001All right, we need a motion to move back into public session. >> I'll make a motion. >> Second. All in favor? >> I. >> Good evening Good evening everyone. Welcome to the May 20th board meeting. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I >> Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Okay, please note before we start the meeting, we have two emergency exits on each side in the front and the back of the room. Are there any veterans in the room? If If so, please stand. Okay. Uh recognition of any media in the room? Okay. And we're going to come down to the floor. >> Yep. >> All right. Good evening.
002Tonight, we recognize and celebrate a truly special group of Miller Place retirees whose dedication, care, and commitment have helped shape our schools and community for decades. From our teaching staff, we honor Kelly Cuba, Christine Desiderio, Dawn Hibberd, Deborah Hammelman, Cara Pensky, and Jennifer Tremblay. We also recognize Ann Dubois from our confidential staff, Melanie Chiocchio, Suzanne Miselli, Barbara Rong, and Colleen Vacherino from our clerical and support staff, and Donald Pierce, our district treasurer. Collectively, tonight's retirees began their careers across the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, and have witnessed tremendous change throughout education. From chalkboards to smart boards, paper attendance to digital platforms, and generations of students walking through our hallways. Some of tonight's retirees began their careers before smartphones, streaming services, and even Google existed. Yet, through every change, their commitment to students and the Miller Place
003community remained constant. In attendance tonight are Ms. Christine Desiderio, Ms. Debra Himmelman, and Ms. Tara Penske. We are grateful they could join us this evening as we recognize their years of dedication and service to the Miller Place School District. At this time, I would like to invite Miller Place High School Principal, Mr. Kevin Slavin, to the podium to speak about Ms. Christine Desiderio and Ms. Tara Penske at the and the tremendous impact they have had on our Miller Place community throughout their careers. >> So, just uh before I get started, for for full disclosure, Steven is running the variety show tomorrow night, so so he has pure authority to take down any tape he needs to take down in here, assign any seats, whatever you need to do, Steven. Um we're we're very fortunate, and
004then I appreciate the opportunity Central Office and certainly Board of Education to to give us a chance to to recognize and just to try to portray a little bit of of who we see every day. Um I don't like being at the podium alone, so I'm actually going to ask Ms. Penske to come on up and join me. We'll give her a round of applause. >> [laughter] >> So, Ms. Penske is a graduate of Miller Place. Um she was a Daniels at that point in time. Uh hired here in 1997 after a short stint at as a leave replacement in Deer Park. And for those of you that know me, know that one of the things that I like to do least is give Seth any credit whatsoever. Uh but one of the things that
005he did do early early stages was bring Mrs. Penske up to the high school full-time. I'm going to put it somewhere in the '03-'04 neighborhood. Neighborhood? >> I'm going to tell you 2001. >> 2001, I apologize. Um since then, Tara has been uh a tremendous asset to this building. Uh somebody that I look forward to seeing every day. Uh she quickly has become part of our early morning crew. Um if her car is not in the parking lot at 5:45, I'm knowing I know that I need to call her husband and find out where she is. Um and it's usually Tara, Mr. Mr. Panzarella, and myself. Um we used to have a Mr. Francis, but that was many years ago. Um if you have a conversation with Tara for all of 12 seconds, you very
006quickly understand how passionate she is for history, how passionate she is for government, for service, and for preparing students for what happens after high school. Um I think she has had a mission that she wants to develop a mindset for students that they can be involved in the in the civic process, they can make their own decisions, um and they can lead us in the future. And I think that that's something that that guides her daily. Um when she first came up, she took on the AP psychology program and built that from scratch and handed it over to another graduate recently. Um and over the last number of years, she's been our AP government teacher. Um and I couldn't think of a better person to put in that spot when we started that class based
