Second. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Um, I was looking down and thinking about two things at once.

003Um, so, it's the end of the year. There are a lot of awards um, ceremonies and last night was the academic awards ceremony, which was really delightful. And in the coming days, we have the arts and athletics uh, awards. Um, but I'm actually going to take another opportunity to thank Dr. Duffy, Maggie, um, with the board support and Phil Benante for nominating me for the award that I won a couple of weeks ago, which was the Mid-Hudson School Study Council Award for Excellence in Board Service. Um, I was really touched and um, it may not come as a surprise to many people, but I have not won many awards in my life. I'm not a big award winner. I think one of my strengths is really to be a team member, sort of working behind

004the scenes, and it meant a lot to me. Um, but just as much as the award meant to me, I really loved the ceremony. And so, I'm going to talk, I'm going to take an opportunity to talk a little bit about the award ceremony. Um, so, this ceremony was another reminder of what a big, complex endeavor public education is. How so many different people give so much of themselves to support it. I think we all know that the public education system isn't perfect and Haldane isn't perfect, but there are so many people working so hard to address all of the issues that we as a society want public education to address and solve. And that being at the awards ceremony was a real reminder of that. The district leaders won awards, community volunteers won awards,

005board members won awards. There were three women who had each worked 50 years at their respective school district. I mean, and then to round it out, there was this big group of teachers who won awards, and they covered the full range of grades and subjects. I mean, these were all clearly people who were beloved by their districts and skilled professionals. And it just I like awards ceremonies because it gives you a chance to see, again, just the breadth of and, you know, that kind of makes award ceremonies another example, but just the breadth of of students and people who come together to do this collaborative work in public education. And I I love the ceremonies. Dr. Jenny Ken attest cuz I would not shut up afterwards. Yeah. So, anyway, thank you. Yes, thank you. >>

006You all deserve Um, and then our next meeting is going to be a business meeting on Tuesday, June 2nd, here in the middle school high school library. Um, and at our usual time, 7:00. So, those are the comments from me. Dr. Duffy? Yes, thank you. So, May is a month of celebration here in Hal Day, and we have just so much to be grateful for and so much to be proud of. Uh, we rounded out our spring concerts last week with elementary and middle school. Again, it was amazing just to see our students shine on the stage. We had academic awards, as Peggy just mentioned, last night. Uh, Thursday night is the Arts Alliance Awards. And what I shared with the students last night, it'll be similar probably Thursday night. And just in awe of

007how small our community is, but how amazing an individual each individual student is, the gifts they bring. You could tell last night just the many accomplishments and that's only the beginning. So, we just have so much to be proud of our school community and it was a wonderful event and I know Thursday night's event will be just as wonderful. Um we also have elementary field days this week. So, we were able to get in fourth and fifth grade before the heat. And then we were very smart to put a pause on the rest of the week and we're going to continue them on Thursday, Friday. So, we're looking forward to that. And it's a lot of fun to see the kids out just on the turf field playing. And then we have some high school

008volunteers who are actually running each station. So, again it's just wonderful way. The kids are so excited to be outside and this is like learning but in a different way. I go, "Yes, go play and play as a team and cooperate and collaborate." So, it's been a lot of fun to kind of watch them do that which has been nice. This is the the district art show. Did everyone here have a chance to go visit? Wow. Wow, right? So, thank you to our teachers Allison and Angela. Again, I'm in awe pre-K through 12. All different students were acknowledged. Um as I was talking with some of the teachers and some of the students, I'm hearing that a lot of their personalities are coming through on their artwork. So, if you know a certain child and

009then you see their their diorama or their figurine or their painting, it's really wonderful. Art is such it's another way for our students to be able to express themselves. So, well done for all of our students and our teachers with the art show. It's been amazing. Um elementary kicked off their ABCs to summer. So, great fun. I think I saw some cups today and different things going on. So, I know our students had the chance couple of weeks ago to sit in on student council as the students were kind of fine tuning and tweaking the schedule and it was a lot of fun just to hear their thoughts. So, this is a big event at the elementary school. So, a fun way to kind of kick off the end of the school year. Um and

010then last but not least, we've had a hot few days as we all know and so I David David and I have been walking around the halls getting into classrooms to just check on teachers, check on students, just check the temperature of the building. So, we're mindful of the heat. We have no control of the heat, but we do have air conditioning in place and fans for rooms that don't have AC. So, so far, so good. The heat should break, hopefully, in another day, and then we'll be back to you the typical end of the school year with temperature. But, so far, so good and our athletic uh teams are finishing out strong for the season. Some uh sports are still playing, so we're looking forward to in a couple weeks having the athletic awards

011event, which is not till the beginning of June, but between now and the end of the school year, there's just so much to celebrate and we look forward to taking time to do that with you guys. All right. So, we are going to move to our workshop presentations. We have two. This is great. Looking forward to both of these. So, start with the elementary school visit term range um and detail report with Christine Damon. So, as we're getting set up, in case you forgot what I Just waiting for February, right? Yeah. Yeah. It's been a bit of time since we had the board visit. Um but, as Christine is getting set up, I just want to thank her and our staff. It was a wonderful visit. And again, we're blessed to have such strong instructional

012leaders in all of our We're going to highlight tonight a lot of great things and talk about steps moving forward in all things elementary. I did receive my own little pamphlet. Um so, these are the pamphlets that you guys had when you came to visit many moons ago back in February, but then our original presentation got snowed out. And then, I had a family funeral, unfortunately, so I appreciate your patience in rescheduling, but here we are in May to talk about the February board visit and the detail report for elementary. So, uh putting a little picture of uh this time last year we were voting on the budget which included some updates for pre-K which included the updates to the playground. Our beloved fire truck didn't get our insurance approval for continued use and we

013replaced it with a new play structure that was rated ages 2 through 12 to make sure that our new pre-K students had safe equipment. So, whether that wall meets my definition, that is rated for ages 2 through 12 and they love it and they are very safe on it. So, thank you for your support in this. Our timeline for UPK, back when we were going to hear about this in February, this was the beginning but now we're actually towards the end of our timeline for UPK in our second year. So, we had our family information night, our registration opened. Ms. Watkins helped the families all register and make sure they were good to go for the pre-K lottery. Just before spring break, we held our lottery and we have our 18 students who have accepted

014their spots into pre-K. We had 11 on the wait list, we still have eight on the wait list at this time after families who were accepted evaluated whether they could actually attend or not and then we were able to move some families off the wait list and then some who were on the wait list have asked us not to continue them on the wait list because they're just going to enroll in a different program. So, we do still have eight on the wait list at this point. Last week was the meet the teacher where the families got to come in, see the classroom that they're accepted into. The The family orientation is run by myself and it's more of a general overview, how does this work, what is pre-K like so that families can decide

015whether it's the right match for them and then the meet the teachers for the families that have gotten in, they're accepted their placement, we anticipate them attending in September. So, then they get to meet the teacher, see the classroom in its, you know, regular workings, hear about what's going on And then next week we actually have the pre-K students coming in for a get-to-know-you with the teacher where they come, they spend an hour in the classroom doing activities, and they get to meet the teacher. And then this summer we'll have uh a reading hour with me, a student orientation, and help our pre-K students really get ready to start in September. Um so some of these were things that were coming up. Uh they'll have their screenings for kindergarten. We do the the screenings now

016at this time to help us with class placement with pre-K. We don't need to put them through that right this moment. Those 18 are our 18, and that's the class, you know, we try to balance kindergarten classes a bit so that that information is important earlier than going into the pre-K. We do the pre-K screenings, and they're required by December 1st. We did them in October and November last year to make sure that the kids were settled in, they were comfortable, they had uh a good understanding of school, and we weren't throwing them into those screenings, you know, day one of of school cuz for some of our pre-K students it's their first time in a school environment. Uh so this year we did the screenings. We used the Brigance Early Screener. We were able

017to report that to families. Uh we've set up reading buddies with our first graders, which I mean, pre-K is pretty cute, but the first graders reading books to pre-K, there's the It's hard to beat that in cuteness. Um they've been included in all of our school assemblies and our performances. They got to have a little cameo in the school performance of Nemo in January. Um the Miss Moller, our teacher, is participating in the reading PDs that we're offering to make sure that we like Benchmark uh has a pre-K component, so we have that. We also have uh Youth Light does not have That's our phonics. They don't have a pre-K from point, but being trained in it and knowing those important skills that will be introduced in kindergarten allow her to make sure that she's

018introducing letters and introducing sounds to them in a way that will prepare them for kindergarten. Um barriers that we're hearing from families cuz I think that's important for us as a administrative and board to just keep in mind is some of our families are not able to participate in pre-K because we don't offer transportation. Um the 5-hour programming and the fact that the day is shorter, so they start at 9:00 and go till 2:00. Um and the fact that after-hours care is not available through any of our regular providers is a barrier that then leads families to need to enroll their children in an outside community-based organization. And right now, none of those community-based organizations have agreed to partner with us where we could supplement the cost with the aid that the state gives us

019and reduce those costs for families. There's a possibility, you know, each year I'm hopeful. We had one center that was interested last year and at the last minute backed out. That happened again this year where they were close and then just their numbers and five funding weren't able to make it feasible for them. But if the budget goes through and that funding increases, that's beneficial to us as a school district, but it also may push things over for our community-based organizations where they're able to then make it financially viable for them to offer us some spaces. And what that does, it means we have our 18 spots, but we're actually funded for up to 42 spots. So we could have our 18 here and then offer supplemental aid to families that enroll in outside organizations,

020too. So that would help with the families for which those three things are real difficulties. And you know, on my on a personal note, like that's what my child had. Like, you know, I'm here too early and too late for her to have participated in the Beacon Pre-K program. So, she did community-based program. Um if she hadn't, I would have just had her in school enrolled in that same Pre-K program, but it would have been all out of pocket. My older daughter didn't make the lottery, so it was just all out of my pocket. You know, so those are the things that, you know, every family and every school district is working through these same kinds of things. One of the things that, um we knew going into it that we didn't have, but we

