001Good evening. This is a regular scheduled Board of Education meeting. The Board of Education was an executive session with Josh Scheiderman in accordance with Open Meeting Law 105D, discussions regarding proposed, pending, or current litigation, CVA matters. And then with Gregory Gillen in accordance with Open Meeting Law 105D, discussions regarding proposed, pending, or current litigation, special education matters. And Open Meeting Law 105H, the proposed acquisition, sale, or lease of real property, or the proposed acquisition of securities, or sale, or exchange of securities held by such a public body. Also, excuse me, in accordance with Open Meeting Law 105D, discussions regarding proposed... Pending, or current litigation, charter school opposition, attorney review, and in accordance with Open Meeting Law 105F, specific personnel matters, agenda review. To minimize disruption during the student and staff award recognition segment, please remain
002in the meeting until after the PTA report. A brief intermission will occur after the PTA report for those wishing to leave before the second half of the meeting. Please do not enter or exit the auditorium while... Okay. The presentation is in progress. To be respectful of our presenters. We're going to ask you to please remain standing until after the video of the Star Spangled Banner, which is performed by Eugene Auer, 4th and 5th grade chorus, under the direction of Ms. Kelly Voigt, chorus teacher. At this time, I invite Mr. Bernardino, principal of Eugene Auer Memorial Elementary School, and his 5th grade students to the podium to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. We had a slight change. We had a slight change of plans, and Suhana couldn't make it yet, so Frederick's going to interpret for
003us, and we could all say it together. I pledge allegiance to the flag. It is my pleasure to introduce Frederick Dahm and Suhana Wahid, who could not be here this evening, as Eugene Auer's Students of the Month. We are celebrating Kindness Week, culminating in P.S. I Love You this Friday, and I couldn't think of a more deserving and kind student than Frederick and Suhana. Both of them light up any room they enter. They are hardworking and dedicated, super kind students who like to cheer up others. Suhana is often the first person to give others a compliment, and Frederick, as the mayor of Eugene Auer, loves to offer and give hugs. And he gives great hugs. At Eugene Auer, we are all so proud of them. Congratulations. I'm excited to share with you a few new
004additions at Eugene Auer. We started this school year introducing the cougar as our mascot. On the eve of the first day of school, my Connect Ed to students and families included a mystery surprise for the following day. I only indicated that we'd have a VIP joining us for the first day. You can see we had two. Special thanks to our PTA, our teacher Ms. Caputo, and Mr. Mercado. We had a soft opening of our new, completely reimagined sensory room. It was hard work, and we are so proud of how it's turning out. Together with Dr. Harrison, Buildings and Grand Towers, and the University of Michigan, we are so proud of our new sensory room. We are so proud of how it's turning out. Together with Dr. Harrison, Buildings and Grand Towers, our speech department, psychologists,
005and special education teachers, we have been planning, designing, and applying for grants for the past year. With support from a district mini-grant, we were able to carefully select items we knew students would enjoy and need, and it's come together beautifully. We aren't completely done yet, but our students have started to use the space. You can see our students are loving it. They are benefiting greatly from the extra opportunity to help regulate. They are developing sensory diets and adding preemptive sensory breaks to their school routines, and finding great success. Doesn't it seem peaceful and very comfortable? It's calming just to see the pictures. We're also working with all staff to understand the purpose, objective, and use of each item, and our OT, PT, speech, behavior specialist, and special education staff have been instrumental in working together
006to label, provide training, and set up the space so functionally. You can see our colorful, informative signs and instructions for each activity. We also would like to thank the Middle Country Education Foundation for their support of Ms. Vannor, our library teaching assistant, and her mini-grant request for indoor recess bins for each grade level. We purchased games and creative activities to be used during indoor recess. It's been a big hit, especially with this weather. And I'll leave you with our motto, work hard and be kind. That's our power. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This is our secondary student of the month. If I could please have Mr. Graviano to the podium. High five, and pound your one. Ready to go? Yeah.
007All right. Good evening, everyone. It is with tremendous joy that I introduce to all of you, Newfield High School student of the month of February, Mr. Ed Meyer St. Hilaire. He's a junior this year, and since day one, when he came into Newfield his freshman year, he has spread happiness to all, from teachers to administration to students and students to security, to support staff, and of course to his fellow students. When finding out he earned student of the month, that already infectious smile got bigger. From my own experiences and interactions with Ed Meyer, when he's around, my world is a happier place and my stressors fall by the wayside. That being said, I always take advantage of opportunities to chat with Ed Meyer. Today he told me that some of his favorite teachers include, and
008there were more than just these, Ms. Westby and Ms. Tavella. Coincidentally, you are one of their favorites as well. Yeah, I know, you know that don't you? Ms. Westby, Ed Meyer's math teacher, stated, Ed Meyer is an outstanding human being. His joy is infectious, his smile lights up every room, and he radiates positivity throughout Newfield. He loves to greet each student and faculty member with a fist bump, doubles if you are VIP, which, side note, initially, I took offense to this because now, in my three years of knowing you, my man, I never got a double fist bump until today. I learned, he did explain, that the only reason why is because every time we talk, it's either in the cafeteria with his favorite quesadilla in hand or before first period when he's going to
009class with his bacon, egg, and cheese in hand, which I completely understand. It is all about the food and it's what we bond about, right? Ms. Westby went on to say about Ed Meyer's it's easy to see how his simple interactions positively enhance the school climate as Ed Meyer makes an instant impact everywhere he goes. He is adored by all who encounter him. Ms. Tavella, Ed Meyer's English 11 teacher, explained, for the past three years, the years, Ed Meyer has been a constant source of light and inspiration in our English class. He is truly a remarkable young man whose sunshiny disposition is felt the moment he walks through the door, greeting everyone with a warm smile and a high five. Beyond his endless kindness and polite nature, Ed Meyer is a dedicated student who approaches
010every lesson with a never give up attitude. He's one of our most enthusiastic participants, always eager to read aloud or to answer questions. Even when faced with a challenge or a mistake, his resilience shines through as he remains willing to try and try again. Ed Meyer is a once in a lifetime student who has genuinely changed my life for the better, and I am so grateful for the three years we have spent learning together. So as usual, I couldn't copy and paste every response from teachers and other staff, and there were so many, but here were some other brief descriptions. He brings smiles and laughter wherever he goes. Ed Meyer is the best human I know. He radiates kindness, happiness, and positivity. His smile lights up every room. He brightens everyone's day. He's a ray
011of sunshine. He's full of good vibes. He's one in a million, and he's got awesome dance moves that he loves to show off. So our favorite musician is... we want to bust out a little moonwalk? Do it. Go ahead, my man. Yeah. Nailed it. . . I painted a picture of how big this crowd would be and he was still all for it. At Newfield, it's Wellness Week. Its purpose is really to add to and support of PS I Love You Day, which is every second Friday in February. It's a day the founders hope to see an ocean of people in purple standing up to bullying, helping end depression, and ultimately ending suicide, and hearing nothing but positive messages that make others feel special, feel loved, and reminded that they're never alone. Ed Meyer, so
012many of your teachers stated that you light up the room, you're a ray of sunshine, and that your smile is so bright. I don't think it's a coincidence that this year's theme for PS I Love You Day is Be the Light. I think this was all meant to be. What co-founders Brooke and Jamie Del Palma want out of every year this very special PS I Love You Day is exactly what you do on a regular basis. You are one of Newfield's beacons of light. We all see you. We all love you. We all feel your positive energy. And we just ask one favor, that you continue to bring the incredibly good vibes to Newfield that you bring every day. Can you do that? If you can, then I can promise that we at Newfield will
013work hard to be the light for you. You are a very special young man to all of us at Meyer St. Hilaire, and I hope you can feel all of the good vibes and love that are here in this room for you tonight, because you most certainly deserve it. Congratulations on being Newfield High School's Student of the Month, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your February. Yeah, wait. Come here. Don't go anywhere. Congratulations. If I could please have Mr. Bell to the podium. Good evening. I'm not going to ask Isabelle to moonwalk, but nevertheless, we love her just as much. It is my great pleasure to introduce Isabelle Pierre as the Center Reach High School Student of the Month. Isabelle is an outstanding student in every way. She is someone with whom
014all at Center Reach can be proud. Isabelle entered Center Reach and soon recognized her ability to achieve greatness here. She continued to challenge herself academically while taking advantage of all that Middle Country offers. She began by taking typical classes as a freshman and will leave us having excelled in chemistry, physics, AP biology, and a slew of college courses, including business law, introduction to criminal justice, precalculus, economics, and more. She hit every subject area. Isabelle is truly a self-motivated student, that thirsts for knowledge. Interestingly, her transcript indicates that as the courses and exams became more difficult, her grades just kept going up. This is a true testament to her work ethic. Isabelle looks for opportunities to help others outside of the school setting. She works with various organizations, assisting with food and clothing drives throughout our
015community. She has a kind heart and a tireless work ethic, two key ingredients when reaching out to others. Teachers nominated Isabelle for the Center Reach High School Student of the Month for the School of Engineering. Teachers nominated Isabelle for this award, so naturally when I reached out to them for comments, they came flooding into my email. Ms. Visconti, Isabelle's physics teacher, stated, Isabelle is a bright, hardworking student who is true to herself and always striving for personal improvement. She's curious, inquisitive, and a joy to have in class. She can be quiet, but her actions speak loudly every day. She is consistently respectful, conscientious with her work, and highly motivated to do her best. What truly stands out is her ability to advocate for herself, asking thoughtful questions, seeking support when needed, and taking ownership of
016her learning. Isabelle leads by example, showing that character, effort, and determination don't always have to be loud to be powerful. Ms. Fitzgerald, Isabelle's college English teacher, concurred. Isabelle is a very conscientious student. She advocates for herself by asking for clarification when needed and does not hesitate to share her ideas and thoughts with others. She has a calm, pleasant demeanor and is always a pleasure. Isabelle is a wonderful role model for her peers. And lastly, Ms. Anderson, with whom Isabelle has worked with closely, described her as one of the most resilient, dedicated, and caring students with whom I've worked. Throughout high school, she has faced several challenges. However, nothing prevents her from consistently demonstrating kindness, having a positive attitude, and facing each day with courage. I asked Isabelle how she was able to maintain such high
017grades, and she responded that she wanted to prove to herself and to others that no matter how hard things can be, that she would still be able to do well in school. She refuses to sacrifice her future. This perspective is truly one of resiliency and maturity. I do not know many people that are capable or able to do that. But I do know that I have the ability to manage things with the same grace and composure that Isabelle does on a daily basis. She's truly one of a kind, and I feel lucky to know such a wonderful student and person. As administrators in the building, Ms. Rappisarda and I also noted these outstanding characteristics in Isabelle and found opportunities in which she could assist. We asked Isabelle to represent our school in meetings with the