007on how much she knows about government, she knows about service, she grew up in a family of politicians, um and she's just had a tremendous impact on so many students uh in a very non uh partisan way, which is not easy to do as an educator, particularly at this time frame. Um Um, been tremendously involved, she's been a junior statesman uh advisor. She was the yearbook advisor. She did mock trial for a portion. Um, but she's going to end her career as the National Honor Society advisor and and has taken that to a tremendous level. Um, the amount of things that that Ms. Penske does daily that go unnoticed or shouldn't, I'm sorry, go unthanked, uh, but never go unnoticed is tremendous. Um, just recently she she came into my office and asked if we
008could do something called Adopt-a-Troop, uh, which was a a drive for for care to develop care packages for troops overseas. Uh, something that is near and dear to the Penskes as their son-in-law is currently deployed. Um, so so we did that and they were able to put together 36 care packages to send over. >> It's 45. >> 45. This is not the time to correct the principal. Uh, uh, >> [laughter] >> but what was even really even cooler than that is that the connections you made with the USO. Um, and and we could have a future member in there. There's there's a theme and sometimes we take this for granted, um, that sometimes outside life can get difficult. Um, and I've known Ms. Penske for for uh, all my educational career. I knew her husband
009prior, um, and I can say that that one thing that's been consistent whether it was managing your your daughter's diabetes, uh, really becoming the the caretaker of your parents, um, your your daughter moving, your son being uh, son-in-law being deployed, when she got to school it was nothing but her best. Um, and and that is a a tremendous asset. Um, one of the things that I was thinking about coming here is that recently as uh, I want to say it was last year, uh, we had a student that that sort of fell on some hard times. Um, and and most of those hard times to be completely fair were his own doing. Um, and he was in a spot that that really he either had to get a high school diploma or the path he
010was going to take at that moment was going to be severely severely negative. So, we have a program that that's an online program that we can do some credit recovery and we can get people to a better place academically. Ms. Penske is the advisor for that for social studies. But she became much more than that. She became a life support for this student even to the point that he would contact her late late at night after school hours in a panic asking questions about things and I know when that phone rang certainly her husband Paul probably wish she didn't answer it but knew better than to say that out loud because she always did answer. Talked him through. Got him a high school diploma and I'm going to say we may never hear from him
011again but if we never hear of him again it's it's because Ms. Penske got him that diploma. So, and that's just one of those things that very few people know. I'm going to miss our 5:45 a.m. talks. >> Anytime. >> You're welcome anytime. But you have just been a true friend, a tremendous colleague, a great asset to Miller Place from being a student to being a now almost retired teacher. Definitely going to be have a difficult time filling your spot but I know where to get you if I need you. So, congratulations for everything. >> Thank you. Thank god I'm a social studies teacher. I can just get up and speak spontaneously. I just want to take a moment to thank all of you. I got a call many years ago from a guy named
012Jerry Callahan who said, "Do you know this guy Kevin Slavin?" And I went >> [laughter] >> "Do I know Kevin Slavin?" And he said, "You know, we're thinking about hiring him." And I said he would be such an asset to our department because when you work in a department for so long it's you know, we all do we all teach, right? And it's the people that you surround yourself with that matter. These are the people that you spend more time with them in your day than you do with your own family. And um and they become family very quickly. And Kevin, I can't even tell you how important those meetings in the morning I swing by my cabin down the hallway, you know, and how important they've become. And um just because again, it's just
013a matter of, "Hey, is it all right to do this? Can I do that?" As a government teacher, I've prided myself um in walking a very It's a very tight tight line I walk um and making sure that I Although sometimes my students I think think I'm playing one way or the other. A lot of times it's devil's advocate just to see what they'll say. Um but I I've prided myself in really maintaining a very very tight uh line and making sure I was not appearing biased or or trying to get a kid one way or the other. Um and that's become super important to me. Um I also pride myself in in the fact that when students leave, they have an understanding of the world around them, which is not always easy to understand.