021had to work through this year was we didn't have a Pre-K report card. And we didn't want the Pre-K report card to be We wanted it to be informative for families and for them to get useful data on their kids, but we also really wanted it to be Pre-K. So, there's important things there. So, our Pre-K report card has two sides. Uh it has one side that's the piece that you can see on this uh on the left where it's got some pictures and some social skills and things that kids should be aware of how they're progressing. And so, it's uh developed in a way that parents can show it to their child and talk to them, "Oh, sharing is really difficult still. Oh, that is a hard skill. What can we do?" and have

022those conversations with their child. And then the backside has some of those skills that they're working on. How are they doing with their numbers? How are they doing with their letters? And just to make sure that the families have that data on their child. Um so, over the year we've made sure that as the curriculum is incorporating those important skills, we're adjusting the report report card um so that it reports that to families in a useful way. With transitions to kindergarten, we've been having data team meetings with our kindergarten teachers, with our PPS department to make sure these are kids that we now know a lot better than um than kids are just regularly transitioning into kindergarten to make sure that we have good information to give on to the to the teachers as well,

023and to hold those data team meetings that we have for kindergarten through fifth, uh creating a way that we can also have that for pre-K. I think that's our last um pre-K questions. Thoughts, comments pre-K? I I do. I And I should probably not have answered that. That's all right. But what determines that our pre-K program is only 5 hours, and that which then makes transportation impossible cuz it's wouldn't be cost >> So, transportation is tricky on two fronts. Um the state funds a 5-hour program. That's what they That's what I thought, yes. You have the option to extend it, but then It's just >> We are still We still have a district teacher, so you have contractual things of like, all right, how are we getting them an hour lunch when lunch needs to

024be um manned by a teacher according to the regulations for pre-K that are different than the school-age programs. We also have preps, which need to have them teacher in an aide if our teachers on their prep. So, right now we do it so that they're We have a special block, and we have their lunch that that up together to make sure that we're meeting our contractual requirements for our teachers' lunchtime. And then their dismissal two gives that teacher her prep period at the end of the day. So, we could expand it, but it would require some different structures. Um and then an an additional commitment from the district beyond what the state is uh funding is is. The other barrier for transportation is even if our program ran on the same hours as the elementary

025school, if we at some point get a community-based organization, if we transport kids here, we have to transport them there. And we've opened that, you know, that community-based organization doesn't have to be in Palatine's school district zone. So, if we open up transportation at all, you have to open it up 100% and there's a balance there that when we were considering it, if we got just throwing it if but if we got a a daycare in Beacon that had slots and was willing to work with us and said, "We have five seats." We could do that with you. The benefit to families of having a full day program with after school care but I don't know that we could transport there with the driver and bussing and other things that we have going on. So,

026transportation has a few different things that would become barriers. Running a 9-hour 9-hour a full day program would just be more of a like what are we funding and what are we committing to uh right now not mandating program. Um and the after school care has a barrier in that like um there's the time of it, right? So, there's the two to three gap. But, even if the rec is willing to do a program and we figured that out, they can't combine pre-K age kids with school aged children. So, they would have to open a whole separate after after care program which most of them aren't Well, nobody's been willing to do. So, we're still hoping to partner with Healthy Kids after school next year. They we partnered with them this year, but the enrollment

027was not sufficient. They only had one child I wonder what happened with that. Yeah. Next year there seems to be a greater interest, so we're hoping it actually gets off the ground um and it seems likely based on the families that have reached out to them that that will be the case. But, for them too, they'd have if they accept pre-K like even if we could say they could use the pre-K room and run a program from two to three in there for after school care, they would need to hire a separate teacher just for pre-K and then another run another room for K through 5, which this year we didn't even have enough enrollment in the program to run it overall, much less for two staff members. So, each of these things has sort

028of a layered complexity. I have a question. I know that it would be largely anecdotal for us since it's a new program, but do you have a sense or just regionally if pre-K programs in schools have led to identifying more students for early intervention? Does it become a pathway for students who may parents who may not have been aware I don't know anecdotally. I think the students that have needed a greater level of early intervention came to us with that already identified through the county, but it has given us sort of like a head start on a couple of kids of like, all right, wait, there's something academic there. Is that a learning disability? Is it that they weren't in school, you know, they weren't in a preschool program, and this is their first exposure,

029and it's just taking them time, but it's at least given us a greater awareness of like, okay, this child may need so that they're on our radar for for September 1 versus you know, getting to know them in September. And really having good data cuz when we go to the preschools outside of us, like, you know, they collect data and they have reports, but uh you know, we don't always get we get their anecdotal information and all of that. So, this year on those 18 kids, we have really solid set of full assessment data or or plus observations. And at some point, I forget the exact date, and it might be more birthday related. Erin might be able to answer the question a little bit later, but at some point their assessments switch over to

030not being county assessments, but our providers. So, for a couple of our kids where we needed more information, we didn't have to then go search for a speech person or you know because in the fall there's still county services but by March April most of them have hit the birthday requirement or the time requirement that then our speech or our OT or our school psychologist can do the assessment which then is extra beneficial because that person is then going to be the person that if they need that service they're working with them the next year so. And you had I we we collectively knew the rationale behind the 5-hour program. I had forgotten so thanks for reminding me. >> Yes, right. That it's that the 5-hour program allows that class for the teacher to receive

031her important contractually obligated work. Um times including that prep time doing it the end of the day instead of needing coverage for her day. Right. Right, we have to get another teacher to then do an extra assignment in the middle of the day to give her her prep and be structured into her day. Or to structure our lunch recess specials in a different way. I will say having visited you know cuz we personally have been in that classroom. Um and it was formerly Mrs. Hawker's classroom so we you know You were familiar with >> already had a very intimate relationship with it but it was really lovely to see them in the school and Taylor actively working. Yeah. It was like already part of the community and Yeah. And we had our kindergarten orientations and

032get to know yous too so those have happened so now we're integrating both the children from the internal pre-K plus anybody outside who was at one of the community-based organizations or home so we had our first one last not this Yes. This past week and then the next one is on the 28th and that's where we bring all of them together. So, that's great, too. All right, our literacy work. So, um U-Fly, you know, this is our third year using it in kindergarten. Uh it's our second year of using it in first and second grade. We're also using it in third grade for like the first half of the year cuz it gets to a part where they make um some more complex word work at the end, so that's like a beginning of third

033grade uh skill. Right now, we're continuing to get excellent results, which um Josh had presented to you in the data report, um where our kids are making excellent progress and uh exceeding the recommendations for like how many of your kids should reach this level. We're getting uh results that are above that. Um and even for those students who are not, we're getting good data on what's getting in their way and able to set up academic intervention for them and small group intervention with them with their teachers, which is great. Um we're seeing positive impacts on their reading, their decoding, and their encoding, um and we're really happy with the program, uh its usability for teachers, its impact for students. All that's going really well. Um we had uh K through two teachers have all gone

034to a U-Fly run professional development this year. They were supposed to have one this spring that they were going to run virtually and our third grade was going to go, um but it didn't occur, so we'll have them go in the fall. For Benchmark, this year has been our familiarity building and knowledge building for our teachers and that this year, so um in the way that we worked out our purchase of materials, we were able to have them send this year's materials to us at no cost, um because we were committing to a contract in addition, which allowed our teachers to really look at the teacher manuals, look at the materials that were coming for student for the students, um get professional development, have some release time to write units, and then uh implement those

035units on a you know, on a I can't think the word, but they were able to implement them uh this year to trial them, see what was going on, and make sure that they were really building their knowledge so that next year we're in when we're in full implementation, they're starting off day one with a solid foundation of how the program works, where the resources are, what, you know, where to find everything, and really really implement it effectively. The part of the reason we did it was Benchmark, so uh we were working with the Reading League 2 years ago to make sure that our teachers were up to date on science of reading and have all of those understandings under their belts of which practices we really want to continue, which should be eliminated, and

036a big part of what they discussed is the fact that uh reading comprehension, which is the big circle over um the right, comes from both word recognition and uh language comprehension. So, you can have all the decoding you want, but if your knowledge of words and background knowledge isn't there, you're just reading a sentence that doesn't make sense. And Benchmark, we have the it comes with all of these little magazines, some of them are non-fiction, some of them are fiction. Looks like the one that they're reading right there is a fiction one. Um but it builds units that over K through 5 uh repeat in genre, so there's, you know, a life science unit. It has slightly different topics, but then there's a, you know, a history unit. And so the non-fiction readings and the

037fiction readings that are going along with that really make sure that our kids are getting a solid background knowledge on a wide range of subjects so that then when they decode a word, they also have the background knowledge to determine what the meaning of that word is, so that we're getting good reading comprehension as the end result. So, we the teachers are feeling really good about the selection of the resource. They are feeling really comfortable. We're going to have some summer curriculum work hours to support their continued work to just make sure we're in a good spot for September. But, we're excited about how the Benchmark with the UFLI is uh producing good work for our children. So, this is some of what I just said. All the grade levels they child materials and unit

038components. They plan the lessons and units with Dr. Weinberg, who is the one we contract work with for professional development through Southern Westchester BOCES. Uh this says have they they have upcoming planning and planning and PD prior to superintendent's conference day. They did do that, and they've had another day of uh professional development since then. And then, uh the K-2 and AIS went to the UFLI. Positive, we are under budget for our uh proposal, which is nice because we entered a 5-year contract, and then we got that 6th year at no cost. Uh the anticipated budget that Catherine and I had created for what the program would need over the next 5 years, we're going to have paid for the child materials for this year and the 5 years by the end with the money