018Board of Education to advocate for herself and her peers. We utilized her mature and calm approach to help mediate conflicts involving other students. And we asked her to be a student ambassador to new students entering Centering High School. Who better to learn from than Isabelle? Thank you to Donwood Middle School, Holbrook Elementary, and to Isabelle's family for providing Centering High School with such an incredible young lady. As you might expect, Isabelle is highly sought after by colleges and universities. She plans to major in biology with hopes of becoming a doctor. She is currently weighing her options and listening to scholarship offers from schools such as LSU, Temple, the University of New Haven, and Hofstra. Her preference as of this week is Syracuse University or Quinnipiac, which has already offered her $32,000 per year of their
019Presidential Scholarship for their innovative dual degree program. Quite amazing. Isabelle, thank you for all you've done to make Centering High School a special place, and congratulations. Congratulations. If I could please have Ms. Ragazzi to the podium. Good evening. It is a pleasure to recognize Dia Singh as our Donwood Middle School Student of the Month for February. Dia is an outstanding seventh grade student who consistently demonstrates dedication, curiosity, and a strong sense of responsibility toward her learning. Dia's commitment to excellence is also reflected in her academic performance. This year she is maintaining an impressive 99.14 overall score. Last year as a sixth grader, she finished with a 98.33 average. These remarkable accomplishments speak not only to her ability, but to her consistency, discipline, and belief that effort truly matters. As Mr. Mazzafaro, her math teacher, shared,
020Dia is respectful, kind, and a positive presence in the classroom, and her strong work ethic truly sets her apart. Mr. Centarelli says Dia is always putting forth her best effort, and that dedication is clear in everything she does in band. Over the past two years, she has shown herself to be an incredibly diligent and focused student who leads by example in her section. By modeling responsibility, commitment, and seriousness towards her work, Dia raises the bar for those around her. Just as importantly, her character and positive attitude make her a true pleasure to work with. In seventh grade ELA, Dia's natural curiosity shines. Ms. Pinciaco shared that you can see the wheels turning as Dia asks thoughtful questions and digs deeper into her learning. She believes effort matters, and when something feels challenging, she leans in
021rather than backing away. She balances her determination with kindness, consistently supporting her classmates, and showing gratitude, proving that being smart and being kind go hand in hand. Ms. Fiano describes Dia as someone with natural motivation who works for herself, not recognition, which is evident in everything she does. Dia is also an active member of our Dawnwood School community. She serves as vice president of the Activities Club, is a member of the Honor Society, Art Club, participated in Fall Cross Country, and will join the Track and Field Team this spring. Her favorite subject is ELA, especially writing, and she hopes to pursue a career in law. Inspired by her strength in debate and using evidence to support her ideas. Outside of school, Dia volunteers at her temple often and is also a competitive member of a
022dance team that will soon perform at Cornell University. When meeting with Dia, she shared about her involvement in Bhangra, an Indian dance known for its vibrant energy and powerful rhythms. As she described the music, the movement, and the teamwork behind her performance, her face lit up with excitement and her passion and happiness were unmistakable. I later had the opportunity to see a video of her dance and she is truly amazing. She shared the exciting possibility of serving as a backup dancer for a concert at Madison Square Garden in May. I learned that Bhangra is often described as a joyous celebration of life, a meaning that beautifully reflects the enthusiasm, dedication, and pride Dia brings to everything she does. Dia credits her parents as her greatest inspiration, admiring their hard work and dedication to make the
023best life possible for her and her sister. Dia truly represents the best of our school community. We are proud to celebrate her today. Congratulations, Dia. Congratulations. If I could please have Mr. Miranda to the podium. Good evening, everybody. I would like to introduce Selden Middle School's February Student of the Month, Miss Amber Lang. Before I get into just how incredible Amber is, I wanted to say I've had the pleasure of getting to know the entire Lang family, working closely with her mom, Heather, who is a vital member of our PTA, and it's no coincidence why Amber is so incredible. She comes from an amazing family who are all here tonight to support her, including her dad, Jim, and her older brother, Carter. And not only do I want to say thank you to Amber, but
024I also want to say thank you to the entire Lang family for being such a huge part of the Middle Country family. But today is about Amber. It is my pleasure to recognize a student who truly embodies the dedication, kindness, and resilience. Amber is someone who quietly and consistently makes our school a better place simply by being herself. You may even recognize her from last Board of Education meeting, where she was recognized for the work she did with Dr. Anambara in highlighting our planetarium. Amber is sitting comfortably with a 99.7 GPA. She has a special love for learning, especially math. She shared that math is her favorite subject, because she loves to make sense and has a clear purpose. She enjoys working with statistics and mathematical information, and finds satisfaction in solving problems and discovering
025how everything connects. Her love for math and statistics is one of the main reasons why one day she hopes to become an actuary. When I asked Amber what subject she finds most challenging, her response really stood out to me. Instead of naming a class, she said, I'm lucky to have such amazing teachers who make the material easy to understand. That gratitude and positive outlook say so much about her character. She also emphasized the special relationship she has with Ms. Mayorca, her orchestra teacher, who said she is so kind and always there for her students. When I had the opportunity to ask our staff about Amber, the positive comments came flooding in. Ms. Rose stated, her Spanish teacher, Amber is one of the most amazing students I've ever had. Ms. Alta Brando, her ELA teacher, said,
026Amber is a force of nature both in and out of the classroom. She has a true passion for learning and excelling in all content areas. She asks thoughtful questions, challenges ideas, strives to be her best self, and often helps her peers. She is a true leader, and it's evident that she will be successful in anything she sets her mind to. She is a wonderful student, and I look forward to seeing all the amazing things that she will accomplish. Ms. Flood, her math teacher, shared, This young lady is brilliant. She is kind, caring, considerate, and always has a smile on her face. She consistently strives for excellence and inspires everyone around her. Amber is always willing to help other students and constantly exceeds all expectations. Mr. Bronco, her National Junior Honor Society advisor, said, Amber has
027been a wonderful addition to this year's chapter of National Junior Honor Society. She is a natural born leader, and her willingness to contribute without hesitation, as well as her commitment to the community, is something that I will never forget. Ms. Rose said, Amber's dedication, as well as her dedication to the community, make her a standout member. She is truly a team player, and we are excited to see how she continues to make meaningful contributions in the future. Ms. Mallorca, her orchestra teacher, stated, She is outstanding in every way. She is dedicated and a talented member of our orchestra. She balances sports and schoolwork like a pro, and is a wonderful choice. Ms. Mallorca also wanted me to formally request that Amber not be allowed to go to high school, because we will all miss her
028way to campus. Ms. Mallorca also wanted me to formally request that Amber not be allowed to go to high school, because we will all miss her way to campus. Amber is incredibly involved in our school community. She serves as president of the math club, participates in our scientific computing club, plays in our chamber orchestra, and is a member of our National Junior Honor Society. Outside of academics, she plays tennis and softball, and her leadership doesn't stop there. She also gives her time to others by volunteering at Bible school and helping disabled adults play softball in the summer. Amber just recently was crowned our runner-up in our schoolwide spelling bee, in our school-wide spelling bee, knocking down many challenging words without breaking a sweat. I even had to go home and open a dictionary. It was
029very impressive. Amber also has an entrepreneurial spirit. One of the things she is most proud of is participating in her very first craft fair and learning that even at a young age, she can build something successful. That confidence and initiative are inspiring. Family plays an important role in Amber's life. She looks up to her Aunt Kelly, who has faced many challenges, but is still a great role model. She also admires her older brother, Carter, who she describes as smart, funny, talented in music, and someone she is always proud of. It is clear that love and inspiration surround her. Amber shared that one of the experiences that shaped her most was losing a cousin at a young age. From that loss, she learned something powerful that every day is not promised. We should make the very
030best of the time that we have. That perspective has helped shape the thoughtful and purposeful person that she is today. She has big dreams. She has dreams for the future, including traveling and seeing different parts of the world. And if you know Amber, she'll absolutely make those dreams happen. She also loves country music, which I think fits perfectly. Grounded, heartfelt, and full of stories. But perhaps the most meaningful thing that Amber shared is the quote that she said, no matter how dark it is, you can always find sunlight. That quote captures who Amber is. She brings light. She brings positivity. She brings hope and determination into every space that she enters. Amber, we are so proud of your leadership, your kindness, your resilience, and the example you set every day. You truly represent the best
031of Selden Middle School. Congratulations to Amber Lang, our Student of the Month. We would also like to call up Mrs. Tabolt and Mrs. Rose. There they are, they're coming up to present flowers as well. Congratulations. And now for our Athletes of the Month, if I could please have Mr. Mercado to the podium. Good evening. It's my pleasure to announce our Athletes of the Month. We're going to be mainly doing our Athletes of the Month for January, but we do have one athlete who I believe is here who was not able to be here for December, and that is from, he's from Newfield Boys Basketball, and that's Renard Fields. Sorry, man, take your time. Coach Herring couldn't be here this evening, but he did send along these words about Renard. Renard Fields has been a key
032contributor to the team with his energy, effort, and consistency. He brings a strong presence on the court, using his athleticism and offensive ability to make an impact in big moments. Renard's confidence, work ethic, and willingness to compete every day have helped set the tone for the team. Beyond his performance in games, Renard continues to improve through his dedication and practice and commitment in getting better. His positive attitude makes him a well-deserving selection for Athlete of the Month. Congratulations to Renard Fields, December Newfield Athlete of the Month. Now we move to our January. Now we move to our January Athletes of the Month. First up will be from Newfield, and that is our Newfield Female Athlete of the Month, and she's on the Newfield Cheerleading Team. She'll be introduced by her head coach, Ms. Larissa D'Amato,
033and that's Sophia Algieri. Hello, everybody. Sophia is a true example of consistency, hard work, and heart. She, as a junior, is a three-year varsity athlete. She shows up every day ready to learn, push herself, and try new things without hesitation. Her positive attitude and constant smile lift up the entire team, and her dedication never goes unnoticed. Sophia is the kind of athlete that every coach hopes for. I've had the pleasure of starting her cheer journey with her in seventh grade as her middle school coach, and now I have the privilege of watching her grow over the last three years as a varsity athlete. This is truly something incredibly special for me. She leads with kindness, balances great academics, including dedication to her team. She shows up every day as a true champion, and a true