014Even myself, it's sometimes like, "What is going on here?" Um you know, I I question a lot of things. So, I'm very fortunate. I have had so many people in my life. Kate Lynch has been amazing, our librarian. Um my department. So, I just want to thank you. Along the way, I've always, you know, I'll walk down the hall and see Sue, I'll see Will, and and you're always such a just a a bright spot when I get to see you. So, I appreciate it. Christina, I've had to work Everybody, my gosh. You guys have been so wonderful, and I couldn't have done it without, you know, my own family um who really understood moments when I would get those phone, you know, I I'd get all sorts of things and I'd say, "Well, listen,
015I can't. I have to go and help a student. I have to go and do this um do that" or whatever the case was. And um you know, I appreciate it. So, thank you so much, you know. I'll still be around in the community for a little while. So, if you see me, say hi. All right. Thank you again. >> All right, Ms. Dez. The familiar You're a little familiar with this spot. Come on. So, we have a kind of a a tradition uh the last day of school where um when we all gather for our last meeting, we we go through who is and kind of celebrate everybody that's been here in the district 20 years or more. Um and every time I get to my list, it was always for years and years
016and years, it was always John Valone and then Christine Desiderio. And and I will tell you that that in the last 16 years as principal, I have checked that hiring date every time because I'm convinced it's wrong. Um Desiderio was hired in 1993. And I'm I'm not convinced it's wrong for other any other reasons than when you have a conversation, you see her in the building, you can very clearly see how passionate she is, how energetic she is, and and how positive she is. And it's some it's it's that energy and those characteristics that are of a a somebody that's new to the profession, not somebody that's been here for 33 years. Um But I truly truly believe that that this is exactly where you were meant to be. She is a a lifelong musician,
017a tremendously talented musician, still plays with groups on the outside, and is always the highlight of the variety show. And if you ever want to see how talented she is, just ask her to play Devil Went Down to Georgia because it is it is something special. But what what she's been able to do is to take that that passion and talent for strings and transition it into passion for the kids and getting them to understand the work that it takes and to getting them to understand the benefits of music and technique and and how important it is for them to participate together. Um we're in a a stage of education where we always make a lot of different um decisions and we always have a lot of different debates. And class size is always in
018there somewhere. What's the optimum class size to to be the most effective? Um and usually it's the smaller. When you walk down towards the orchestra, Um, this this individual next to me is the exact opposite mindset. Um, there's usually somewhere between 70 and 80 students in her class. Um, and if you've never seen the band room, it it it's a tight fit when you have 70 and 80 students that are playing all strings. Um, but when you walk in, it is a well-oiled machine where students have tremendous respect for what they're doing, how they're doing it, and they have a respect for each other, and they have respect for music. And it's because of what you do in the beginning and you get them to that place. Um, luckily, I think Dez has taken off
0195 days in the last 25 years um, because nobody wants to cover that class because when you walk in and see 70 students in a very tight spot, it's very hard to get people to cover. Um, but they would never do anything knowing that you would be upset with them. So, um, the really nice thing that I found out recently is that there's 17 former students that Ms. Desiderio had that that went on to become music educators in Suffolk County, which is just such a tremendous um, uh, testament to you. And one that's up state uh, producing instruments, I believe. And countless more that are still playing because of the the how you've inspired them. I talked about Ms. Pansky um, coming in and and and always being at her best even when home wasn't
020the best. Um, that can be said for Dez as well. Uh, there's certainly have been some some obstacles that she's had to overcome. I remember many, many years ago a house flood. Um, there's been a lot of health uh, concerns that she's really had to be there for her husband. Um, but I will tell you there's not one student in this district that knows that. Um, and I think that as much as this was an escape for her at sometimes, um, I think that it was also her calling to to make sure those kids got the best of the best version of her in that that given moment. Um, I I know if anybody was able to be here last Thursday, was it? Last Thursday. But we got to witness one of the really most
021special moments that I've had in this district. This this was Ms. Desderio's last orchestra concert last Thursday. Um and I had mentioned in the beginning that she had come up to me and asked if she could have invite some alumni back to potentially play. Um now I knew some alumni didn't mean like a couple here and there. I had no idea the volume of what we would see. Um when I walked down prior to the concert to the the band room, um she said I think we have somewhere near 150 kids and alumni here. Uh there was about 70 alumni that that came here to play um that I believe represented every year that she had taught. Uh when I first walked in I I ran into one student that had had you in 1993