039we budgeted for each year by the end of next year. And then, we'll be able to look at what that does and what we can do with it, whether it's other textbooks and resources for maybe there's high school or middle school classes that need that textbook money, or are we reallocating it? But, coming in under budget is a nice bonus, too, and unanticipated. Any questions? Literacy. We just um one of the interesting things that we talked about after our visit just had to do just comparing the teachers college method and the science of reading and you know given that we know that there's some shortcomings to the TC method we were talking about where the scores where the reading scores low and your point to that was your response was not really because the teachers

040were aware of what the shortcomings were and we're already kind of offsetting so when we look at the results of the science of reading curriculum once it's implemented for a year or two and Josh does his presentation on scores we shouldn't really expect to see some giant leap in scores. >> Yeah it's you know it's a tricky thing when you're a high achieving district because you can sort of become complacent say our kids are learning look our scores are good our test scores and the LA scores are good what happens when you have a really solid curriculum is it makes sure that those kids that maybe were struggling then get better intervention and hopefully they're closing that gap sooner or giving them better instructions that they're at least if they're not closing the gap they're

041at least making good progress from where they started to that next level and you're making sure that the instruction is doing that there you know there are some students that I could do nothing you know I I mean I was a teacher if there I had students that if I just said here's the textbook and did absolutely nothing they would be getting a 98 on the final even if I slept through the day right but that's not what we're right right the point the point to get we want them to get more out of it than that and engaged in learning and having more fun in what they're learning and really enjoying the experience which they would not get if they don't have great instruction. Right they're getting good instruction regardless but it just kind

042of makes more official these methods that the teachers were doing anyway let's put it into the curriculum and the official curriculum. And it makes it a more structured intervention when you have that structure. Can I just say when you're getting ready to make this transition to Benchmark, you know, to like well our teachers are finally learning a lot about the science of reading and one of the things that's happening now is they're having to pull from all these different places to fill the gaps of what Because he didn't offer. Yeah. We started so my first year was COVID, the next year was still COVID. It was probably the end of that second year, beginning of the following year that a lot of the research was really coming out and our teachers were attending professional development

043that was highlighting like, hey, these practices are not helping your kids grow as much as you need them to. And because we had teachers that were really invested in reading instruction and we're going to those professional developments and hearing that bringing it back and doing ASSDs and working with our the teach you know, so three or four would go to the professional development, but they would come back and say, we need to fix this. This is a gap, right? And so we started pulling from all different things, but that meant that kindergarten was using UFLI earlier. Second and third were using a different phonics program to make sure that our phonics instruction didn't have the three queuing and the different things that within phonics instruction were not showing growth, but that meant that then, you

044know, kindergarten was UFLI and somebody else was doing something else and they're quality programs, but you don't get that common thread and common language. Um the a reading conference is part of the TC curriculum and just saying, all right, here's independent reading and then I'm going to confer with you about your book and your your book. It has a lot of it seems really nice when it's like, okay, everybody's going to choose what they're reading, but it wasn't showing that kids were growing in their reading. So we had shifted away from that even before we officially moved away from TC, but it meant that one teacher was doing their small group instruction one way and one was using a different cuz we were looking for what would make the biggest impact. Adopting something that formalizes

045it then when using the same notation process for text K-3 5. You're using the same language. You're using uh you know uh routines and structures that are similar so that you're not having to spend so much time reteaching those things every year. Yeah. Yeah, now I mean I think that it it's you know, there there could be theoretically an argument for making the change, right? And and I've really appreciated the way that this has happened because teachers have really had the chance to to to buy in and to not seeing a a a lot of felt disruption. So then my question So then my question at this point is do you still like given that there was this readiness for change and there is and you know, an intellectual preparedness for making this change, do

046you think it was still good to have I mean I know what I think the answer might be but are you so glad you had the sort of like gradual introduction year? >> I am because our data was showing that what we were doing was still good for kids, right? If I had felt or the teachers we if if our data was showing like what we're doing is harming children in their learning to read, we would have said we need this immediately. Got it. But we had adjusted, it just wasn't easy to pull from all the different sources. The teachers were having to create each unit. Every grade level was spending so much time saying, all right, the TC unit isn't great in these ways. Let's like plan it out together. Whereas then when you

047have a resource that has that, then you're differentiating, you're maybe adjusting for the kid that's struggling in your class, but you're not creating the initial materials too, which is then two lifts or even more. Um but this has made it so that then what we were doing was good. This is even better and then they're going to be able to really use it. And some of the grade levels, quite honestly, at this point are just using Benchmark from here till the end of the year because they feel comfortable with it. And then some of them are like, "All right, like I'm feeling really good about it, but I need a little bit more time, but they're still do having, you know, good solid instruction in the classroom. So Thanks. Good. That's That was very helpful.

048Yeah. Just saying, just so I'm following correctly, but we are >> [clears throat] >> we are asking our UPK teacher to manipulate a little bit UFly. So Benchmark has a UPK program that includes literacy, phonics, social studies, science, and all of the other. So she's using that. >> Yeah. Mhm. Okay. But UFly, we've had her participate in the trainings to make sure that she continues She's participated even though the um training on Benchmark has focused a lot on like the K-5, she spent some time with the uh professional developer on her own to work on the pre-K. Um but then she's attended the broader K-5 PD anyway just to make sure that she's building her awareness of what does UFly UFly look in like in kindergarten? What does Benchmark shift to because it shifts from

049a universal uh re- uh resource to just the ELA resource. So that way she's aware of like what does it look like when they get there? Um but she's using Benchmark um and Eureka Eureka actually has a pre-K math component. So she has the Benchmark math resources and the Eureka math pre-K resources to pull from for math. And that's building that I I hate to use the word data set, but that's kind of that's that backside of that report card, which is really being used. And And we had asked about this. Like it's not like, you know, we had asked, "Hey, you know, one of the things which we would be able to seek is our peak our UPK students would be we would feel would be better prepared within our curriculum by the time

050they're kindergarteners, right? So, as we kind of put them on that track. Okay. And it it sounds like the structures are there. Okay. And you'll be able and at least you'll be able to kind of analyze that. Yeah, and the kids that are struggling, we have a good understanding of what what they're struggling with. Right. With the early interventions and that part. And you fly it's not it's not a bad thing that you like pre-K they just aren't building decoding strategies yet, right? They're still building letter awareness, sound awareness. So, you fly is really a phonics program. Right. Um Benchmark has that foundational skills that then can be used to phonics. But, you know, if they're coming in you know, sometimes kid comes in with two letters. None of our pre-K kids are coming in

051You know, so that's a good foundation. Right. Got you. Thank you. Then our other goal was transitioning our fourth grade program so that it properly prepares kids for their participation in middle school. You know, our fifth grade program was already structured in a way that they were ready for middle school, but our fourth grade was structured in a way that they were still ready for us. So, our last goal was to make sure that we were doing a good job of adjusting our fourth grade. So, we determined that we would departmentalize our fourth grade this year, which our fifth grade had already been departmentalized. That was good for a few different reasons. First, it allows to really highlight our teachers' expertise. So, like Michelle Hartford is our math and science coordinator. So, it makes a

052lot of sense that she be the social studies and science teacher. So, social studies and science we alternate units. So, like one unit they really spend at night well extra I'm not. That she's math. She's a math science. She's doing that. Science and social studies they're co-planning and then they're each doing their own science and social studies. So, the fact that she's the math and science coordinator, she's really able to uh implement the math curriculum with a high level of expertise. Um she's the one who's gone to the math and movement and got the math mats and advocated for the stairwells to have the math facts on them. So, that's a real passion of hers and she is then able to bring that to the math instruction. Ms. Newman and Ms. Casey, they both have

053their micro-credential and their certification in literacy. So, having them be the teachers for reading and writing makes a lot of sense there and we're capitalizing on their expertise and skills in those. The switching classrooms, the teachers put in a lot of structures to make sure that they are building skills to get them ready for switching and be dependent in middle school. On the opposite side of that, Dr. Silk and her team are making accommodations where, you know, their classes are going to be blocked in their morning, their core classes. So, that their transitions aren't the same as what it looks like in eighth grade. Um and we put in structures that I think it's actually going to my opinion, it's stuff Dr. Silk is building. But, my opinion, it's actually going to be better for

054the sixth graders the way the sixth grade program runs because then fifth and sixth they're going to have a common lunch together. So, that then they get a more structured recess lunch time, which wasn't built into the sixth grade program before. Uh and things like that I think are actually going to make it so that yes, the fourth to fifth graders have a little bit of a buffer, but it's actually going to increase the buffer that our fifth to sixth graders are getting too, um which is really nice. Um so, you know, they've got a whiteboard display so that they're modeling like how you think about what you need for your next class and they're putting it up on a whiteboard in the hallway. The fifth grade teachers, you know, they don't just say like,

055"All right, plan for yourself, you're switching classes. They know, they build in like September, they're not going to know how to do that. But, they've gotten some modeling in fourth grade, the fifth graders will continue to build them in those areas. And then, you know, our sixth grade teachers are used to receiving the fifth graders. So, you know, it's it's a gradual increase in what they're expected to do independently. But, we've increased their awareness and modeling for them, what does it look like to plan to be independent. This marking period, well, isn't in this slide cuz I made it back in February, but we've also started discussions of like, what does grading look like when it's a numeric grade instead of a standards-based grade. So, you know, if you just don't do your project and

056you get a zero in elementary school, we may still know that you have the ability to write a paragraph. So, on your standards-based report card, you didn't do your project, but I know from other things that yes, you can write a paragraph. So, your standard is still yes, they're meeting that standard or exceeding or approaching it. But, when you get to a numerical grade, if you just don't do the project, now you have a zero that averages in with the quiz or test or whatever that you had. Um, so, in Google Classroom, you can set up Google Classroom to have your grades there and show what an average is. Um, and so, they've set that up a little bit and shown to kids like, if I set this up to be your average, what is