034team player. Sophia is the friend everybody can count on. She's supportive, encouraging, and genuine in everything she does. She never says no to trying something new, no matter how challenging it may be, and that bravery has helped her shape not only her as an amazing athlete, but our entire team. Sophia, you should be so proud of the amazing athlete, student, friend, and young woman you've become. Your impact goes far beyond the mat, and I am so grateful to be a part of this journey, and I can't wait to see the amazing things you will do in the future. Next is our Newfield Male Athlete of the Month for the month of January. He's from the Newfield Wrestling Team. He'll be introduced by his head coach, Mr. Frank Ganter, and that's Joseph Alfaro. Good evening, ladies
035and gentlemen, and thank you to the Board of Ed and Mr. Mercado for having us here tonight to honor all of these fantastic student athletes. Joseph only became part of the Wolverines Wrestling Program when he transferred in from a small school upstate last year, and thank God. His positive attitude, work ethic in the room, and his willingness to give it all on the mat has made him a key component of the wrestling program and a captain of the team this year. He's a role model to all the young wrestlers on the team, not only in the wrestling room, but in the classroom, where he has just under a 90 GPA, and his life as well. Joseph's energy, spirit, will be greatly missed next year as he goes off to either Eastern University or SUNY Brockport,
036hopefully to continue his wrestling career and begin his college journey. I thank you for your service as a Newfield wrestler, and I give you Joseph Alfaro, Newfield High School Student Athlete of the Month. So Joe, you're the reason why we got all this snow. You brought it with you from upstate, didn't you? We'll just blame you. Next we move on to our center-reach female athlete of the month for the month of January. She's from our Middle Country Girls Track and Field Team. She'll be introduced by her head coach, Ms. Kristen Hueschneider, and that is Jocelyn Skardelatos. Good evening, everyone. Tonight I want to take a moment to recognize an exceptional athlete and a leader from our Middle Country Track and Field Team. Jocelyn. Jocelyn is the definition... Go ahead, clap. She deserves it. Jocelyn is
037the definition of a complete athlete. She's the type of competitor who can step into any event and rise to the occasion, having successfully competed everywhere from the 55-meter sprint all the way up to the 800. Her range as an athlete alone is impressive, but what truly sets Jocelyn apart is her leadership, work ethic, and constant desire to improve. Jocelyn is a strong, steady presence on our team. Someone her teammates naturally look up to and respect. She leads by example every single day of practice, showing up focused, locked in, and ready to work. In my two years of coaching Jocelyn, I've seen her grow tremendously, both as an athlete and as a person. She's transformed into one of the hardest workers on the team, consistently pushing herself out of her comfort zone and embracing challenges head
038on. Anything asked of Jocelyn, she gives 100%. No excuses, no shortcuts, just effort, accountability, and toughness. She takes coaching extremely well, applies feedback immediately, and is always looking for ways to get better. That mindset is what separates good athletes from great ones, and Jocelyn continues to prove she belongs in that higher tier. Jocelyn wrapped up her winter season last night at the state qualifier, running the 600-meter, where she was ranked 14th in all of Section 11. We couldn't be more proud and excited to see her carry this momentum into an even bigger spring season ahead. We're so proud of you. We move on to our mail-out. We're going to move on to our mail athlete of the month for January. He's from the Center Reach Boys basketball team. He comes with Center Reach's number one
039fan, his mom, without a doubt. See? All you have to do is say it, and she's ready to go. That's Jack Kiernan. I was going to say the same thing. Took my line. Good evening and congratulations to all of the award winners today. It's my distinct pleasure to introduce Jack Kiernan. Junior, two-year varsity athlete, and I can't wait until next year to see him as a senior on the court. Didn't write any prepared notes. I can come up here comfortably and speak off the cuff about Jack. It's very easy. Knowing Jack for two years as a varsity player, he comes to you with the same demeanor every game. He's ready to practice every single day in that gym. He's the same whether we win or lose, but he comes back strong. He's a great athlete.
040He's a great team. Nominated Jack. Had a slow start to the season, averaging five points a game in December. But he rebounded to average 11.2 points a game in January on a team that's still developing. So we're certainly not at the highest level of wins. But Jack brought that competitive edge that we needed. or field goals so it was a very easy nomination jack brings high character well liked by his teammates i recently learned that jack's academics are equally stellar he was very close second for a county award for all academic player but on the basketball court starter all season long came back from his struggles and he earned this athlete of the month hands down he was my number one athlete for january congratulations thank you coach winkle our next athlete is our middle
041country athlete of the month for the month of january and that is newfield boys basketball player christian marshall see reynard even your teammates faster than me coach harry couldn't be here this evening but he did send along these words christian is a three-year varsity player and the captain of this year's team he has shown outstanding leadership dedication and commitment to the team and the team has been a great team for the last three years and work ethic both on and off the court christian consistently leads by example and has earned the respect of his coaches and teammates through his commitment to the program in the classroom christian's hard work is just as impressive he currently holds a 92 gpa showing the same focus and determination academically as he does athletically christian truly represents what it
042means to be a student athlete making him a deserving selection for middle country athlete of the month and last but not least is we have our second athlete of the month and he's a former national football player he's a former national football player he's a former national football player and he's a former national football player and he's a former national football player and he's a former national football player and he's a former national football player and he's a former middle country most highly decorated athletes and she is our middle country athlete of the month for the month of january that center each girls basketball player haley torres will be introduced by her head coach mr steve greco good evening tonight i have the honor of presenting january's middle country female athlete of the month to
043haley torres it is truly an honor to stand here and recognize someone who represents everything we want center each girls basketball to be about haley's journey with the program began in a way i'll never forget how i first met haley torres in 2015 i was in my first year at dawnwood middle school after returning from covid i was entering my first season as the varsity coach and several phys ed teachers told me you need to see this kid haley was in seventh grade when i invited her to the first varsity open gym within minutes and one simple ball handling drill i knew she was a special player the very next day i asked her if she wanted to come up and play on the varsity i told her i believed she could become a thousand
044point scorer one day little did i know she would reach that milestone before her senior year And what makes it even more remarkable is that during her seventh grade varsity season was a COVID-shortened year. We only played six games. So in reality, she accomplished that milestone in just four full seasons. She became only the third female basketball player in Center Beach history to reach 1,000 career points, and she did it as a junior. I still remember that night at Belport when she needed 16 more points to hit 1,000. She scored 10 in the first quarter. She told me afterwards it felt awkward because she was looking for her shot more than usual, and that is not who she is. That's not how she plays. But when she hit that three-pointer in the second quarter to
045reach 1,000 points, it was one of the proudest moments our program has experienced. And now as she finishes her career, her numbers are staggering. 1,252 career points, 529 career rebounds, 430 career assists, 355 career steals, three times. She is a Newsday preseason top 100 player to watch, five-time All-League, four-time All-Conference, four-time All-County. She will graduate as the second leading scorer in Center Beach history, but her impact on this program goes far beyond the stat sheet. Haley is the true definition of a true point guard. She runs our offense. She controls tempo. She makes the right reads. She draws the toughest defensive assignment every single night. Opposing teams build their game plan around stopping her, and she still produces. But when she gets to the end of the season, she's a real player. But what separates
046her is that she would much rather make the right pass than force a shot. Her 430 career assists tell that story. She makes everyone around her better. She has been an extension of me on the court for six years. That's rare. As a coach, you dream of having a player who understands your philosophy, who communicates it, and who leads by example. Haley has done that since she was in seventh grade. But maybe the most powerful part of her legacy is what she's done for this program. Before Haley joined varsity, she was a professional basketball player. But after she joined varsity, the four seasons prior, the program's record was 4-74. In the past five seasons, we are 67-39 with five consecutive playoff appearances. That turnaround doesn't happen by accident. It happens because of leadership. It happens
047because of culture change. It happens because someone who refuses to accept losing. And that someone has been Haley Torres. Her teammates describe her as a great player, a leader, motivational, insanely funny, and tough. They trust her. They believe in her. And time and time again, when we need a play, a big shot, a steal, a defensive stop, or an inspirational message, she delivers. She is a relentless competitor. She plays both ends of the floor. She defends. She rebounds. She sacrifices. She leads. And while her basketball career at Center Reach is coming to a close, her journey is far from over. She plans to continue her basketball career in college and major in criminal justice. Whatever school is lucky enough to land her is not just getting a phenomenal score. They are getting a leader and
048a culture changer. Haley, you have changed this program forever. You've raised the standard. You've inspired younger players. You've represented Center Reach with pride, class, and toughness. The entire Center Reach girls basketball program and coaching staff are extremely proud of you. Congratulations on a great career and being named this month's Middle Country Female Athlete of the Month. Thank you, everyone. And please be sure to join us next Wednesday at 5 o'clock at Harborfields High School where you can see the women's basketball team. And the Center Reach girls basketball team can start their journey in the playoffs. Thank you. Thank you. And congratulations to all the athletes honored this evening. Now for a certificate of recognition, if I could please have Mr. Bernardino back to the podium, Principal Eugene Auer, to present a certificate of recognition to
049a teaching assistant for her quick response in performing the Heimlich maneuver on a child, on a student. Unfortunately, our next honoree is not fit to be here. She is a senior student. She is a senior student. She is feeling well and couldn't be with us this evening. I have a feeling she may be watching from home. So, hi, Kim. It is my distinct honor to present a certificate of recognition to Ms. Kim Carace, one of our extraordinary teaching assistants who on January 5th, while on duty in the cafeteria, successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver to save a fifth grade student who was choking on his lunch. By the way, she handled this emergency with such grace and professionalism that the student was back in class learning after lunch. And she continued with a regular day. Thank
050you, Ms. Carace. I hope you are watching. You are now an even bigger hero at Eugene Auer. Congratulations. And now for our PTA-PTSA report, if I could please have Ms. Carpenter, PTA president of Eugene Auer, to the podium. Good evening, everyone. I wanted to introduce myself. I am Chloe Carpenter, president of Eugene Auer Elementary this year. I'm also a proud mom of three middle country kids, Olivia in sixth grade, Madison in third grade. And Matthew in first. For the past three years, I've had the privilege of coordinating Middle Country General's Youth Cheer. During that time, we were able to grow the program to over 100 cheerleaders from across our district in sideline and competition cheer, along the way building so many meaningful connections with middle country families, which inspired me to run for PTA president.