022in Laddy. Um and that was back to to really honor you. And the amount of conversations and in this profession you don't always have an opportunity to have these conversations. The amount of conversations I had that students were just so personally impacted by you. It was a tremendous night. So I I hope you had a chance to kind of digest it and embrace it um because to me that was that that was as good of a of a testament and as good of a way to to end your career on stage as it could be. So certainly I know you're looking forward to the next stage. Um I I know you're coming with us to graduation so you can join the this class. Do have to tell you one little story quick. Um Des is
023very diligent in her efforts as a musician and as a community member. Um there was a a fire in Connecticut >> [snorts] >> that the smoke had made its way to Miller Place. And when I walked outside I was notified that someone had called 911 cuz there was a fire in the building. It was Des. So when the when the fire chief arrived, it was a very funny story and he said he very kindly and very politely told us no, those fires are on the other side of the sound. So, luckily luckily the building still stood, but certainly congratulations. I will always laugh at that story. Well done. Next up, I'm going to invite Ms. Christine Mangimelli, principal to North Country Road Middle School to speak about Ms. Deborah Himmelmann. >> [clears throat] >> Thank
024you, and Ms. Himmelmann, will you please join me? Mr. Slavin asked if we're the same height. I tried to wear different shoes to be the same height as Ms. Himmelmann tonight, but It is truly an honor to recognize Ms. Himmelmann this evening as she celebrates her retirement after 26 years of dedicated service as an English teacher at the North Country Road Middle School. Debbie is the kind of educator who truly embodies the love of teaching. She is kind, patient, and deeply committed to her students. Not just in what she teaches, but in how she teaches it. Her passion for literature is undeniable. She has a remarkable ability to bring stories to life in a way that make them meaningful and accessible to all learners. Debbie never believed in taking the easy road. And she doesn't
025allow her students to either. She challenges them think to think deeply, to work hard, and to produce their very best. Every class period is purposeful, every lesson is intentional. She pushes her students to grow, and because of that, they achieve more than they ever thought possible. Every day she gives it her all. She's a true professional. At the same time, Debbie brings a unique energy to her classroom. She's theatrical in the best way possible, always keeping her students engaged, on their toes, and excited to learn, making learning come to life. She builds strong relationships and creates an environment where students feel connected, supported, and inspired. She's also a colleague who gives herself to others, welcoming others into her classroom, sharing her expertise, supporting new teachers to find their love of learning. Over the past several
026years, she worked closely alongside colleagues, mentoring, guiding, and sharing her love of teaching. She was always open to new ideas and committed to growing her practice. As she begins this next chapter, Debbie and her husband Carl are headed to New Hampshire, where they have built a beautiful home surrounded by stunning scenery, a true dream come true after many years of hard work and planning. We know she's also looking forward to spending more time with her grandson, a role that will bring her as much joy as she has brought to this community. Debbie, your dedication, your passion, your unwavering commitment to excellence have left to excellence have left a lasting impact on our school and generations to come. We're incredibly grateful for your service and the difference you have made. Congratulations on your retirement. You will
027truly be missed, and we wish you nothing but happiness in this well-deserved next chapter. >> So, that concludes our retiree uh acknowledgement. So, >> [laughter] >> So, at this time we're going to return up to the top of the stage here. Uh our retirees, you're free to go at this point in time, but thank you for all your hard work and dedication to Miller Place. >> So, we're to go forward with the superintendent's message. Good evening and welcome to the May Board of Education meeting. Uh the month of May has been busy outside the classrooms with nine musical concerts performed among our students at Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School, North Country Road Middle School, and Miller Place High School, along with the conclusion of spring athletics, the Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School Panther
028Players Club put on a performance of Frozen Kids and the North Country Road Middle School drama production of James and the Giant Peach will take place in June. At our art shows, our students displayed their best creativity at three of our buildings displaying a variety of works. North Country Road Middle School will host their art show again in June. Andrew Muller Primary School and Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach students had an opportunity to showcase their athleticism, sportsmanship, and camaraderie on field day. Congratulations to all our students for their hard work and talent. In athletics, five of our seven teams qualified for the county playoffs. That included boys and girls badminton, boys tennis, softball, and baseball. Softball is still competing as they beat Islip today. The Panthers will face Kings Park in the county finals this