057that what is what does that look like? So, they're still on a standards-based report card in fourth grade, they're still that's how we're assessing them. But, we've shown them some models and talked to them about like, all right, this was different. What what does that look like and how does it So, this is not a full shock when they get to first end of first quarter in fifth grade. It'll probably still be a shock. You need to repeat things multiple multiple multiple times. But, that's also where, sorry Dr. Sloppy, but you know, with my own sometimes they have to get a 70 on their report card and then learn that you know, I can only harass my daughter to do a project so many times and then sometimes you just have to get the zero

058and then see what happens. You've mentioned the report cards a couple of times and I remember how excited I was with like one of the part [laughter] one of the moments of overexuberant response. Well, you know, because it's work that's now years old. >> Yeah. But, when Christine when you all developed those elementary report cards, it was really a big It was great. >> And I don't think that they're going to stop looking at those skills. But, the report cards in middle school work, too. Yeah. I mean I mean and which is cuz middle school's different than elementary. Yeah. Right. Peggy, here's your spot. I'm also skilled. Uh [laughter] so, Josh talked about our adoption of Edge Climber and myself and Andrew Saunders deserves a lot of credit cuz she The bottom over here, this

059is what our data sheets on children currently look like. Um and we put it all in there and that's amazingly useful. We've only been using this system since we really were adopting um science of reading practices because then we were able to collect a lot more data, you know, the dibbles and um such have a lot of ways you can break down literacy. So, you know, when we have our data team meetings class wide, we're looking at the sheet down below and uh couple of years ago my detailed board report was like, "Okay, so let's follow, you know, kid B through This is what their class looks like. What happens next, right?" So, when we're looking, you know, whoever's in this row is having a tough time and we need to really be looking at

060their ELA because their uh NWEA is having tough time. Their word reading fluency is having a tough time and their words read correctly also not not doing having a tough time, right? So, this helps us see that. And that's great, but the charts up top are what we will get once all of that data is imported into Edulastic. So, these are just some of the DIBELS scores cuz that's all that was in there in February. Um where you'll be able to follow a grade level in a class and see how many in your class are meeting their uh projected benchmark and how many are maybe having a tough time. And then you're able to click into those and get more details. Um and so while it is not yet live, I'm very excited that we

061are getting our data into Edulastic. It has charts for their attendance, it has charts for their ELA, it has charts for their math, has charts for uh you can even put in uh behaviors and start tracking things like that and see like who might need an intervention from the social worker or such. Um so, it's not yet live, but it is getting there and it will be is exciting. It will be extremely useful soon. I was actually looking at some of my computer blowing it up really big so I could see what the different scores are. No, I mean and it's the kind of thing that actually the board and the district, I mean have wanted like cuz so it's to really know like well, how our kids you know, how our students >> over

062time, you know? And and you and you have that as well as You know, everybody has access to all the same data. It's a big It's really very valuable. Yeah, our chart at the bottom, you know, that's spring, let's say. You've got to then click to the other one and see like what were they like in fall, winter, spring. Oh, what were they like last year? And you're clicking through multiple sheets of data, which is still great, but this is going to be easier and the bed to have. And then you heard of this would have been in February prior to our discussions of class sections and such, but here we are. So, pre-K we are at 18 because that's what we accept. Kindergarten is at there 37 students registered. I anticipate it getting to

063um based on my knowledge of who isn't registered but does live in the district and they may just be lagging in their registration. Um first grade is 32. Second 36. So, next year pre-K will be one section. Kindergarten first and section and second we are projecting two sections. And then third and fourth will be in three sections. What number would kindergarten need to get to before we consider a third section? There is not an official number. There's no contractual number. Um we're in discussions on at you know, what point would we like additional support to the classroom but right now they have full-time aids. At what point might we put a TA in there or something like that versus adding a full section. Our average class size is 18 to 22. So, in that range,

064you know, it's not ideal to have your kindergarten be the largest class size and our enrollment uh study does not project that we're going to have large kindergartens for the next until 20 out to 2037 we're only projected to have bouncing around 40. Mhm. So, it's also not a great decision to hire and then lay somebody off because the following year we're only having two sections and when they get to first and second grade the average class size is easier to have at a slightly higher number. So, [clears throat] all those things sort of play into it, but we are talking administratively with the union to talk about like okay, where would we request a third section, where would we request additional support in the classroom to make it so that it is still uh

065doing what we want. Mhm. It wouldn't be at 42. So, at what we anticipate, we would still be projecting two sections. If all of a sudden, you know, in July we have 10 kids register, that's going to be a different discussion. So, again, right now we have 37 registered. I anticipate 42. If it's larger than that, we'd have to talk. Hey, Chris. >> does include a buffer of who we know is out there. Uh But this is really in line with the board's expectation on class size and really what, you know, believing that 21, 22 kids is a is a is a developmentally appropriate class size for elementary school. Yeah. And and our teachers are very good, you know, and so they can do it. And I would just add quickly if our pre-K number

066is 18. It was 14. Right? So, if we can have 18 students with our youngest learners, we can go a little bit higher with kindergarten. And that's part of the discussion with the teachers also, this looking at what other different resources might they need if they need a teaching assistant, we're open to all of that. Um but we're really bearing in mind of the number of sections and following the enrollment and we certainly do not want to see already said it. We don't want to hire someone for one year and then not have a position for them anyway. We're looking at it closely, having great discussions with our teachers, and we'll monitor and share with the board as we go. And in the self-contained class, you the numbers are not there. Yeah, so our self-contained

067is a 12 one two. So, it can go up to 12. Um last year and this year we are continuing to be open to out of district referrals. So, like this year we've had students in from Garrison, we've had students in from Wappingers, we've gotten referrals from Croton and somewhere else that I can't remember that we had evaluated to send. Um, so right now that class is a little bit smaller because we had two students move away over spring break um, due to family circumstances, not the program itself. Um, so we were at seven at one point. Right now we're at four with those students that have moved during the school year, but uh some, you know, right now is annual review season, so we may get an incoming referral from another district and that

068it can go up to 12. We haven't ever walked in that that's not that's not our goal, but six is a nice number. Just staying on that first on first grade, that includes students and you're good at this. Um, that are in kindergartens that are not uh >> Yes, so that includes who we know who is either pre-registered already moving to the area and boundary and Manitou when they have a student that's coming over to us out of their kindergarten program and into our first grade program. Like we actually invite them to the second kindergarten get to know you and their parents can come and listen to my little like, "Hey, this is a little bit about Haldane speech even though it's mostly geared towards K, first grade a lot of that still applies. Um,

069and if you don't know Haldane as well, it's useful information." And then they go spend that They don't come to both, they're a little bit older, they don't need quite as much transition, but they spend that second kindergarten get to know you in one of our first grade classrooms. Right. So, um, yes, so that includes who we know. You know, and every year there's some you know, somebody might move to the area, those kinds of things, but that does include the kids that we are aware of at this point. I'm going to do just a little time check. I have to go close the poll at 9:00. I can't remember. I feel like this is close to the end of your slide. >> Yep, this is the last >> [laughter] [clears throat] >> Do people

070have more questions? All right, so I'm just going to make as it's 8:56. I'm going to make a motion to go into brief recess so I can go close the polls. May we have a second, please? Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Okay, that was great. Thank you so much. >> [laughter] >> All those in favor? I. I. Any opposed? And now I'm moving to our second special presentation, which is our update from Dr. Aaron Haye. Very exciting. So, as Aaron is getting ready to go, I just want to take a moment to say such a beautiful transition to our district, and very much looking forward to hearing all things special education. She'll give us an kind of an overview of what the goals have been this year, the work this year with teachers

071and administrators, and some of the positive things. Um and before I get started, I actually just want to thank our whole PPS team and our administrators and all the teachers for all the great work everyone has done with our annual reviews. I think we only have a handful left, which is unheard of for me in any of the past districts I've worked in to be this far through them. Um Um and the meetings have been great. The staff have been great. The families have been wonderful, so have the students. It has been a really great experience and I think it's put us in a really great place as far as programming and scheduling and making sure we have all the staff in place for moving forward into next year. So, thank you for that, team.

072Um and special shout-out to Rebecca Ivancic and Dawn Resnick, too, who have been sharing quite a few of those meetings while also doing all of the other basic work that they do. So, it's been a great season so far. Um so, just a couple of things that I'm going to share today. We've talked a lot about the portrait of a graduate and the healthy essentials over this year. I want to make a connection specifically to those things and the blueprint for improved outcomes for students with disabilities. You'll notice that there's a lot of overlap between that and uh the portrait of a graduate and the healthy essentials as well. We'll talk about some highlights that have happened over this year, some of the areas that we've really been focusing on. We'll go through our student

073numbers. What does it look like? What did it look like last year? Where are we now? What are some of the similarities and differences? And then we'll end with some of the focus areas for next year. Again, common visuals that we've seen, so I'm going to go just to the next slide uh to talk about the connection that it makes to the blueprint for improved outcomes for students with disabilities. This is something that was created by New York State. It's been here for many years, um but it was created by a variety of stakeholders throughout the state. It's really focusing on how do we help provide meaningful access for students? How do we make sure that they're making meaningful progress in the supports and services that we're providing? So, there are seven key or four

074principles that are associated with this. I'm not going to go through all of them in an in-depth way, but there is a link, so if you want to look at it, it'll actually show you this is what it looks like. Here are some of the things that fit under these different components. Um so, the first is that students engage in self-advocacy and are involved in determining their own educational goals and plans. So, some of these things include things like attending their own CSE meetings. So, as students are getting older and getting into the upper middle school years and high school, we want to encourage them to be active members of our team and participating. So, that's one of the things in there. And then also to continue working on career planning. We want students to