051Now stepping into my role at Auer, I'd like to joke that my team has grown. I'm proud of my team because I now get to support over 300 children in our small but mighty community. It's been a joy working alongside Mr. Bernardino and our incredible PTA as we focused on ways to strengthen communication, school spirit, and family engagement this year. At the start of the year, one of the biggest goals was improving communication for parents. We also introduced teacher features on our Facebook page so families could put faces to names before the school year even began. Something that helped ease transitions and build early learning. Thank you. Thank you so much for this amazing service and excellent comments. One of the highlights this year was that we are welcoming the Cougars, our official mascot, which
052brings our school spirit in line with our larger district community. Seeing the excitement from students and staff reminded us how powerful these traditions can be. I wanted to spotlight our work in arts and education, which has been another major goal of mine this year. As many PTAs are experiencing, the funding we receive for both these programs doesn't stretch quite as far as it once did. once did because of that PTA fundraising program remains essential while we continue to offer a variety of fundraisers so we're not placing any additional strain on our already stretched middle-country families one of my personal goals as the PTA president has been to encourage teachers to take full advantage of the BOCES arts and ed opportunities from theater and visual arts we want our students to experience the arts both inside
053and outside of the classroom because these students moments matter no matter the cost I'm proud to share that three out of our five grade levels already planned performances at local children's theaters we're also looking to welcome the National Circus Project as a school assembly possibly in the works we're thrilled to support these enriching opportunities and are working diligently to cover the rising costs so our students never miss out there are ways to cut costs and still provide the school with wholesome family events with some inspiration from a New York State PTA leadership webinar this is Nicole Vannor and I are working on hosting a three verse three our men's band basketball game later this year with parents and men of middle country of Eugene our supported by her son varsity captain of the Cougars basketball
054team and her husband who have kindly offered to help and referee we're excited to bring our our families together for something new and fun with a focus on the importance of male engagement in children's lives we've kept our beloved annual events strong as well back-to-school picnic trunk retreat winter wonderland events family fun night game shows our VIP Valentine's dance and of course our family fun night game shows our VIP Valentine's dance and of course our family fun night game shows our VIP Valentine's dance and of course our kindness week this week with ps i love you on friday our park theme this year was reading is snow much fun our teacher aids and assistants transformed the building with decorations that made reading come alive it was a beautiful display of teamwork and creativity and the
05512 inches of snow on the ground also helped with the aesthetics as well our biggest events are still ahead in april we'll host our boosterthon fun run one of our largest fundraisers and biggest spirit days of the year then in june we look forward to our beloved summer bash a tradition that all the kids can't wait for the whole year but above all we want to put a renewed focus on our teachers and staff they spend so many hours with our children nurturing them guiding them challenging them and helping shape who they will become they're educators caregivers mentors and role models we value them deeply and we want them to feel supported appreciated and celebrated all year long as parents there's nothing quite like being a parent and showing up in the school seeing your
056kids learning and learning and learning and learning and learning and learning and learning and being part of the community that supports them if you haven't had the chance yet we encourage you to find a date that works for you to volunteer for your pta your time your presence and your energy make a meaningful difference thank you for giving the opportunity to speak tonight and we're proud of our school our students and proud to be building a strong connected community together in middle country thank you very much and on behalf of the board of education we thank all of our pta volunteers we now we're going to have a brief intermission this would be the time if anybody needs to or has to leave please feel free to do so we'll you know pause for a
057minute or two thank you thank you very much for allowing us that brief intermission now for the first of our two special presentations budget development dr ella testing okay good evening we're here for the first the kickoff meeting for the 26 27 and the school district of california and we're going to have a brief discussion about the budget so similar to prior years we're going to follow the same format first we're going to go over the comptroller's fiscal stress designation then we'll talk about reserve balances then we'll talk about the expenditure budget cost drivers for this year we'll go over a history of costs then we'll switch to the revenue side where we'll discuss the estimated state aid then we'll go over the current gap between the projected revenues and expenditures then next steps and
058uh end with financial advocacy okay this is um from the new york state comptroller annually he does the fiscal stress designation you may have seen this in newsday recently it's very small but we did not appear on this year's fiscal stress we were not designated moderate or susceptible stress and although we did receive a no designation the district did receive points so the more points you have the more fiscal concerns the comptroller has so the fiscal stress monitoring system it's designed to identify issues that school districts are having with budgetary solvency or the ability to generate enough revenues there we go the fiscal stress monitoring system is designed to identify issues that school districts are having with budgetary solvency or the ability to generate enough revenue to meet expenditures school districts are given a fiscal
059stress score based on several factors year-end fund balance reserve balances operating deficits and surpluses cash position and reliance on short-term debt for cash flow there are five districts on long island identified as having significant stress moderate stress or susceptible stress and there are 117 districts on long island identified as having no designation we were one of the districts identified as having no designation but we were assigned 15 points so you can see the categories that from zero to almost 25 points it's no designation and as you're assigned additional points you're then assigned new classifications so while we we received no designation we ranked number 15 out of 122 long island districts it is an improvement over last year because last year we were in the top five percent and now we're in the top 15.
060when you look at us across new york state middle country is ranked 93 out of 669 new york state school districts in turn in terms of highest points being assigned once again that puts us in the top 15 percent it is an improvement over the prior year where we were in the top five percent of those classified by the comptroller as being fiscally fragile so if you look at the five-year history you can see in the past five years we have gone on and off the list that's also an indication of being fragile in terms of your finances as the comptroller has designated to us if you go back even a few more years we continue to go on and off the list i'm happy to report though we've had this is the second year
061in a row where we received no designation which is a sign of strength um we did receive however 15 points the comptroller does break down what those points are made up of um so the first reason we were assigned points is for running an operating deficit we received 6.67 points we did not run an operating deficit at the close of 24-25 but we received the points because it compares and looks at the last two the last three years and the last two of the last three years you have to be running a deficit which we were and that's why we were assigned the points also we were assigned total fund balance as a percentage of gross expenditure this one has been on the list and will continue to be on the list until we address
062the assigned the fund balance and reserve balances so the comptroller does provide these fiscal stress indicators there's no emotion there's no opinion in it it's straight numbers so i know the charts are pretty small and it's hard to read but we would be looking at the first and the third column the first is middle country and the third the the first is middle country and the third is long island um so the the upper left is the unassigned fund balance as a percentage of gross expenditures what the comptroller is indicating to us is that they want our unassigned fund balance to be higher than it currently is and it's much lower when you compare us against the average of long island the unassigned fund balance is the least restrictive amount there's no restrictions on those
063type of dollars that you have there is a four percent cap on how much you can have we have not been able to obtain the four percent um but the importance of having unassigned fund balance is when you have something that's not budgeted for but you actually have an expense that you have to incur you use your unassigned fund balance to actually keep your operations going an example of that in the last few years would have been the center reach chiller so that building it depends on having continuous air conditioning during the summer it broke about three years ago and in order to bring the staff and students back safely the board had to declare an emergency and we had to do an emergency project it was a very costly project that gets incurred in
064the general fund and it was to bring us to a couple to buy us a couple of years until we could raise the dollars in order to do the capital project the importance of having unassigned fund balance is next the top right is total fund balance as a percentage of gross expenditures and that includes your fund your unassigned fund balance as well as your reserves so you can see middle countries balances are about one-third of the balances compared to long island school districts and what the comptroller is we receive points for this one what the comptroller is looking for is for us to increase our reserve balances the only way you can increase your reserve balances is if you generate a surplus on an annual basis which has been a struggle for the district for
065years on the bottom left is an operating surplus or deficit in comparison to the gross expenditures while we did generate an operating surplus this year the comptroller is looking for our surplus to be higher when you generate such a small percentage of a surplus what happens when you have something that's not planned is it can throw you into deficit spending quite quickly and then it's a good idea to reduce your reserve balances and and that's not somewhere where you want to be. So you want to generate a surplus on an annual basis with enough contingency in there so that if you have something that's unplanned, you can cover it. On the bottom right is the cash investment over current liability. What the comptroller is looking for in here is for us to increase our cash
066investment in comparison to the liabilities we carry. So on the slide to the left, it's cash as a percentage of monthly expenditure. And what the comptroller is looking for is for us to have a stronger cash position. We have to pay our bills on a monthly basis. So when your cash flow is not coming in enough in order to pay your monthly expenditures, that's a signal that you need to change your cash position and increase it. On the right is the fiscal stress score. We are not in any of the blue, so that is an improvement from the past years. We have been in the blue for a while. We have been in the blue in the past, but we're not there. So we have made an improvement. We still are assigned points, so we
067still need to address the issues that the comptroller is indicating as well as our external auditors are also indicating the same dialogue and discussion is happening. And in comparison to Long Island schools, we're about two and a half times higher than what you would see on Long Island in terms of the points. So this is a, this is a slide of the last 10 years of our use of fund balance and reserves. So at the top of it, you can see that there were, the variances increased, which increased our total fund balance and reserve, reserves. If you go back to 2010-11, the gap elimination adjustment was a time period when New York State had a problem making their own, they had budgetary issues, and what they did was that we were, a recipient of having
068our state aid cut on an annual basis. So what you're seeing in the 16, 17, and 18 years is the restoration that they didn't give back the 50 plus million that they took from the district the years before, but what they did was they restored the aid on an annual basis. However, starting in 18-19, the district ended the year with a deficit, which then used the reserves. In 19-20, the district ended, ended with a deficit. In 20-21, the same thing. In 21-22, the district generated a slight surplus, and that was due to federal funding during COVID time, the COVID timeframe. In 22-23, the district did go back into a deficit, but then in 23-24, while we did generate a deficit, the deficit started to decrease significantly. That was most notably due to a substantial increase
069in our state aid, which we'll get into in another slide. And then in 24-25, the district did generate a surplus of 1.9 million. Well, I wish it was an authentic surplus. 1.6 of the $1.9 million came in through, during the start of the 24-25 year, we did switch our workers' comp carrier, and during the transition, we did a transition process as part of the review, going to a new vendor. They take over all the cases, and that includes cases from decades ago. So when they were going through all of our files and taking them over, there was files that during 30 years ago, there were claims that were never filed with the excess carrier, that the new carrier was able to identify. So we then submit them, and we were able to recover $1.6 million,
070in 24-25. We're actually recovering, we did recover at the start of 25-26, another 1.2, so we will see that there as well. With the balances, we did put dollars into the retirement reserve, as well as the insurance reserve. And the insurance reserve is to cover when our own insurance doesn't cover it, most notably our, in this moment, the CVA pending litigations. So the next is just a graphical view of where the reserves have gone from 2018 till today. So you can see that most of the years, we were continuing to use the reserves and unable to replenish the reserves. In 23-24, you can start to see that it does flatten out, so the district's reliance on the reserves was reduced. And then in the end of 24-25, you can start to see that it turns
071around the corner again. But we're nowhere near the levels where we should be, and nowhere near the levels even back to 2018. So reserve funds. Reserve funds act as savings accounts, allowing school districts in New York to set aside money for use in future use. The benefits of reserve funds, you can maintain a stable operating budget. An example of this would be, we pay into what's called the teacher's retirement system and the employee retirement system for all of our employees in the district. The state dictates what that rate is, and that rate can fluctuate every year. So instead of having an unstable, operating budget where we increase the budget significantly, we keep those budgetary lines very similar. And if there is a sharp increase in the expense, we use the reserves to supplement so we
072don't have to have unstable budgeting. The same goes if the rate is decreased, we keep that amount or the budgeted amount stable, and anything, any underspending can then be put back in the reserves. It allows us to maintain a stable tax levy. It boosts the district's overall fiscal, it can strengthen the bond rating, just similar to when you go out for a borrowing, the district goes out for borrowings, and the stronger we are financially, the less, the lower the rate we will pay on interest. It can supplement the limitations of fund balance and provide for a consistent instruction regardless of the environment. So we're not being reactive, we're being proactive in the planning. Examples of when the reserve funds and fund balance have helped the district to continue with operations was the gap elimination adjustment.