029Saturday. Miller Place High School recently held a national letter of intent signing for 11 student athletes adding to the 25 from the fall. There are 36 student athletes who will continue their athletic and academic careers after graduation. Regarding activities taking place in our classrooms, I will defer to Ms. Keller. Our trustee will be reporting on behalf of the curriculum committee. Please check the district website calendar as our end-of-year activities continue throughout the month of June culminating in our high school graduation. Please remember that any updates to the calendars will be made in red. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Lipshy. Uh now for the board message to the community. Uh we would like to thank everyone for attending the board meeting tonight and we'd like to congratulate the honorees that are retiring. Uh Ms. Wrighten
030would not be is not able to be here tonight because she is attending the uh Nastic Nassau Suffolk School Boards Association 66th annual business meeting and school board service dinner. At this dinner, a retired Miller Place board member, Johanna Testa, will be honored for being selected to receive the Nassau Suffolk School Boards Service Award. This recognition recognition is from Johanna's peers to thank her for service to the Miller Place School District and community. In the May 26th edition of the Newsday, there was an article AP success surges on Long Island. Um It discussed This article discussed how schools have on the island have been increasing enrollments and success on AP exams. 110 schools were recognized for their commitment to success and students striving to achieve higher scores. Miller Place was awarded the civil level of
031distinction along with neighboring school districts of Mount Sinai and Shoreham Wading River. We would like to thank the Miller Place students for working to achieve this academic success. And we would also like to thank the administration and teachers for guiding and supporting those students. Additionally, the board would like to inform the community that the Board of Education will be hosting a meet and greet for Dr. Dr. Faris, our new incoming superintendent, on June 9th from 7:30 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and that will be held at the high school library here at Miller Place High School. Thank you. Next up, we have our publicly heard. Comments are limited to two minutes per person for a total of 30 minutes it and it must be related to agenda items only. If when you come up, please state
032your name, if you're a resident or a non-resident. All comments are directed to the Board of Education. >> Hello. I'm Walter Goering from Sound Beach. So, this is a personal issue, but so it's related, but maybe not the way you think about it. Could you update us a little bit about the process of selecting this new superintendent? How How did you decide? What were the criteria at the end? How many people made it to personal interview? >> Thank Thank you for coming down to uh I can go over this later. I mean, it can be brought up later. So, um I can provide provide some broad information on on the process and how long it took. Um it was uh probably 4 to 6-month process in which we hired an outside firm that was um
033we interviewed several firms. We hired uh one of the firms that we talked to and interviewed um that helped us with the search. Um they were in charge of going out there and posting it and receiving all of the resumes, going through the resumes. Um and once they went through and did uh examine what um before they I'm sorry. Let me take a step back for a second. Before they looked at the resumes, we actually gathered information from the community. Um the community was brought in and there were many questions that were asked of this by this firm to the community about what Miller Place wanted to see in our next superintendent. So, what they did is they took all of those those that data from the questions and then they they created what the
034community said is what they to see in the next superintendent. And there were several meetings uh with the board to to kind of go over that. And then they went into that process of interviewing. And then there were several rounds of interviews. Um we're we're not really out here to say how many people were selected in each round, but there were multiple rounds of interviews which led to our decision. >> Can you tell us how many made it to the final round? >> Um could would I be would I be able to get back to you because I would like to uh talk to Miss Wrighton first. >> Mhm. >> Um and I can get back to you in an email. >> I I Okay, I hope but this is not a privileged information. Maybe
035you just want to get an accurate number. >> I I I I I >> Because you don't we don't you're not mentioning any names, right? So it's just going to be >> You can Yeah, if you >> Five people six >> If you if you don't mind I would I don't I want to make sure that I'm going to give you the right information. Um I I think I know off the top of my head, but I also want to talk with Miss Wrighton, the board president, because I don't just want to speak. Normally we I tried to answer as much of your questions as we could. Um >> Just so you know, I'm not questioning any >> No, no, I I understand that. And I think you're genuinely just intrigued about the process and