075be really prepared once they leave us. So, that starts early on, but certainly as we're working our way through middle school and high school, we make sure that that is a focus. The second one as far as parents and other family members are engaged in meaningful partners. We want to make sure that parents really understand the special education process, what their due process rights are, what the expectations for students are. There's a lot of changes happening with some of the graduation pathways, so it's important for parents to have that information as well. Teachers providing specially designed instruction is important. We focused on that some of our ICT work this year. Uh teachers providing research-based instructional teaching. We've heard a lot about what's happening with that across our grade levels. The MTSS, so those multi-tiered systems

076of support this year. Uh providing high-quality inclusive programs. That's something that we'll focus on today. And then the last one is one of the biggest areas that I want us to focus on as we're moving forward into next year as well. It's that schools will provide appropriate instruction for students with disabilities, and career development and opportunities to participate in work-based learning. So, this is really focused on how are we helping students transition? It starts as early as elementary school to start talking about what are some interests that you might have, um and exploring that to once they get to age 12, focusing on what could some potential careers be? What does that mean? And as they progress through middle school and high school, the requirements of how we're helping students plan for transition become even

077more important. So, that's one of those focus areas that we'll talk about for next year. Okay. So, PPS highlights. There's a lot of things to highlight and celebrate. One of the things that I did prior to creating this presentation was to reach out to the PPS team to see what are some of the things that they wanted to share with you all. Um so, I think we had a pretty great representation. One of somehow ended up upside down. I There's a couple. So I'll start first with the SEL for kindergarteners. So the clinical team did some lessons for the kindergarten students and they focus on things like friendship and feelings, stop, think, act, small problem versus big problem, as well as identifying some coping skills versus difficult situations. Our team also has a third grade

078recess game club. So sometimes students may not be comfortable going outside at recess. So they provided a game club where students could feel safer and supported and be able to still have some fun and make some friends along the way. The next one was the mental health awareness. So the clinical team put together activities that were printed and mailed home and that families and students could all work on together to focus on mental health. The other mental health PD was one that Rebecca Ivicic did at the secondary level where she was focusing on student warning signs. So they went over things like FAST, which is feelings, actions, changes, threats, and situations. ACEs, which you might have heard of, which are adverse childhood experiences and protective factors. So providing staff with some of those signs to

079be able to look for to support children that might be struggling. Rebecca and Don also did a testing accommodations PD. So there's been some changes over the last couple of years with testing accommodations, what's allowed and what's not allowed. So they really spent some time working with staff to go through identify what the changes are, what the criteria is to make sure that we're providing the appropriate testing accommodation. Some of the focus areas that they looked at were things like computer based testing because that's becoming much more common. They looked at assistive technology and then also the test threat criteria to make sure that our practices are not only consistent, but they're aligned with with state and federal regulation. So that's those. At the high school level, the freshman seminar, so Maggie Maggie Heineman put

080together a program for our ninth grade students to really help them with that transitional time. So, on Tuesdays and Thursdays during 10th period, um those ninth grade students could get some extra support. This focus really was helping students not only transition, but also make sure that they're passing their classes and kind of working through that so that they can stay on track at the end of their first year in high school, um and be well on their way to graduation. Uh there was also an updated BOCES process. And so, some of those things um were really aimed at the 10th grade students to give them more access and information and more exposure to what BOCES might offer. So, there was a 10th grade vocational push-in lessons that were provided. There was a field trip so

081that students could go and visit and see the different uh BOCES programs. Uh there was a BOCES application session to give students more information. The counselors met with students one-on-one to be able to share more information. Um and then there was also meetings with the counselors and students who had IEPs to be able to work through What does this mean? And how do we write our applications? And what programs really are the best for you? Um and they shared with me that this current year we had 18 students that were enrolled in the BOCES program, and next year there's 29. And all of those 29 got their first choice. So, that's a great number to show uh the impact that that's had. And then the last one was the co-occurring disorders that I know that

082Julia and her team has talked a lot about that, um but it was really an important thing that Scott Annie and the PE teachers did where all the students were at the high school were exposed to What are co-occurring disorders? Why are they important? And how can it really impact students at this age? Um so, those are just some of the highlights, but again, a lot of great work that the the teams are doing. These are the bulletin boards that the elementary team has done to help highlight inclusion um and support for students. And then another middle school example, which I think was great with Jess Brown. Um her students had read the book Slacker and gotten inspired to want to support the community more. So, she created this project where students had to not

083only create a budget, they had to learn about vocabulary of what fundraising is. They developed flyers. They had the SPCA come in and visit them and they actually created this wonderful drive that was actually something that was great. I like the picture that she shared with her group that was there. And then some other fun highlights. So, one of our focuses was trying to continue to build a team with our related service providers. We have a wonderful people. There's been some changes over the last couple of years. And this team really has to work closely together every day to support all of our students. So, we brought in Dan Novak from Putnam Boces and and he did an hour to an hour and a half I think it was presentation with a session with us.

084And it was really focused on team building. So, we got to know a lot about each other. We had a lot of laughs. We learned about people's favorite animals. But we also got to know some of the things that make people similar, some of the different but I'll say at the end of that meeting it was very positive. The team wanted to do that again and have more time to be able to kind of come together and be able to celebrate each other. And it's definitely made a difference in the meetings that we've had afterwards that just the team members together. So, it was definitely a highlight and we want to continue this for our moving forward. Some of the focus areas that we've been working on this year was inclusion, continued with the ICT

085team. So, it started really in the elementary school last year that work continued at the secondary level this year. I'll tell a little bit more about that. The MTSS development. So, Christine mentioned some of that today. There's been a lot of work with the SST teams across the district. Also identifying different building levels supports and referrals. So, I'll say that Huntington has a tremendous amount of building level supports. It's not as common to to what they have here uh in other places. So, I think the teams are really doing a wonderful job, but we need to continue to build on that. And what do those supports look like? We've talked about some of the things for building levels with screeners. What happens if there's a student who has an IEP but might still be struggling

086in another area? What does that mean? And how do we kind of move forward in providing them support? We've done some uh excuse me, work with the ENL teachers about language proficiency teams. How are we doing bilingual evaluations? These pieces connect to that as well. Okay, go back for a second. Can you remind me what SST stands for? Student support team. >> Team, okay. Um and so the G&R consultant came back and I'll go into a little bit more of what they've done, but there's been kind of two areas that they were focusing on. Um one was the co-teaching and collaboration, and then the other was co-planning barrier-free learning and instruction. So the consultant came back um and did a uh training on superintendent conference day for all the secondary teachers. I think something again

087incredible here about how they did it was all of the teachers participated. It wasn't just special education teachers or the teachers that happened to be co-teaching that year, but it was provided for all the teachers knowing that as things change and student needs change, at any given time teachers might be co-teaching together. So we wanted to make sure that all teachers kind of received that same message. Um so after that, they came back and did some follow-up mentor visits. The feedback was great. So she met with each team after. She'd go into the classroom, do an observation, meet with the team, and ask them to give some reflections. She'd give them some suggestions, and then she'd provide them with tools to help them expand their practice even further. Um and I'll share for the winter

088visits specifically, it unfortunately didn't happen at the high school with Regents exams and all the snow days and the cancellations and all of those pieces, but she was able to make it on the day with the middle school. And Mary Ann and I actually met with her, and she was so impressed that she actually asked if we could become a model school that they would be able to send people to to look at how are they utilizing station teaching and parallel teaching in the classroom. So, it's definitely an exciting thing and a great thing for the work that our teachers have really been doing. Well, and that's a huge accomplishment over the past few years because when we had our special education audit a handful of years ago, there was a real recognition of how

089the district was Yes. What was a a positive recognition of how the district was engaged in integrated co-teaching, but that there was definitely room for improvement. Right. And so, and that's a that's not a lot of years. Right. It was a very short to go from that being a real area of improvement to having, you know, some professional learning experts want the district to be a model for this is a a real like Absolutely. >> Kudos. Kudos. Yeah. Yeah. And she shared that it was in every single class. It wasn't just that there was one or two classrooms that were doing some great things. It was every classroom she went into they were utilizing either the station teaching model or the parallel teaching model, which are the two we wanted to know often, and they

090were doing it very well. They were creative and they were doing some really great things and kids were responding really well to it. Yeah. Sharon, is it is [clears throat] it, you know, you know, we say a lot of jargon. So, this so we get it, but is is this like is the the result that Peggy mentioned and recommendation from the middle school to be an exemplar model, is that because the UDL is being properly deployed in an ICT group? Is that basically what we're talking about? I think that's a big piece of it. So, I think the consultant did a great job of working with teachers to to frequent connections back to UDL so that that was a big focus area as they were planning. But then taking that even to the next step

091is how are you utilizing both of the educators in the room to really enhance all of the instructional opportunities? Yeah. So I think it's all of the combination of both of those things. And then also added into it the specially designed instruction that they were doing for the students there. Oh, that's great. So all three of those pieces came together in a nice way. >> Yeah. Yeah, that's that's awesome. Yeah. That's hard. That's hard. That's that it's it is a very difficult These are all words that we we drop and expectations of which we put on teachers. Um it's much easier said than actually done. Right. So that's great. Um and then in the meantime she actually created a road map for co-teaching practices. So she created a variety of documents for each of the

092teams based on all of the information she collected during her previous visits so that we can continue this work moving forward into next year. She created the planning models and tools that teachers can be able to utilize even when they don't necessarily have the same kind of planning time. So she created some really thoughtful things that we'll be using this out moving forward. And so a student overview. So just briefly of what is an IEP piece of what we're creating. IEPs we're really looking at what are students' strengths and interests, what are their present levels of performance, what are their areas of need. We're then utilizing that to be able to create some really meaningful and local goals for them, determine what kind of programs they need, services they need, what kind of accommodations from

093the classroom can really help them get that meaningful access to the general education curriculum but also make meaningful progress. Um one of the focus areas always is least restrictive environment. So we want students to be educated with peers the maximum extent possible. So where we are and where we were. So last year about this time there was a total of 180 or I'm sorry, 118 classified students with four pending to this, that haven't happened yet. Of the there was six CPSE with four pending. Um and then it breaks down where that 118 comes from. So, there were 88 students within the Haldane School District. There were two students that were at a PNW BOCES program. There were six that were either at another out-of-district placement and or the um Bridge Program at Garrison. And then

094we had five students that were privately placed by their parents. And then the number on the bottom, there were 17 students that were coming from other districts that are attending um a school because they are parentally placed here in Cold Spring. And so, the reason that number is here is cuz as the district of location, we provide a lot of those services and supports and evaluations and CSE meetings. Um and that number had doubled from the previous year. Now, you can see on the other side of that, the number is up to 19. So, they currently have 19 students that are parentally placed from other districts here in Cold Spring, but not in Haldane. Um this year, the numbers are pretty similar, so they've gone up slightly, but not that significantly. So, there's about 121.