073We talked about that on a prior slide. During the years of 2010, 11 through 15, 16, the district lost a cumulative $55.6 million in aid. During that time, it was the reserves that allowed us to continue maintaining the program. In COVID, we incurred over $6 million just alone in the 2021 school year. So we were able to bring back our staff and students safely. Increases in TRS and ERS have been absorbed by the reserves. I just spoke about that. And then most recently keeps on coming up is the legal expenses and settlements. And this is to fund anticipated expenditures with current pending litigation on CVAs. So what is driving this year's cost, the cost drivers of this year's budget? Contractual obligations and healthcare costs, they are always gonna be the two highest drivers. They represent
074three quarters of the total cost of the year. So we are an organization of people. So that is expected that those are gonna be your top drivers. In addition, we've seen a high increase and high need for additional special education praise classes. Currently, we're budgeting to increase by another five classes this year in the coming year. We experienced that this year and we experienced a significant increase last year as well. Normally, transportation wouldn't be so high on the list. However, we have to go out for a new RFP. So approximately seven years ago, the district went out for an RFP. We knew what the rate was gonna be. It's a five-year contract, so we knew what the incremental annual raises, the increases were gonna be. We were able to extend the contract for another two
075years. Coming into this year, the vendor was unable to continue with the current contract, which then required us to go out for an RFP. When you go out for an RFP, there's typically a readjustment of costs, which results in a high impact to the overall cost. So we are anticipating approximately a 15% increase in overall transportation costs. That annual contract is 18 and a half million currently. In addition to the additional special education classes, special education in general, the other things other than adding the classes, other costs associated with the program, we're also seeing significant increases in that area. Employee retirement system, we're seeing an increase in the employee retirement system while we're seeing a decrease in the teacher's retirement system. Utilities, similar to your house, we have seen astronomical increases in the areas of
076gas and electricity. We just see them on a much larger scale. Additional teacher aides, that's due to IEP mandates. Just this year alone, the staffing has increased by 14%. BOCES occupational education, BOCES bills us for the average of the prior three years. So we already know what we're gonna be paying in 26, 27, because it's really for students of the past. Liability insurance, just like similar to your car insurance and your homeowner's insurance, we have that for the district. And we have seen very large increases in the areas of insurance. Security, we continue to see that's an outsourced service. We continue to see an increase in that area. And last but not least, what's driving this budget this year, technology. Since the one-to-one Chromebook initiative started, we were able to go out and secure grants
077and or use federal funding to not have that expenditure come into the general fund. Starting in the 26, 27 year, that expense, we no longer have any grants, any additional grants, and we no longer have any federal funding that can help supplement the payment for those. So those are transitioning into the general fund. So when we look at how to plan for the expenditure side of the budget, we do like to look at trends. And the best way to look at your trends is to look at what you have done and what you have seen in the last few years. So we look at a 10 year history, and it kind of helps and guides us to what will be coming down the road and what we should anticipate. So you can look at the
078staffing salaries. It's our largest expense as anticipated. But if you look at from 2016, to 2025, there was a large growth from 16 to 20, you can see kind of how those expenditures were increasing. From 20 to 2024, in the last five years, the district has reduced over 100 staff members to manage the cost and due to declining enrollment. Approximately half were teachers due to lower enrollment and mostly through attrition, as well as non-instructional and administrative changes due to staffing efficiencies. It is important to note that during those years, the district still, even with the reduction of those positions, we still did end in deficits. The next one is the NYSHIP health insurance rates. So we look again at the 10 year history. So if you look at the top, the darker bar, from the
079last five to 10 years, if you look at that time period, the overall growth at that time was 14%. If you look at the most recent period, the 25 years, the growth has been 50%. And that's due to the rate changes. If you look at overall from 2016, a family plan was $26,000. Now, in 2026, the family plan is $44,000. What does that translate into the district medical cost? Once again, looking at the 10 year history, you can see that it's a continuous steady incline. that expense if you look back at 1516 the district spent 27 million on medical um on the medical costs that represented at that time 12.7 percent of the total spending for that year now if you fast forward to 24 25 the district spent 46 million dollars on medical costs
080alone and that that now represents 16.5 percent of the actual spending in the total but in the total total spending you'll notice i circled an area in um in about the 23 24 year the district was able to control some of the growth in this line because the district offered an alternative medicare medicare plan for those 65 and above and did remove one medical plan the next is the special education costs once again looking at the 10-year history so if you look at the last five to ten years you can see that the growth was approximately 15% now if you look at the last five years the growth is up to 30% so you can see and it's even displayed in the chart where the growth is exponentially growing contract transportation this is I touched
081upon it before seven years ago we went out for an RFP each year we knew what our expenditures or our increase was going to be there are changes in students needs so we do see sometimes that it's not just what the contract rate is there is additional expenses there and that's tied to what student needs are but it was pretty continuous pretty continuous throughout the years now if you look at budgeting for 26-27 you can see that there's a sharp increase and that's due to us having to go out for RFP again so we will be anticipating a 15% increase in that line we also are seeing an increase in the types of needs that we have for transportation we're seeing more McKinney-Vento we're seeing more out of district placements we're seeing more special needs
082and we're seeing more monitors matrons and DA's on the bus on the buses and those signal to us and they translate into higher costs because they're more said they're more specialty services additional examples on the upper left you can see substitute costs about the last six years if you're looking at the last six years it's been a 29 percent increase there's another example to highlight why it's important to have unassigned fund balance we don't necessarily if there's no change in the sub rate there's no signal for me to increase the budget line for that however if there are fluctuations in the actual cost we then have to pay for the those additional costs so that's why it's also it's another example of how fund balance is important to have because we do go for our
083budget line sometimes in the last year the sub costs were increased in one year alone by $500,000 so I did need to go and use we didn't have those budgeted so we had to go and use fund balance to pay for that on the right is the liability insurance similar to your household like I said before the insurances have been growing astronomically in the last three years we have seen an increase of 67% the bottom one shows the chart of electricity and we have while there were increases in electricity the district did install solar you might see the solar carports or there are some solar rooftop units we were able to control the cost so you can see how in it's it was more of a cost saving process and we were able to control
084the cost so you can see how in it's it was more it was stable for a few years however we've reached the point of we're now starting to see some of the increases come back again we're still utilizing and benefiting from the solar but these are struck these are strictly cost increases that are coming along as you're probably seeing in your homes as well so that was on the expenditure side we'll move to the revenue side in January the governor did issue her executive budget for 2627 some key observations the foundation need was increased 1.65% that is quite low and not what we would want or need to run our continuous programs other observations there was a slight increase in excess cost aid in this area but this continues excess cost aid is aid that
085we receive for our special needs students our costs are are increasing and it's such a substantial and elevated rate that is currently due down over the last few years as it gets this that in that overall number to increase overall the state aid proposal represents a 2.1 percent growth over the prior year it's not enough to sustain our annual expenditure increases like we did on the expenditure side on the revenue side this is the last 10 years of state aid so the yellow line is the line where we would want and need the state aid to be on an annual basis the blue line is where we are you can see it's extremely erratic we are a high high needs dip we're highly dependent on state aid and if we have any fluctuations in our
086state aid it directly impacts our ability to keep our program stable which then further reinforces the need to have reserve balances because as you can see if you're a state aid dependent district which we are when you have severe fluctuations in our state aid when we're having a year where we don't get any state aid we need to rely on those reserve balances to help bring us along into the next year so if you look at I did put little red dots on some signal ones so in 2021 the district did receive we received a decrease in state aid from the prior year we were one of only a few districts on Long Island to receive a negative in 23-24 we did receive a decrease in state aid for one year if we get more
087emergency recipients not might not most Learning Toons of L ML Mills. receive a large increase in state aid in that year the foundation aid was fully implemented districts of semi-high needs and semi-high needs receive they we benefited from them fully implementing the foundation aid formula and that was present in that year even with that large amount of state aid this still the district still did generate a deficit in that year 24 25 we went down in our aid we went more to a typical amount of aid and then in 25 26 we then spiked up again and this current year we're living in we planned to receive a high increase in state aid this was due because they changed they modified how the formula worked and we were a benefit of that so what they
088did was they they took the 2000 census and they updated it with the 2020 census and it all there was also increased factors for certain populations pertaining to special needs as well as English language learners one thing that um because we benefited from it from going from 2000 to 2020 it did indicate that our district in that time became more of a semi-high needs district so the district became more less affluent between that time period looking at the next um part is the tax levy cap tax levy cap calculation this is the portion of dollars in the revenue that are raised by the residents it is our largest portion of revenue most people know this as the two percent in fact is a very long calculation it does have the two percent in there but
089it does start with the actual levy of this year it then has factors that get applied to it based on the community each district has their own factors includes and excludes and that's each district ends up having a different tax levy limit so when you put in our factors and you put in our includes and have our allowables and non-allowables added the 2627 estimated allowable tax levy cap is at 2.33 the current proposed 2627 budget includes a tax levy that stays within the tax levy cap so when we look at we first looked at the expenditures we looked at the increases there then we look at the proposed revenue increases and we look at the difference between them right now when we look at our expenditures and our revenues we are looking at a budgetary