036I I appreciate that. I just don't >> Okay. >> Um I don't want to give you the wrong information. >> Thank you. Okay, nobody else. We're going to move on to the consent agenda. One of the things I would like to highlight um was the every year we receive or they they are several donors for scholarships for our students. So we want to recognize those people and organizations. The Suffolk Association of School Board Officials. Um Mary Jane Steed. Uh Patricia Morbillo. Women of the Moose. Sophia Manolis. Um Sound Beach Music. Um Gabrielle and Joseph Faithful and Nancy Sanders. All donating to scholarship funds for our students. Okay. We need a motion on the consent agenda. >> Make a motion. >> Dr. Galligan. >> Second. >> Jan, all in favor? >> I. >> Okay, we have
037a student representative report. Steven. >> Okay. >> [clears throat] >> Um Good evening everyone. As AP season comes to an end, the school community has begun transitioning into the final stretch of the year with senior festivities, performances, athletic competition, and many other end of year events. Senioritis is in full effect for many other upperclassmen. Particularly me. Um as students balance their final academic responsibilities alongside a very active school environment. >> [clears throat] >> This spring season has been especially exciting for athletics. Many of our teams made deep playoff runs and represented the school extremely well throughout their seasons. Um most notably the softball team is still actively competing in the playoffs. I know they made the county championships. So good luck to them. Hopefully they can make it back to states. Um and then we
038get to go to the auditorium and watch them during school. >> [clears throat] >> Um student activities and performing arts have also been very active over the last couple of weeks. Tomorrow evening, students will participate in annual variety show where performers from across the school community will showcase their talents in music, comedy, dance, and other acts. Most of them are like fantasy football punishments. Um in addition, the music department recently held its spring chorus, band, and orchestra concerts, all of which were very successful and well-attended. The final showcase concert is, I think, next Wednesday if anybody wants to go check it out. Um the foreign language department also recently organized a trip to the Statue of Liberty in Little Italy as I discovered through the 46 Instagram stories I saw that evening. I was taking
039like a late AP exam, so I wasn't able to go, but I heard from everyone that it was a blast visiting important cultural and historical landmarks while connecting classroom learning with real-world experiences. Additionally, class student government elections took place last Friday, I believe, as students began uh began preparing for leadership transitions and planning for next year's school year. We congratulate all all newly elected officers and all the students who participated throughout the process. Overall, the school community has remained extremely active as we approach the conclusion of the academic year, and there are still many exciting events and accomplishments ahead. Thank you. >> Thank you, Steven. We have a couple of board committees. Miss Spagnola, please. >> Hi, good evening. Um I'm going to talk about the audit committee meeting. The district held its internal audit
040committee meeting uh tonight on May 28th, 2026 with the internal audit firm Naraghi Smith LLP. The audit partner and audit manager were in attendance uh along with the board members to discuss and review the audit function and final reports. The audit partner and manager reviewed the key control reports that were finalized for the 2025-2026 school year so far. The key control reports covered grant applications, journal entries, superintendent attendance, superintendent expense reimbursement, and federal and state reimbursement for transportation. The committee reviewed the cycle report for human resources. This cycle report was a detailed review of the internal controls over the human resources process. There were three minor findings in the report which are being addressed by the director of personnel. The committee discussed that the risk assessment report which audits the overall internal controls of the
041district has started and will continue over the summer. The board accepted the internal audit reports at tonight's meeting and the audit committee will meet with the internal auditors again in the fall to accept the final risk assessment report when completed. I'm pleased to say that they had a very positive report for us and really praised the district for its organization and um everything that they audited came out great. So, thank you. >> Thank you for your report. Miss Geller. >> Hi, I'm pleased to share a brief overview of our curriculum committee that met on May 7th this year. Our district continues to align its instructional practices with New York State learning standards while implementing the New York State portrait of a graduate framework. At AMS, students are learning about plants and animals by planting seeds