095We still have eight pending, so those are initial referrals that are out there. Um there's nine for the CPSE with one pending. So, I know that was a question of are we seeing an increase now in CPSE with students with IEPs? And I think that we are and I think we're going to continue to do that. There's a couple of reasons for that. One, I think it's been very difficult to find early intervention service providers as well as the preschool service providers. So, I think that the PC that kids that maybe didn't have supports and services to the extent that they might have needed them that are now coming into preschool. Um and also just with the higher number of kids that are actually attending preschool, I think they're going to start to see that

096more and you're going to get more of those referrals because you have educators that are having students in front of them and noticing if there's additional supports that they need. A question. Uh the 17 and 19 number, does that include students like entering How many as high school students through Garrison is it or is it all outside of district? Yes, that was all the outside of district. So, there may be students from Pine Valley or Beacon that are attending uh the private school here in the region. Um so, looking at the initial eligibility referrals that we've had, and it's breaking it down just so you can see there were six for the school year last year. There's five this year. Haldane students, there was an increase from 12 to 19. Uh parentally placed were pretty

097similar, although I will say that no for parentally placed last year out of the seven, six were classified. This year only three of the six were classified, so there's a little bit of a shift there. Um Some of the shifts that you'll see in the the numbers for that, too. We also here in Haldane had seven students that were declassified this year. So, they met their IEP goals, they made a lot of progress, and no longer required special education supports, which is a celebration. And they were doing so great. Um but all of those things impact the numbers this year as well. Um and then just for the Section 504 forms, so there's state regulations from the Rehabilitation Act. I included some of them here for you. A couple of the things I wanted to

098highlight was unlike an IEP, which is really focusing on providing specially designed instruction, a 504 is really looking at providing the environment for students. So, that's kind of the distinguishing difference between the two. This is again the words that come directly from the federal mandate. Um and I highlighted the bottom piece is the limitation must impact educational access. So, just because a student might have a disability, that doesn't necessarily mean that they would qualify to have a 504 if it's not impacting them being able to access the building and their educational program. And here's our numbers for 504, so elementary school, middle school, and high school. Elementary school numbers are pretty similar. There's a slight dip in the middle school versus the high school. Um, you know, doing a deeper dive, some of those students

099might have gone up to the high school, so that could be a slight shift in them. Um, but I think across the state and probably uh, in a greater area than that, you're seeing an increase in 504 because of the shift and there's more needs of mental health. There's more identification as far as students with anxiety or depression or other sorts of learning needs that we might not have seen in the past. So, I think while we're seeing the increase here, it's pretty consistent with what's happening in other the continuum of services that we offer. So, Haldane is a small district and yet we have a variety um, of services that cross the continuum we're providing. So, some of these cases are just in the general education class. You might have some students that are

100only receiving related services. That's something like speech or OT or PT. Um, you have some students that might be having a consultant teacher, so that's a teacher that might be working with a small group of students directly or might be an indirect model. And so, what that means is that there's a teacher that's really working with other teachers to support a couple of students. Um, to help them modify or accommodate um, on different lessons or or inform instruction. ICT, again, the special education teacher and general education teacher in the classroom, up to 12 students with IEPs. Here, those numbers are nowhere near that high. I think there was maybe one grade, I want to say it was maybe the elementary school that got to maybe seven or eight. Um, but the numbers here are still

101pretty low for ICT uh, ratios. Resource room is another one. You have to have a minimum of three hours. It's a ratio of five to one. Can be combined with the consultant teacher services. I think we see this more often at the middle school and high school. So, you might have a student that's in resource room, but not every day. And so, they might then have an indirect consultant teacher that's supporting them for some of the other parts of their day. Um, there's two special class programs. So, you have the 15-1 special class, um which can have up to 15 students. Again, we're nowhere near the 15 students. I think seven or eight is probably where we typically are at most. Um and the the areas that they're offered can change. So, at the elementary

102school, it's typically English and math. Secondary level, it's really dependent on need. So, next year at high school, for example, we'll have a special class for English, social studies, and math, but not for science. Middle school depends on the grade level. Oh, but it really shifts each year depending on the needs of the students. Then we have our special class with the 12-1-2, which had this year been the K-2 program. Next year, it's going to be shifting to a first to third grade program just because of the needs of the students that we're seeing and the number of referrals that we've had. And then the other piece is that we have some students that are in out-of-district placements and other therapeutic programs. We have a pretty wide continuum of services, and it's going to be

103very similar this year as it is next year as well. Okay. So, but beyond integrated co-teach, I thought you also had push-in. You You have push-in services or So, you have You have minimum 3-hour with big block services, but we also have Do we not have teachers doing kind of push-in so we're not taking a child out of the room? So, for ICT, that's what that is. So, the students are all within the classroom together with both of the teachers. The resource room is the pull-out resource room. >> I'm just saying So, the way in which you phrase Like, it's through your words. You know what I'm saying? So, when you say, "Well, we have pull-out," but you also want to also uh reiterate the fact that we have really we have a lot of

104push-in services. So, I was going to say the great Yeah, the great number of services here is following the ICT model. You have the higher number of students in that model, meaning they are in a general education classroom. You have students with IEPs and students without IEPs. The pull-out model is really specifically for the special class, and in that model, it's only four students with IEPs, um and the same thing for the resource room. But, the great majority of students here are more on that I on that ICT programming. Our staff is uh visual here for you. We have the same amount of staff that we have this year that we're going to be having next year. There's no reductions, there's no increases. Aids and TAs, we're still finalizing some of those pieces as we're

105finalizing IEPs in case there's additional students that might need support. And then, as far as some of the budget slides, so these are the last few years of what was budgeted and then what the actual expenses are. So, it's pretty similar as far as the increases. They're not so you know, as far as the ratio of uh increase. Um I think part of the reason that you'll see budgeted is always higher because we have to account that there might be other needs that come up throughout the year. We might have a student that needs something different that we might need a specific technology, we might need resources, we might need out of district placement. So, being able to have that budgeted for is important, um but we've stayed under the budgeted amount, which is great.

106So, looking ahead to next year, continuing professional development for our ICT teams, but increasing the focus on UDL and specially designed instruction and how they're able to have planning opportunities to do that. I think they have a really strong understanding of the co-teaching model, so I think we can move away from that, continue to reinforce it, but really focus on what that instruction looks like. Um continued refinement as another district wide support, so the district is still working towards MTSS. We're really looking at that cycle four process and making sure that things are really consistent with regulations. Our evaluation process, we spent some time talking about bilingual evaluations and what that means and what the language proficiency team, so all of that work will continue through next year. I mentioned earlier for the transition in

107the IEP, so really connecting all of those pieces together, helping get students really involved in that transition process, and make sure that all of our teams are on board um with the most recent updates as far as what we're required to do, but also the other things that we can really add in to make the experience meaningful for students so that they're ready and prepared as they ready to leave us after their career is over. Um the other piece too is I'm in the process of developing the special education plan. So it'll be a 3-year plan that will really outline a lot of the things that we're here as far as numbers and programs and what it means to help increase some of the communication that will be fresh but also towards students and families

108as well. We want to continue opportunities for parent collaboration and transparency. One of the things we shifted this year was utilizing the collaboration portal on Frontline. And so that's just an efficient way for us to be able to share documents with families. They can see them. We're asking for consent forms so they can sign them electronically and send them back. We can send progress reports that way. We can send IEPs, PWNs, and all of those pieces to them which just expedites the process. Also saves a lot of time as far as having to print and mail all of this. I I have I have a couple of questions. Um you mentioned that the career development conversations begins early as kindergarten. I was curious what are the occasions for those conversations and how does that differ

109from similar conversations you might have with students in a general education setting? So I think it's for all students but definitely for students with disabilities as well. So things at the elementary school might be bringing in different speakers and different people to talk about what different professions are and what the different fields are. Opportunities could be just so that they're starting to get exposure and to be able to think about that. When you get to age 12, it's how are we actually starting to give them interest surveys? Talk about what are you interested in doing? How can we help develop that? Get you in activities to help you work towards the interest areas. And then as they're shifting to high school, how are we preparing you to serve as a group? Okay, yeah. And then,

110um I think as recently as last year we continued to share services or at least just swap services with Garrison. Is that something we're continuing to do? Yes. Yes, so we still support the Garrison preschool supports. We have our special class here at the 1212. Garrison has theirs as well. One of the things that we're working on with them is to look at the gaps with the ages. Theirs was initially K2, theirs was 35, and then theirs has shifted ages and needs too. So, that's something that we're looking at at how do we continue that partnership? And that And that also includes like Kevin is still doing >> So, we do have yes. Yes, some of the shares are still shares. Um we're supporting some of the ESL programs with them when they might have

111one or two students that might need a related service that we might use. As the I I guess since we have 18 new students pre-K, like that could potentially be a draw on our our honor our services time. I'm just curious, has it felt like the addition of that new cohort has So, the preschool is actually still serviced by the county. So, that's >> I I guess I'm I'm specifically when when there's that point at which halfway for some students that might be integrating and those are the ones that I was speaking of. For those, it's really for the evaluation pieces, not the services itself. So, typically students that are in the CPSE are going to continue working with the related service provider. There are things once you get to a certain age you can

112look at some of those pieces, but the consistency is there. However, for that full first year, they'll stay there and the county will still provide and coordinate the services currently. And then, but the special education plan will that be I'm curious about the audit that we did a couple of years ago and sort of like our strategic plans. A certain amount of time elapses or enrollment study, like the things we still refer to as Are they really active? Are Is Are they still relevant? Do they still tell the truth I guess about moving forward? Can we use them as predictive measures let's say? Do you Do you feel like your special education plan will take that audit into consideration or Yeah, absolutely. experience over the past year or I think all of the above. Right.