090gap of about 1 million dollars we are anticipating there are early signs that maybe we will receive a little bit more in state aid so we are hoping that the foundation need percentage right now we're at 1.65 while that's very low we did receive more than a lot of other districts most received one percent but we are hoping that 1.65 does increase and there's also something in the um in this year's budget that can have a nice positive impact on us and that has to do with the pre-k grants that we receive it's on the advocacy slide but i'll mention it here we receive about 4.5 million dollars in grant funding for the pre-k program but we're not able to claim all of those dollars we have been advocating to take the restrictions away from
091the pre-k grant so we can capitalize and claim all those dollars that are allocated to us on an annual basis this year there is language that that does seem that it's moving in that direction so all the advocacy to push that forward would greatly benefit us so the planning for 26-27 what are the next steps we will finalize the expenditure and the revenue plan review staffing needs retirements and replacement costs finalize enrollments finalize and tax file the tax levy cap that is due march 1st incorporate the adopted state aid it is due april 1st we haven't really received in the last few years on april 1st but we're hoping they do stick to that and we will continue revising the plan until the gap of a million dollars goes away from a historical perspective the
092district's average eight-year tax levy growth has been 2.3 percent the district's average eight-year tax levy growth has been 2.3 percent the district's average eight-year state aid annual increase has about has been about 3.4 million and the district's average eight-year actual expenditure increase has been about 3.2 percent so i'd like to end all of the presentations from what um from a financial lens what do we see that if you're interested in advocating what could be areas to advocate for the school district the first one is remove the current restrictions on the pre-k grant funding that has a yellow highlight on it because it's made some progress and we do see that in the governor's uh the estimated her proposal that she came out with in january is touching upon that so all the advocacy to push
093that forward would benefit us greatly increase aid to support students with disabilities this is our largest growing area it also happens to be one of our largest growing cost areas what we're seeing the aid come back on the students the costs associated with it don't translate into the aid that we're receiving back continue with the free meals for kids program and continue to fully fund this program this is a this is a program that currently our students have the program to continue to allow the program is not really the discussion the discussion is if they're going to fully fund the program so we not only want the program we want them to continue to fully fund the program if they were to take out a part of the funding it would have quite impactful results
094or impacts on not only our program but our students and last but not least is health care create and sustain affordability it's not just this school district but even in New York State and at the federal level to advocate for affordable health care for all and that concludes the presentation thank you to any board members have any questions or comments Mr. Hallig I just wanted to say thank you to Beth for putting this out there and always as a newer board member thank you for taking the time to teach me this along with everybody else I think most of the board members have lost some sleep worried about the budget and whatnot you're always there to direct our ideas and answer our questions spend hours and hours informing us and teaching us different things so
095just thank you very much we'll see how it goes come April 1st I guess thank you and I just want to point out that I know it was a little bit small to see some of the slides so all of our presentations are posted on the board of education website if you'd want to go and look at them at your leisure or from home back here now for our second special presentation if I could please have Mr. Milano to the podium for an instructional overview and then we'll see you in the next presentation do you need any guidance when you crucial 理 observer not review mathematical mathematics goal setting good evening everyone and thank you for this opportunity to share some updated information about the middle country math department and the goals we've established based
096on our data analysis but first i've got a little question you know valentine's day is coming up and I was just curious um how many candy hearts do you think come in that box I want you to take a guess no I'm actually like really take guests out think about it get in your head now I want you what you're probably thinking about it. Just go ahead. you to think for a second about how you came up with that guess. Did you base it on your experiences eating boxes of candy hearts? Did you think about it in terms of like a range of reasonable guesses, like you knew was more than 10 but less than 60? Did you try to imagine how many of those little candy hearts would fit lined up end to end
097in the box? So last spring, I think we're a little stuck. I'm definitely not going to moonwalk. Oh hey, there we go. All right, last spring, NYSED introduced a series of numeracy briefs that describe mathematics as a complex set of skills, including adaptive reasoning, strategic competence, conceptual understanding, productive disposition, and procedural fluency. So when we think about how many candy hearts are in the box, we need to use logic or adaptive reasoning to make sense of the problem. And when we're thinking about constraints, such as the size of the box, that's what we mean by strategic competence. We need to understand concepts related to quantity and area to make your guess, and then you needed the procedural fluency to follow through. Finally, you believe that you had the background and skills necessary to do the
098task, demonstrating productive disposition. As you can see, there's a lot of math in a tiny box of candy hearts, and also 34 candy hearts in case you're curious about whether your guess was correct. So zooming out a little bit, the strands of mathematical proficiency weave seamlessly into New York State's portrait of a graduate. By using a variety of inquiry-based approaches from kindergarten through 12th grade, the mathematics department exemplifies many of these attributes, which you'll see through tonight's presentation. And to call them out specifically, I'm going to use these little symbols when we talk about each of the six attributes as they sort of appear on the slides. So as we move through tonight's presentation, you'll hear about some of the data that informs how we approach portrait of a graduate implementation across the curriculum. And
099we'll start with elementary. We'll take a look at our elementary math scope and sequence. It focuses strongly on building a deep understanding of the four operations to ensure that students are academically prepared for the work of algebra and ratios in the middle school and high school. And beyond. Students begin with counting and cardinality in kindergarten, and by the time they leave fifth grade, they've developed a deep understanding of fractions and decimals. And the standards for mathematical proficiency are woven throughout, encouraging critical thinking and innovative problem solving. So this was an example, it was a work problem from our fourth grade math book. And students are expected to use what they know about the four operations. Basically it asked about a certain number of girls and boys who were buying tickets to an amusement park, and
100the total cost was like $189. So they were expected to use what they knew about the four operations to solve a real world multi-step problem. They were expected to explore multiple approaches and discuss these approaches with their peers. And it's a really good example of how we connect the strands of mathematical proficiency on an everyday basis to our curriculum and other resources. Envision 2.0 is aligned to the New York State Next Generation Math Centers, and it includes all of the math practices. It includes a suite of advanced language resources and a suite of digital tools such as interactive practice and digital manipulatives. The math committee is working with some of the differentiation resources available on the platform to provide professional learning and support teachers with appropriately scaffolding grade level curriculum. To assess students at the
101elementary level, Envision 2.0 has formative and summative assessments that can be administered on paper or digitally. And we continue to use iReady in all eight elementary schools and our two kindergarten centers as our universal screener. We also use data from the New York State Math Assessments for those students who are in the middle of their first year of high school. We also use the data from the New York State Math Assessments for those students that participate. So these are our results from 2024 and 2025 for the three through five tests. And as you can see, as our participation increases, our scores have increased to more accurately reflect what our students are able to know and do. And as you can see, the State Assessments are well aligned with Envision 2.0. On the top left is
102a question from the third grade State Assessment. And then on the top right and bottom, you'll see similar questions from our district textbook. In addition to classroom and state assessments, we use iReady, which is a diagnostic tool that allows teachers to track growth in mathematics. What makes iReady special is that it's adaptive, meaning it adjusts based on how students answer the previous question, allowing us to truly understand what a student knows and still needs to learn. iReady provides data in four core domains, numbers and operations, algebra and algebraic thinking, measurement and data, and geometry. It provides individualized student reports that offer information about what a student can do and instructional next steps. And the parent and family reports are going to be available on the parent portal in the coming weeks. So for students who
103have not yet mastered grade level standards, we offer academic intervention services. And these can take place in their classroom or in a small group setting, and they're designed to target students' individual needs. So that could include working on prerequisite skills, such as like place value prior to regrouping in second grade, or like fluency building with multiplication facts as they move on to more complex problems in fourth and fifth grade. We also support students with current material as a way to build a more complex learning process and build their mathematical confidence. We continue to run our math literacy program at the kindergarten centers. The math literacy is a special program that meets once a week and helps students develop a deep understanding of foundational math concepts through stories, games and movement-based activities. And we always continue
104to update our libraries with new and engaging texts. As we look ahead to Portrait of a Graduate, we're beginning to think about how to implement financial literacy requirements for our youngest learners. And this has come up a couple of times through like board discussion and stuff. So our plan is to use an interdisciplinary approach between math and social studies by building on natural connections in the curriculum. So for instance, when students learn about President's Day in the primary grades in social studies, they can explore coins and dollars and understand who's pictured on money and why. As students get older, they'll explore more in-depth concepts, such as learning about stocks and investments when they study Wall Street and the history of New York in fourth grade, or creating a budget when they learn about adding and
105subtracting decimals in fifth grade. And you'll notice on this slide that I've added all six of those portions. So I'm going to go ahead and add them all up. And I'm going to go ahead and add them all up. And I'm going to go ahead and add them all up. And I'm going to go ahead and add them all up. So this is a nice glimpse of those portrait of a graduate attributes, as financial literacy provides authentic experiences for students to be both academically prepared and future focused as they think critically about the worlds around them. And we're planning right now on curriculum writing over the summer with a plan to implement the lessons next year and kind of like revise as we go to see how they do. So this year, at the elementary
106level, we've been looking at how our instructional expectations align across grade levels in the elementary school and thinking about progressions for like some of the content and practice centers. So to that end, the Math PD has been div—. Math PD committee has been developing resources to help teachers access differentiation resources in Envision 2.0. We've also been using data from the New York State assessment questions to look at our expectations surrounding fluency and word problems and we're beginning to develop ways to increase some of the coherence across grade levels. Moving on to middle school. So in middle school our seventh graders receive a single period of math instruction every day and students in sixth and eighth grade receive a double period of math instruction every other day and the sixth and seventh grade curriculums introduce content