042in the classroom and visiting Benner's Farm. While at the farm, students took a tour, held small animals, and participated in planting activities. Further, AMS supported all and all students and NCR students by participating in part. NCR students visited AMS classrooms and read to the students. AMS students furthered their understanding of science and animals by exploring the life cycle of chickens and by hatching chicken eggs. At NCR, classrooms are integrating hands-on technology and science. For example, sixth grade math classes are using Indy car coding to learn math through trial and error. NCR students are also exploring lunar eclipses, planetary motion, and visited the Vanderbilt planetarium. The Friends of the Arts donated supplies to paint a mural at NCR with influential figures such as Martin Luther King, Anne Frank, Abraham Lincoln, and Malala. And the painting was
043done by a Miller Place graduate, Gavin San Filippo. Additionally, sixth graders recently built their own musical instruments using common household items. A core component of the portrait of the graduate is preparing students for life beyond Miller Place. This is being accomplished through many high school programs. English 11 students are engaging in Socratic seminars and argumentative essays and jigsaws to align with Regents exam expectations. They are also exploring complex themes and historical topics through the reading of The Crucible. We also have a number of students participating and earning awards in regional math and scientific science competitions. The business department has been supporting students understanding of taxes, insurance, and the job application process. Additionally, 38 students are participating in the Seal of Biliteracy. They are completing their projects in Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, and Russian. These programs provide
044students with the foundational skills of decision-making, economic literacy, cultural understanding, and effective communication. The district is furthering our civics programs through human rights education, civics engagement, and field trips. High school students engaged with a virtual reality tour of Auschwitz and the Mobile Museum of Tolerance to discuss the impact of human rights violations. Addition- Additionally, we recently celebrated over 104 students registering to vote. Thank you. >> Good. Thank you so much. At this moment, uh Ms. Card, do you have a bond update? >> Thank you. Um good evening, everyone. I would like to provide an update on the 2021 bond project. The NCR um ventilation project has been completed and the classroom air conditioning is up and running. The emergency access road construction work was bid on April 24th and was awarded on April 29th to
045United Paving for 723,000. This work will start shortly. The contractor will be starting from the road and working towards the district property. The turf, tennis courts, and technology {slash} robotics room was bid on 521 and the board awarded it tonight as follows. Uh for site work for uh the turf is Lan-Tech with 623,000. Um Parkland Asphalt for the tennis courts, for site work 634,000. General construction for the robotics tech room is ACL Construction for 180,000. Uh the tennis courts will hopefully start shortly once the contract and insurance review have been completed. Thank you. >> Thank you. Does anybody have any questions for me? >> Um the access road, did they give any indication of when that might be completed? Uh could it potentially be completed for the beginning of next school year? >> It should
046be. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Um they're going to start it early and then they're going to wait to go uh to a certain point and then wait until after graduation to continue uh the work. >> Great. Good news. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> And um really quickly, the tennis courts, um is that work anticipated to be complete over the summer for next year? >> If everything goes according to plan, yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right, then next up we have um a the Mr. Hershaft. >> Thank you. Uh we're going to be speaking about the code of conduct. So, the proposed code of conduct updates for the 2026-2027 school year will primarily focus on artificial intelligence and the appropriate use of artificial intelligence. Uh the major additions and revisions um will
047be really focusing on how students are expected to use all artificial intelligence uh technologies in a safe, lawful, ethical, and academically appropriate manner. Uh any inappropriate use of AI may result in disciplinary consequences consistent with uh the code of conduct including but not limited to violations including plagiarism, cheating, harassment, bullying, cyberbullying, intimidation, or insubordination. >> Underneath the discussion and action, um we go over a few things here. Um we have to accept the annual vote results. So, on May 20 May 19th, 2026, there was a uh vote for the school budget, library contract, uh the museum budget, and then the um two board of ed positions. So, proposition one was the budget. Um there was 468 yeses and 166 nos. Uh that passed. The library contract was 554 yeses, 80 nos. That passed. Uh the
048museum budget uh was 421 yeses, 207 nos. There were two uh members elected to the board of education for a 3-year term commencing on July 1st, 2026. Um that was Lisa Wright-Hand with 455 votes elected. And then, uh, John Galligan, 449 votes elected. There was 38 write-in votes or other votes. Uh, can I have a motion, please? >> Motion. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Aye. >> All opposed? Carried. The next item here is a real property tax exemption for surviving spouse of a police officer killed in a line of duty. Um, I need a motion on this. >> Make a motion. >> Second is Andrea. All in favor? >> Aye. >> All right. We have, uh, no first time reading for board policies. We have, uh, several policies in review and several policies