113So, the things that were identified in the audit with Intel we're supporting our ICT teams. How are we working with UDL? How are we supporting MTSS? They're just things that the district is in general is working on. So, now we're really thinking to What is it you for special education. Some of the shifts might be changes in process or some of those pieces of how we're doing things maybe slightly differently, but it's the same focus areas are very much still in the gray. And the last question was you had mentioned I know you did that kind of team building day, but for the related services staff, did that include paraprofessionals? Like are they part of that conversation or are they integrated in one way or another into the team? So, they're integrated in other ways

114for different meetings. That one specifically was speech, OT, PT, um piece of work in there. OT, speech, OT, speech, school counselors, the ENL providers, the psychologists, and the social workers. Um one of the tough pieces was to come up with a conversation cuz there's a lot happening. So, there was other trainings that were being done with the aids and TAs that absolutely included them and special education teachers. It's a big team, so this one was really focused specifically on our related service providers, um but they're definitely a part of that group. Yes. Thank you. It's been a dramatic increase um in the number of kids enrolled in the BOCES program over the last couple years. And I'll say having a couple kids in high school, I've noticed a market difference in just the outreach. It

115feels a lot broader, a lot more generally getting an email, there's a there's a special meeting, there's a visit, there's another session like um with my current sophomore versus um my daughter who's older. So, I was just wondering what's the What was the rational behind that? Like uh the reasoning for um um, kind of reaching a broader audience as it just because the opportunities are there. I would love to hear a little bit more about that. Yeah, I think the opportunities are there. They're great skills. There's been a lot of changes with you know, a few years ago when the CDOS credential used to previously be only for students with IEPs. Now it's for all students and we're still expanding this because it is such a valuable resource to prepare students with these types of

116skills. Um, and I think we're just seeing a larger amount of kids that are interested and wanting to do that and they're providing some really great resources that kids can leave high school with a trade and have that experience and they can see this is, you know, opening up a lot of doors. So it's just more like one-on-one conversations with the kids about like here's here's an opportunity that, you know, as opposed to, okay, doing like the almost like I'm cherry-picking the kids to consider these programs. It seems like it's a lot broader outreach that more of these programs are appealing to a broader range of kids. And I think across the state it helped a lot of students reach graduation pathways that they wouldn't have had before. So sometimes the 4 + 1 is

117difficult and sometimes we're taking Regents exams just is not something that everybody is great at doing, but being able to use the CDOS credential is one of the ways to help get to that requirement. I think it opened up a lot of doors. I think it's great more kids are taking advantage of it. There's such good programming. Oh, two questions. Um, you just mentioned the CDOS credential. Uh, great opportunity for students. Not an exact, how many of our students got a CDOS credential? Now, Julie, do you know that one? Um, I don't think you have many of them needed the CDOS for graduation. I think there's more students that got a CDOS that weren't in a 4 + 1. So they may have already had five or and gotten a plus one with a C

118dot. So, I don't know that anybody needed it for graduation, but definitely students receive. Sure. And and helps. Yeah, and it's a process that helps, which is great. It's a great effort. Sure. Um the freshman seminar that you highlight. Uh tell me that interesting. You ran through that just a little bit, but it sounded like it looked like it was um some type of meeting during 10th period? Yes. Yes. Couple days a week? So, it's Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, we had started in January. Yeah, it's it's it's like a tier two MTSS service through the guidance. And that's intended well by or it it's meant for certain students. It's meant for a certain amount of students. It's Oh, and I what's the what's the need? And is it like more behavioral, social emotional stuff, or

119is it I think it's really for kids that might have been struggling with the transition to high school and what the expectations of high school are and sometimes that grades classwork and those things can become overwhelming. So, it's an additional way to provide additional support to help students kind of navigate that change in expectations. Um ensure that they're working towards passing the classes. So, if students might have been struggling to get them to set additional designated support. So, it's really much a tier two two support for for any student that actually >> Got you. And so, the well, cuz the district spends a good amount of energy on a very good program. Well, basically 10th period is really great opportunity for our students, right? So, 10th period and it's a significant investment by our staff.

120And >> [clears throat] >> um just you know, just kind of highlighting the importance of the different opportunities for students and hopefully that they're cuz they don't have to go to Tech Fair. Correct? And yet we provide this incredible opportunity. So, it's really about how you know, it's not just the providing, right? But just making sure that it's you know, it's sticking. We're willing to throw a bunch of stuff at a wall. We got to figure out what's sticking and what's not, right? Great. Thank you so much. Thank you. All right. Oh, great. Let's uh so now we're at our first opportunity for communication from the public. The Heldane Board of Education desires and values input from the entire school community. The first public comment session is reserved for comments on special presentations and active

121agenda items. For those who wish to address the board, we'd ask you to sign in and state your name for the record. Well, I don't think we have the sign-in sheets, so we'll have to make one. Um we'd ask you to keep your remarks to 3 minutes um and to avoid disparaging remarks or discussion of district business. Although the board does not engage in dialogue during the open comment session, please know that we're listening and that one of the reasons why we ask you to leave your contact information um is so that um Dr. Duffy or myself can follow up with you quickly. Um next we have um the administrator um information reports that we get, um, at our workshop meeting every month. And I'll start by just acknowledging one thing I think we talked

122about a lot. The end of the year is so busy with so many different award ceremonies and special events and, um, Dave Oberti's, uh, report speaks to all the work that the facilities team team is is doing this time of year, um, and it's it's really greatly appreciated. And also, I was really excited to read about all the middle school, uh, events. It sounded so fun, really. And the idea of them wanting to have a entire middle school event to the Renegades, like everybody go together, I thought that was very dear, really nice. Okay. And I like a lot of Les' reports, which sometimes I feel like I need to go Google exactly what he's transitioning to, just in terms of the program, but it's, I don't know, it, you know, modernizing and making it

123easier for for systems. I appreciate reading that. Thank you for those. And the work on the tech plan that's going to to, um, that that's a big deal. All the important things with infrastructure. And the idea of of how technology can support a transition to portrait of a graduate, right? In terms of it opening various pathways and how one might be able to take advantage of, right? That is an, you know, an affordance of technology is to provide different pathways, so yeah. Okay. All right, so we're going to move into our consent agendas. First, we have consent agenda minutes for the May 5th and the May 12th special meeting. May we May we a motion, please? >> So moved. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Next is consent agenda financial. May we have a

124motion, please? So moved. Second. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Next is consent agenda personnel. May we have a motion, please? So moved. Second. Um I actually just wanted to note here, it's the time of year when we have our returning students coming back into the district and many of them um signing on to be per diem substitute teachers, teaching assistant grade factors. It's always exciting to see um the names of former students sort of forming the ranks of having but this I just wanted to come Um All those in favor? I. Any opposed? So next is the the only item in our unfinished business is the second reading and adoption of the policy 7513 medication and personal care items. Um So this for the first time at our last meeting. Any new thoughts

125people have about this? The main thing is that the nurses office will have a nebulizer for the whole school, right? Yeah, to access. That's kind of the main the main change. Right. So um but may we have the recommendation, please? Be it resolved that upon the recommendation of the superintendent of schools, the Board of Education hereby adopts policy 7513 medication and personal care items as attached. Um may we have a motion, please? So moved. Second. All those in favor? I. >> I. Any opposed? Uh next moving into new business. Maggie, am I going too fast? >> [laughter] >> Not at all. Um the DSC CPSE recommendations, may we have the recommended action, please? Be it resolved that upon the recommendation of the superintendent of schools, the Board of Education hereby approves the recommendations of the

126committees on special education and preschool special education as presented. May we have a motion, please? >> So moved. All those in favor? Aye. >> Aye. Any opposed? All right. Next, the approval to participate in the RIC One Risk Operations Center Collaborative with the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center. Actually, Maggie do you know first Do you know how much of this you want to I think I Do I have to read it all? I think, right? >> Yeah, I don't I think you do. Okay, then I can do the first So may we have the recommended action? I think you can just read the first paragraph. May we have the recommended the paragraph. Okay. Whereas four BOCES including Oh my goodness. I'm just going to say um whereas four BOCES have um have collaborated and entered

127into an Article 5 General Municipal Law Inter-Municipal Arrangement for the purpose of improving vendor management and data security and privacy practices for school districts and our BOCES statewide, known as the RIC One Risk Operations Center, the ROC. Uh may we have a motion, please? So moved. Aye. So do you want to Sure, I can speak to this. So this really allows the RIC to negotiate and approve on behalf of the district Ed Law 2-D privacy agreements with third-party contractors. So it just streamlines our work. Yeah. Yeah, so it was a really It's such a big with the new um Ed Law 2-D the requirements are just so huge, right? The idea of sort of partnering is really a great one. Yes. Um all right. Uh I took a motion. All those in favor? Aye. Aye.