107strategically to ensure that students are prepared to take the Algebra 1 Regents exam at the end of eighth grade. We use iReady in grades six and seven as a way to track student progress and differentiate. Students use the iReady instruction to address any skill gaps. In grade eight we're administering a common mid-year assessment aligned to the specific skills needed for success in Algebra 1. All middle school teachers have access to Delta Math which provides additional practice and support with grade level content. Skills teachers have been working in teams to ensure alignment between grades six seven and Algebra 1 in eighth grade and as always we continue to use the math practice standards to help students develop the skills necessary for success in high school. In addition to iReady and the common mid-year and final exams
108we use a variety of assessments across the middle school across the middle school grades that are aligned with Regents level language to track student growth and support teachers in targeting instruction and planning interventions. And this year we've worked to increase the rigor by including some questions from the state assessment system. We've also been working with the state assessments on our sixth and seventh grade final exams. At the middle school we see fewer students participating in state assessments and they continue to work at improving our participation and our proficiency rate. In the second year of the next generation Algebra 1 exam we saw an exam that was much more challenging than the first than the exam in the first year. We continue to surpass the county and state in our passing rate and aim to improve
109our mastery by focusing on the non-routine problems to prepare students for the challenging four and six point questions that they might see on Regents exams. Moving on to high school. In the middle school we've been working to improve our the high school so this is actually gonna be my last next-generation standards updates as we've now fully implemented them I feel like I've given every one every year since I've been here and this year would be giving the new algebra 2 exam in June. This is our high school course sequence so because we offer algebra for all in eighth grade students have the opportunity to take college and AP level courses in their junior and senior years ensuring that students are academically prepared creative innovators and critical thinkers. As New York State moves towards a more
110inclusive definition of college and career ready we're well positioned with a variety of electives to meet student needs and as you can see I've added the reflective and future focused and global citizen icon to this page because it's important to recognize the powerful impact that mathematics has on post-secondary readiness and I started with that candy example at the beginning because it's illustrative of a kind of informal thinking we do around mathematics every day in our own lives. Math is the language of science, business, computer programming and construction trades. Math is the language of science, business, computer programming and construction trades. Math is the language of science, business, computer programming and construction trades. among many other fields and it's essential that all students leave middle country with a strong foundation in mathematical and data literacy. Our
111courses are aligned to state standards and designed to ensure that all students are successful and feel welcome in upper-level mathematics courses and we continue to analyze the impact of some of our programming changes as we seek to improve passing and mastery rates. We use resources from Regents and AP exams to drive our assessment we've also continued to use tools such as AP classroom and Delta math to assess student learning. Talking again about the importance of math in the classroom. The math course is a key component of portrait of a graduate and in math we have two half-year electives math applications one and two that explicitly teach financial literacy through the lens of mathematical thinking and some of the topics are understanding paychecks and taxes budgeting expenses credit cards and loans stocks and investments mortgages housing
112and rent and health insurance students can take these courses to satisfy a math requirement or as a standalone elective and we're working to tie a lot of these skills together and we're also working to bring them to the college level by talking about a financial literacy capstone experience so we're in the process of working on that now. We continue to implement our districts capstone initiative in college statistics and our goal with capstone is to promote data literacy by exposing students to quantitative research in the social sciences. So students have the opportunity to learn about different types of research what it means to be a part of a community of research researchers to develop their own research questions based on existing literature and understand how data can be used to answer research questions. To review some
113of the recent results. The first year of the region's data this was the first year of the new next generation geometry exam so we're establishing a new baseline. In algebra 2 we continue to analyze our data with an emphasis on implementing instructional strategies that promote precision. Looking at our AP exams we saw a big jump in our AP calculus BC enrollment from this year to last from last year to this year and I'm excited to see more students challenging themselves by taking the AP exam. We're continuing to analyze our math pathways We also saw a big increase in our AP Computer Science A performance. At the secondary level, our goal is to improve passing and mastery rates with a focus on precision in language and notation. And we're seeing more of that in Regents rubrics,
114focusing on like the proper presentation of mathematics, particularly students get to Geometry and Algebra II. We're beginning to implement elements of Portrait of a Graduate. We're beginning to think about our math courses, math course sequences, with the goal of ensuring that students are academically prepared for whichever course they choose to enroll in next and then with an eye towards those students that may not be on that traditional Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II pathway. As I said earlier, we're also looking into a financial literacy capstone project for our seniors in math apps. Finally, we wrap with our mission statement. And you can see here again, I put all six attributes of Portrait of a Graduate on this slide because it emphasizes how Middle Country's strategic objectives have always emphasized the importance of our students being academically
115prepared. Critical thinkers, creative innovators, effective communicators, global citizens, and reflective and future focus. And I'm excited to continue to implement this work. Thank you. First, I just want to apologize. Several of us had lost our connection and were signed out of everything, so we were a little frazzled in the beginning. I apologize to you for that. Do any board members have questions or comments? Mr. Feeney? Yes. I'm wondering what strategies are we employing to increase the proficiency rate of our students? I'm wondering what strategies are we employing to increase the proficiency rate of our students? I'm wondering what strategies are we employing to increase the proficiency rate of our students? I'm wondering what strategies are we employing to increase the proficiency rate on the elementary and middle school tests to match the Suffolk County proficiency
116rate? Yeah, so we're doing a couple of things, actually. We're looking a lot into some of the differentiation resources, starting with what's in our elementary textbook, basically. So, first we're making sure that teachers understand what resources are available to them as they look to close skill gaps. Second, the math committee's been doing a deep dive into some of the language that's on the state test. And that's... not K to 5, because we were actually meeting today before we came here, and one of the second grade teachers pointed out that on the third grade test, they're having an issue with identifying fractions on the number line. And so what they're doing is they're, so the number line goes from 0 to 1, right? And it's like divided into eighths, and the fraction is at two eighths.
117So what they're doing is they're like counting, the kids are counting starting at 0, 1, 2, 3, so they're thinking it's actually three eighths. So we're really looking vertically at our curriculum to make sure that we're like ramping up those skills in K1 and 2 to make sure that they're like fully prepared to strengthen those pieces. So the things we see throughout, number lines, use of word problems, those type of things that we see throughout. We're also incorporating more explicitly some of the language from those questions and making sure that stuff is available to teachers. We've also been, as a team of directors, working with... with principals to help them kind of understand the data and work with their faculties in faculty meetings to kind of review what the academic strengths and weaknesses are. Thank
118you. And it was nice to see the tremendous increase in AP Calc and AB and BC. Yeah. In terms of participation, 92%, but, and their results are great. But basically the AP Computer Science is still lagging and kids taking it. It's just a shame that teachers work all year long with them and they don't show up. Yeah. That would be a little frustrating. Yeah. It's... it's hard because it's like it's an elective. So they're taking it usually as an additional course. And I'll give credit to our AP teachers here, Laura Melfi, Lauren Mangine, and Kirsten Barris, who are absolutely fabulous and welcoming and encouraging kids to take the class. Any other questions or comments from board members? Thank you. Thank you. Board commentary, Mr. Halleck. Mr. DiBenedetto. Yeah. I just want to quickly just acknowledge
119some former graduates from 2015 and 2015. The past two weeks, the Middle Country Generals, now Wildcats, have partnered up with Limitless Foundation, which is co-founded by Elijah Riley and Denzel Williams. And what's awesome to see is how they came back to the community to really not only make our kids better athletes, to make them future leaders in the community. So I want to take this special time to recognize Elijah and his family for coming out. Eli lives in New Jersey now. And for the past two weeks, he's been coming out to us at night to work with our students, work with our community. And then head back home to be with his family. So I want to just take this time and recognize him, recognize Denzel for everything they're doing with the Limitless Foundation, our
120community, and their future partnership with Joe Mercado and our sports team in the future. So thank you, Eli, and your family. Thank you. Ms. Mann Rodriguez. Is that on? Yeah. Can you hear me? Okay. So just a few updates. It's been a busy couple of weeks. So we had some Black History Month celebrations, which is a big event. And we had a lot of great events. And we had a lot of great events. And we had a lot of great events. And we had a lot of great events. So there was one at Newfield High School that was held last week. It was amazing. It was singing a performance by the drum club, dancing, artwork featuring African-influenced masks, and a guest speaker, Dr. Judy Brown Clark. She is an Olympic medalist and vice president for
121equity and inclusion and chief health equity officer for Stony Brook University. Her speech was extremely inspiring. And then she held a Q&A. Where the students were able to ask questions and her answers were even more inspiring. And then on Monday, I don't know, I'm getting the days confused now. On Monday, the Center Ridge High School, they held their Black History Month celebration, which was also amazing. And it featured singing, dancing, and a presentation based on caste, origins of our discontents, and a sketch in Steppers. And I was actually there. I was the guest speaker, which was amazing. I was so honored that they asked me to come and speak. And I had a chance to discuss belonging, change, and navigating in spaces where historically, where sometimes not accepting of people who look like me. I
122also discussed how in the almost seven-decade existence of this district, I am the only person of color to sit on this board, which is bittersweet. But it just shows that the progress is being made. And it's going to take some time, but we're all here to stick with it. It was an excellent night. And again, I'm honored to have been the guest speaker. And it was inspiring. I'm hoping for the folks who attended, but I know that it was inspiring for me. Also, this morning, I had the opportunity to meet with, I'm going to butcher her name, I'm sorry, Ms. Tasiak, sorry, from Center Ridge High School. And the Center Ridge High School AP Environmental Science and Technology Program is a great opportunity to meet with Ms. Tasiak. And I'm going to put her name.