049in action. Um, I need a motion by the board. >> Motion. Second. >> All in favor? >> Aye. >> Okay. Um, that leads us to our second public be heard. Comments are limited to 2 minutes per person with a total of 30 minutes. Um, each person must state their name, whether a resident or non-resident. All comments are directed to the Board of Education. Board of Education follows policy 1440, public complaints about district personnel, in which the board discourages those complaints or criticisms about district personnel at in public meetings. If there's a concern about individual district personnel, please contact the Superintendent of Schools. Please come up to the microphone. >> Can >> just had like a little bit of a question. Oh, I'm sorry. Do you know if like they were doing like the fence, like
050the and then like what are they doing with the actual courts, like all eight of them? >> They're they're replacing them in kind, the same uh format. >> So, like everything's getting like redone, basically? >> Yes. All the fencing is being replaced, all of the the asphalt, everything is being pulled totally uh pulled out and replaced. >> And and the fences, too? The Okay, thank you. >> have to be. >> Mordecai Green from Sound Beach again. In this report on 2021 bond, it caught my attention, this there's 300-something thousand dollars for turf. Could Could it be I'm sorry, it's for you, question. Uh could this be explained? What turf, where, why, and so on? >> Actually, uh Dr. Green, that was just the bid award, that was not actually out of the bonds. That was
051actually out of the transfer to capital account, the turf. And it was 623,000. Um that project was approved back in November by the Board of Education. >> Okay, I missed it. Okay, which turf was replaced? >> Uh it's going to be the stadium turf. >> Stadium? [snorts] The one that was put new some number of years ago? >> About 13, 14 years ago. It's now time to replace it, and we're doing it as a transfer to capital, and we're not bonding it. >> Thank you. >> All right. >> Any others? >> We have no one No other, correct? We need a motion to adjourn the meeting. >> Motion. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Thank you so much for coming tonight. >> Thank you, everyone. >> Yeah, we're going to have to
052make a motion to reopen the meeting to accept somebody coming to you public hearing. >> Okay, I'll make a motion to reopen. >> Second. All in favor? >> I. >> No, come on down. Andrea. Dr. Galligan. >> I'm really nervous. I don't do well public speaking. Uh, my name is Stephanie Ogurk. I'm here today as a parent and a resident of Miller Place. My eldest son is in UPK at Andrew Miller Primary School and there has been an increase of tick activity, especially on school grounds. I saw today that News 12 covered a story and a representative from the district had said that there have been no sightings on ticks on on at any of the schools. >> [gasps] >> I'm aware the school follows the Cornell C A L S and the IPM, which
053requires the grounds to have short grass and trim any overhang of trees. They do a drag test with a sheet and essentially, if there's no ticks on the sheet, there's no need to spray. However, that's not the case. I don't feel it's adequate enough to let those measures dictate if a spray should or should not be done. Multiple parents have come forth saying their children came home from school with ticks on them. Staff members of the school have also sent out messages to parents about tick activity on school grounds. Some have reported seeing ticks crawling on the rug in the classroom as well. These were verbally communicated to the parents and the teachers by the teachers. Myself along with others began a petition to hopefully get the district to implement stronger tick control measures and
054add frequent tick sprays to their standard procedure. We as parents do our part to make sure our children are going to school clear of ticks and we do the same for after school. We expect the school where our children spend 6 to 8 hours of the day to do their part to keep them safe as well. None of the above information is based on feelings or complaint alone. There is concrete data and proof as well. In my son's class collectively 10 ticks were removed from a total of eight children. That is almost 50% and that does not include the other classrooms at amps. These children go outside about two to three times a day and we shouldn't have to fear for our children while they're outside enjoying school. Thank you. >> Thank you for your
055comment. >> Thank you. >> I'm just going to reply quickly. I know that you spoke to our board of president our board president about the issue. Um I I think we were made aware today that there was a news 12 that you mentioned. So I'm not really sure what they reported. That's that's their reporting, but just to summarize what the board president went over with you was that the the drag tests that you mentioned produced no ticks, but since um you had brought all of this to our attention um we are going to be spraying the tick kills starting this Friday. We're going to be on a 2-week schedule through the end of the year and then also continuing the rest of our measures. So we absolutely were taking the complaint seriously. Thank you for
056coming in and hopefully um that helps mitigate whatever ticks are we're seeing. Thank you. >> Need a motion to adjourn the meeting. >> Motion. >> Second. >> All in favor. >> I. >> Meeting is adjourned. >> All right. Good night everyone.