128Any opposed? All right. So, now discussion for the August board meeting date. So, I'll let >> Yeah, please. So, we have to set the tax levy on August 18th and I do have um most of the board members' vacation schedules in front of me, but we do need to we were hoping to try to select um a time tonight um Ideally, we have at least a couple people in person. My understanding is in the past we have done this remote if we need to. We really can't set the levy before the 18th because Catherine is waiting on some information. I know a lot of you are traveling, so if you don't mind just taking a look at at those travel plans on the 18th to see if it's at all possible. It's a 5-minute meeting.

129It's not very long. And if you have to be remote um you can be remote. We're hoping one or two people can at least be in person. Yeah. But I know a lot of you are you're available. Okay, good. And actually I'm available. Go ahead. Sean, I'm sorry. In person you're available? Okay, excellent. >> Good job, Sean. Maggie, you're I don't go on vacations. >> [laughter] >> Maggie, you're you're traveling back that day. Michelle, yeah, I'm traveling back. That's my airport day. So, I mean it's possible if the timing is such that I can take it from an airport, but if I'm in flight then no. Okay. So, easier if it's after 4:00 for you, I think you said, right? >> Yes. Yes, I supposed to land at 3:30. Okay. But we shouldn't count on

130that. Yeah. Right. Totally can. Um Ezra, you're nope, in person maybe remote? Yeah, you know, there's a time difference, but that's Oh, you're not even in the continent. Sicily 6 hours, yeah. But he's that's more that's more of reliable than Michelle even if you Someone who does not use Wi-Fi in small towns. I must not Okay. I got you. Okay. >> [laughter] >> Okay. We'll figure out the time. It's okay. And Maggie, you're also traveling? I'm not here, but I can be available. But later on, later on the day, you think? It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. 3 hours. Earlier? Okay. And then we'll have a we'll have a new board member to also ask. Okay. So So one person We can work with them, I think. It's 5 minutes. One one

131person has to be in place. Right. And everybody else wants to place for that. So this could work. Okay. So we will continue to plan this week. All right. So it looks like you have the results and that's where we are. So well, the next thing on the board's agenda is to accept the results, but we're going to receive them first. >> [clears throat] >> Hi. Following are the results of the annual district meeting of May 19th, 2026. Proposition one, school budget, passed with 591 yes votes and 315 no votes. Proposition two, school bus purchase, passed with 591 votes and 218 no votes. Proposition three, replacement of tennis courts, passed with 625 yes votes and 186 no votes. Proposition four, the transportation reserve, passed with 588 yes votes and 221 no votes. In the trustee

132election, Tracy Bunye received 317 votes, Adam Bergoon received 411 votes. The total number of write-in votes was five, thereby Adam Bergoon will assume the open trustee position on the Haldane Board of Education commencing July 1st, 2026. And proposition five, the Butterfield Library budget, passed with 654 yes votes and 151 no votes. All right. Thank you. Yeah. I want to remind you that the board is still um in our our meeting, we're going to accept the results and then we will open um for communication for the public. Um So now we're going to and then we'll thank people and things like that, but we're just going to finish our meeting and then we'll get to that. Um So now we're going to accept um the annual the accept the results. So we need This is a

133bit I got it. Yeah. So for Read the resolution, please. Be it resolved that, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools, the Board of Education hereby accepts the results of the annual district meeting, budget vote, and trustee vote for Tuesday, May 19th, 2026. Um And then I read the each of the propositions, right? Um Proposition one passed, the school budget passed with 591 votes. Proposition two, the school bus purchase, passed with 591 votes. Proposition three, replacement of the tennis courts, passed with 625 votes. These are yes votes. Um Proposition four, the transportation reserve, passed with 588 yes votes. Adam Bergoon won the Haldane Board of Education trustee seat with 411 votes. And proposition five, which was the Butterfield Library budget, passed with 654 yes votes. All right. Um Um I don't think we need

134to have any conversation at this point, I think. All right, so all those in favor? I. >> I. And the opposed? All right. Uh communications from the public. That gets Yes. >> [laughter] >> Uh we know we know we know we Yeah. I I saved it for this moment. So, I'm John Hedlund. Um I want to do a couple things. I want to thank people who ran. Thank you for stepping forward. How they and Holliston runs on volunteers. And there are any number of ways to be involved. And we want you to continue to be involved because I think Maggie and I used to say it was the same 20 people who ended up cycling through volunteers spots. So, both of you, thank you for stepping forward. Secondly, the great I had a great time

135on the board because of the people I got to work with. So, I want to thank the board members who are currently and especially Peggy. Other? John really just came to say thank you to Peggy. He's a good man. Yeah. Exceptional. >> Such a gentleman. Um So, um board reflections, I'm going to start. Um I want to thank so much I want to thank both Adam and Casey for stepping up. I think board service is a big commitment. I think running is hard, serving is hard. Um I think it was it was really great uh to have a couple of people running and the community is so lucky to have two people who are so committed to public education and helping Holliston be the best that it can be. Um I want to thank um

136this was a big vote. We had a lot of people come out. I want to thank I think Dr. Debby has the the one has the full list, so I'm going to be more emotional. I mean, the fact that so many people came out for what we knew was a a a a a big increase in the budget and that the budget would pass um by such a strong margin speaks to the deep dedication that so many people in this community have and it is really amazing. I saw so many people my age and older are coming to vote today and and um cuz I wasn't here after school and it is just really it is fabulous. Thanks so much to Dr. Duffy and Catherine and the entire administrative team and their staff for working

137so hard to put the budget together. Um thanks for the folks who um uh who run um the election, but but really this is I'm I'm moved by the by the turnout of the community for the budget. So, yeah. All right. So, that's other board reflections about what you think about Dr. Duffy? Echo um John. Obviously, we'll have time to thank you and we'll continue to thank you. Um you're not done yet. >> [laughter] >> We've still got you for a couple of years. Um but I feel bad after tonight. Um but um just to also um say to both both both Tracy and Adam, I know when I ran two and a half years ago, I had the privilege of running and feeling really confident that the other individual who may have also won

138would have done a wonderful job and that you sleep really well at night knowing that the people that raised their hands are people that you have confidence in. So, but thank you both. And you know, we will see each other again sometime very soon. So, um thank you very much. And then um also, you know, thanks to to Dr. Duffy and thanks to the community. This is a Not only is it a strong margin, but it's also a good showing. It really is. So, it's good to know that folks were engaged, they were listening, and they just participated however they chose. Now, huge thank you to the community. This really speaks to the value that um the citizens of this community place on public education. And just want to thank everybody for coming out to

139vote, and thank you both candidates for running, both super strong candidates um with really awesome skill sets and knowledge. And Tracy, there's obviously going to be so many ways for you to participate in. People will be seeking you out, and um thank you both. I just want to thank the community. Obviously, this is a lot for people to do. Um And it is it it is I mean what a great place to call home, a place that is so consistently behind public education. And that is uh that's a huge value uh for this community. Um and you know, thank you to Tracy for running, uh for to working with Adam and Tracy. Thank you so much for everything you continually do for this community. Um and it just you know, it's really impressive. You know,

140you you you're almost like you almost don't have words to show, you know, it's not just the capital project initially, but this was such a showing that really just of the capital project, but uh our our staff, back here, children. Right? People understood, I think, really well what was at stake in this vote, and the community by and large supported. So, that's that's really impressive. So, thank you to them. And um whoever's idea it was to have the art show the same day as the vote, It was good. really gets a gold star for that one. >> Meghan and I were talking about that. It wasn't my idea, but um that was brilliant. And I just wanted to say, you know what, I feel so grateful to live in a community that um prioritizes public

141education. Um but and I give a little um a lot of thanks to Dr. Duffy um for, you know, going to different sectors, if you will, of the community, including last week. She, Catherine, and I went to the to the senior center, and that was sort of open range, open target, but um it was good and just, you know, hopefully we'll continue that, you know, having dialogues with different groups as well, cuz they have a different sentiment and a and a and a different situation and just, you know, hearing what they have to say. Um they were tough, but you know, just kind of keeping that in mind going forward, I think I think we'll be good. Thanks. Yeah. Okay. So, I have prepared remarks because I don't want to forget anything. Um but I

142just I first want to start by just thanking the community. So grateful. Um I knew a year ago when I was interviewing to come here, this was the right place to be. And just seeing how our goal throughout this entire process was to be transparent and listen to all feedback and stakeholders and still have a fiscally responsible budget and go out to the community knowing that our tax levy was going to be impacted because of the capital project. So, I knew it was a heavy lift, and I was holding space for whatever the results were going to be tonight. But I am so excited that everything passed. I just have to say that. All right, now my thank yous. Um So, first to Adam and Tracy, like it's not easy, as you both know, when

143you're putting in for this, and we heard volunteer work is volunteer work, and so while we only have one seat available, I know Tracy will find ways to continue to work with us and we we can seek you out as well. So, thank you. And Adam, welcome aboard. We're going to have a fun ride together as we all get to know each other. You know, here [clears throat] at home on the board. So, thank you first of all to all those who worked on the vote. So, let's give a round of applause to Catherine cuz she's the only one in the audience right now. Is Mr. Damon still here? Yes. Let's give Mr. Damon a nice round of applause. Megan Shield is still downstairs and also Tricia Jean Gillis is also downstairs and maybe she

144went home. But, thank you to both of them as well. Leah for help with the with the tech set up, all of our custodians, um all the work that they did, my amazing administrative team for just ongoing conversation about the budget vote. And now to our community, um really just on behalf of the district, I want to say a very deep thank you to our community. Your vote is a direct investment in our students, in our teachers, and in the future of our schools. We do not take your trust or your hard-earned tax dollars for granted. I also want to again thank the administrative team for their months of meticulous planning to ensure that our budget remains fiscally responsible. And just thank you again for everyone's support. Looking forward to moving things forward within the

145district. All right, I move to adjourn the meeting. Um may we have a second, please? Second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Wow.