123And I will take a short break. Thank you so much, Angela. Thank you. That was a painful moment for me. But we posted live this day. And we had to pull us up . At instructions of the莫dre Eft dg or AP. . setting up some field trips for our elementary schools and he agreed to speak at an upcoming board meeting about the exciting activities that our students have participated in over the years and future scheduled visits and opportunities for collaborations done thank you i will say that uh we are proud and honored that you sit on the board with us and you bring so much to that role so thank you miss hagerty miss barisi miss talamo miss feldman is it on now yes okay i just want to congratulate all the award recipients mr
124feeney yes on behalf of my fellow trustees i would like to uh thank my colleague debbie mann rodriguez for arranging the tour at stony brook for our senate rich high school ap environmental students this year of the other day they toured the labs and met with researchers stony brook wants to plan future visits for our elementary schools and they'll be speaking at an upcoming board meeting about the programs involving middle country and what we can look forward to in the future so thank you and i have just a few things um i do want to thank the grounds crew for coming in super early this morning and making sure they're standing and salting and making it safe for our staff and our students and parents to arrive in the morning i also want to point
125out and give a little shout out to miss feldman i think it was two years ago now you kind of charged the board with bringing back pizza with the students and i will say i think i can go on a limb and speak for the board as a whole it has been such a great experience for us as board members meeting with and talking to students getting to know them and them getting to know us they ask us some questions too we have some laughs but i want to point out that when we met with the alc students one of the questions we were asked was do you think we should be doing this in the future and i think we should be doing it in the future and i think we should be doing
126it in the future and i think we should be doing it in the future and i think we asked is where what did they want to do after they left here um and we found out one of the young men were in was interested in going into trades miss feldman had been at a meeting where she learned about suffolk community college and they have a scholarship program and we're happy to say that this student followed through after given the information and he has accepted the scholarship and will be going to suffolk community college on that scholarship for that career in welding i believe so so thank you because that truly has been um a baby to you and uh it's really that's an amazing thing you so you should be proud of that so thank
127you and then i just want to give um let everyone know we had all of our athletes here that were acknowledged this evening i don't know if anybody does or doesn't follow um on instagram we have mc athletics department but abbreviate the department um where you can follow all of our athletes we have so many athletes that acknowledge so much i want to give a shout out i know center reach high school cheerleading just finished fifth in nationals down in disney we have a swimmer who just qualified for states we have wrestling we had five from newfield i apologize if there were any from center reach i'm not aware but i know we had five uh three from center h that have qualified um for states and i just think it's uh amazing what the
128athletes can do it's just amazing um so thank you so much i know center reach high another pathway and just follow on Instagram and I do know that we are now scrolling through the TVs in the high schools and middle schools just the high schools where the the students accomplishments are all the athletes students athletes are their accomplishments are there as well so we just want to give and also Sophie Chen which I think is also something we should mention two-time undefeated state champion a Long Island champion in fencing so that's amazing too so really check out our athletes we have some great athletes we have minutes from our regular meeting on January 21st okay January 21st and February 4th if there are no edits or changes we'll accept the minutes as they are thank
129you I need a motion to accept the consent agenda pupil personnel questions comments personnel instructional personnel classified finance all those in favor opposed motion carries superintendent report are we on okay for the first item is 26-02- s r-1 memorandum of agreement monitors unit all those in favor opposed motion carries zero two dash sr dash two stipulation of settlement move it all those in favor opposed motion carries poly policy 26-02 eo-1 first reading to amend the following district policies 9170 meals and refreshments move it all those in favor opposed motion carries 26-02 po-2 first reading to retire abolish the following district policy 50 30 student complaints and grievances love it all those in favor opposed motion carries correspondence um we have a few things to talk about before we move on but we're moving on to
130the next item and that is the city action coming up so if you are able to attend I know we have PS I love you Friday I think there were maybe one or two so if anything changes and you can show up or you can't please let myself or Stephanie know and I thank you in advance for attending the events that you can so thank you unfinished business new business board committees mr. D Benedetto the middle country education foundation met on February 2nd the committee approved sorry the committee approved to support the I voted stickers which offer students when they or special meal for the day we also approved the student lobbying trip for Albany and we're looking to support the new Lane greenhouse project and as well as the Sayl'da middle school sensory room
131projects we're just reminded the gulf outing is scheduled for our July 22nd at the Willow Creek Country Education Foundation meet on February 2nd the committee approved club hopefully the snow will be gone by then and if any staff members interested in any future grants please visit the website and fill out the application we're looking to approve other programs that can help and support you guys in the classroom thank you i just want to report out on february 3rd 45 students which i think is amazing that's an amazing number i'm so proud of it and so should everyone who is involved 45 students from the district students legislative ad hoc committee representing grades 9 through 12 from center reach high school and newfield high school participated in the district's second annual legislative advocacy day at the
132new york state capitol in albany during the morning session students met with local legislators and representatives from across long island and the state who serve on various education committees students advocated for funding and programs of personal and district importance such as universal pre-k special education school meals and mental health services these meetings required students to conduct extensive prior research on both the issues and the legislators they met furthermore they demonstrated high levels of collaboration within their groups and their public speaking skills as expected our students represented the district with immense pride demonstrating exceptional engagement professionalism and preparedness the afternoon included a tour of the new york state capitol where students explored the site's history and gained a deeper understanding understanding of the legislative process. Following the tour, students visited the floor of the New York
133State Assembly, where they formally were introduced and recognized at the opening legislative session. This experience was made possible through the support of several individuals and organizations, senators, excuse me, assemblymen, Doug Smith and Rebecca Kassay, who prepared the students in advance of the trip as well, and met with them afterwards to debrief and listen to the feedback regarding their advocacy efforts and experiences. Assemblyman Smith, who arranged the Capitol tour and the formal recognition of the assembly floor, legislators and staff, including Senator Matera, Assemblyman DeStefano, Senator Murray, Senator Martinez, Senator Palumbo, Assemblymember Ari Brown, Senator James Tedesco, Assemblyman Benedetto, and their legislative aides, all of whom met with our students throughout the morning. The Middle Country Education Foundation, which provided the funding for transportation, the Middle Country Food Service Department, and Ms. Sharon Dyke, who arranged for
134school breakfast and lunch and briefed the students on key advocacy issues, the Middle Country Transportation and Maintenance Department, who ensured a safe and smooth 4 a.m. departure, our teacher and administrative chaperones, Ms. Kohler, Ms. Scott, Ms. Reznikoff, Ms. McDonald, Ms. Iondanza, and Dr. Cook. Overall, this was a great experience, and I hope that you will enjoy it. Thank you. For all the experience provided, students with authentic civic engagement, and we look forward to the continued work of the committee in the future. And I will say, too, we were at the legislative breakfast on Saturday morning, and the elected officials that were in the room raved about our students, not just to several of us personally, but also when they got on the dais. They were very proud and impressed with the way that the students
135handled themselves that day, how they represented Middle Country. So thank you to everyone involved in making that day happening, to the teachers who have helped to choose some of these students, who have helped to keep them excited and engaged in the advocacy. It was a great day, and I look forward to many, many more years of our students taking that trip. So thank you. And thank you to Dr. Siegel and Ms. Pacifico. They really have ran with this and really have created an amazing ad hoc committee. So thank you both. Thank you for all your time. Anyone else? Any committee reports or liaison committee reports? Follow-up board discussion? Public input? Three speakers addressed the Board of Education at the January 21st meeting. The president of the Teacher's Aid Unit, a community resident, and the co-president
136of the MCTA and a teacher. The president of the Teacher's Aid Unit spoke of the importance of aid training. We have been working together and with BOCES to have training in place prior to the start of the school year, as well as during the year. Two speakers, one a community resident and the other a co-president of the MCTA and a teacher, spoke about the importance of continuing negotiations with our teachers. They expressed dismay that impasse was being declared. We agree with the speakers. It is important to have respectful negotiations, open conversations that balance the need of our community with those of our teachers. The most recent proposal that we received was costly, with no real recognition of the fiscal impact. For example, retiree health care costs limit the district's ability to fund programs for students.
137Every employee of our district contributes to the family health care plan when retired, except for our teachers. The current cost of the family insurance plan in retirement is $43,965. Retired teachers receive the money to pay for their education, and the schools allow them to receive this full benefit without any contribution. In negotiations, it became clear that we are too far apart on phasing in any meaningful contributions towards retiree health care costs. It is important to Middle Country, as it is important to our teachers, that we have a settled contract. Impasse means that a neutral party, a mediator, comes in, looks at our district's financial health, our settled contracts, and contracts of neighboring districts. studies both proposals and then with an objective voice works at helping both groups come to a fair agreement we believe the
138process will move our conversations forward we have never delayed the process also important to recognize is that our teachers are not without a contract they are currently receiving all of their benefits their health care benefits in retirement for example are fully funded by middle country teachers who are on step which means teachers with 21 or fewer years of experience still receive on the average of 4% raise teachers with more than 21 years of service under the current contract did not receive a raise this year a fair contract would of course provide them with a reasonable salary increase the pace of negotiations is really up to the MCTA a fair agreement is one that can be financially sustained one that allows student programs and resources to remain sustainable and a fair agreement is one that can
139be financially sustained one that allows student programs and resources to remain whole we hope that the MCTA is willing to come to the table with the same goals in mind when they do we will be ready miss Larkin public input for this evening good evening good evening thank you this evening we have three speakers before I call the first speaker up I just have to remind everybody that each person may speak for no more than three minutes I will keep the time on my phone and advise you when your time is up when your time is up I will ask you to finish your sentence please be reminded that you cannot combine your time with another speaker to increase your speaking time you may submit your comment to the Board of Education if you do
140not or if you're not able to complete your comment please conduct yourself in a civil manner obscene language derogatory statements or any threats of violence will not be tolerated and since this is a Board of Education meeting it's a meeting in public and not a public hearing so the board does not have to respond to public input any necessary follow-up will be noted and provided at either the next board meeting via correspondence or you'll be contacted directly please know that the Board of Education does not permit public input involving individuals district employees or students if you wish to discuss such matters including individuals personnel students you may present your comments or your concerns to superintendent during regular business hours thank you and I apologize if I miss pronounce your last name our first speaker is
141Jennifer Flacomo there she is Flacomio close enough that's okay okay good evening members of the board neighbors and teachers I am speaking tonight to show my support of the teachers of the Middle Country School District I'm a product of the district from K-6 I moved back here to raise my family both oh I'm so nervous both of my children are Newfield alumni have gone through bicycle path New Lane and Selden Middle School Kathleen graduated in 2019 Anthony in 2021 over five years ago can't believe it I'm here tonight because both of my children are who they are today because of the teachers in this district both of my children made connections with teachers K-12 that left lasting impressions on them and our family teachers are an investment in the future and I'm here to tell
142you that this is the most important investment any of us will ever make teachers play an important role in the lives of children the teachers of this district have gone far above academics they deserve a fair contract with a salary that highlights the work that they do to educate and care for the whole child teachers are providing students with supplies snacks and emotional support on top of what they're required to do as educators they need to they need access to books and materials and should not have to use their own money to pay for materials the district needs to recognize the hard work of our teachers I'm sorry the hard work our teachers are doing for our kids for our community and for our society our teachers are the best I employ you to work
143with the union and give them a contract worthy of their hard work and dedication a contract where salary reflects the high cost of living and benefits are left intact we still have the felt gingerbread men made with Mrs groschans in first grade Mrs groschans remembers both of my kids and ask for them my name when I see her Miss panisi who's long married Miss galino Mr abramowitz Melanie Mallorca Costa to us who ignited a love in the violin with my daughter when she was about to quit Miss fiduti Miss story Mr more Miss Corella Dean Miss Montana who made my son feel seen when he thought he was invisible Thomas Raycroft Jerome Cordero both of whom had my son's back Gilda Schultz Miss anfini pushing my son to move forward in math Mrs DeLuca retired
144now and the entire music department gave my daughter a place to go every day without them she would not be who she is today she played the violin in college and still plays today Miss Stenberg Miss bacilli Mr Koch is Miss Brosdale and I'm not nearly naming enough but all of these people have made such an impression on my children far above academics in closing I believe that the community is becoming aware of the situation and I know that they back the teachers it's my sincere hope that you will work with the union to provide a fair contract and settle thank you so much for your time the next the next speaker the next speaker is Joseph style is it Joseph style in the office thank you I mean the auditorium third good evening board
145members superintendent thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening my name is Joseph Sittler and I am a resident of over 20 years of the middle country school district I've had two children graduate from Newfield and I currently have two children in in school right now I am here to sub voice my strong support for the middle country teachers they have been working over 200 days without a contract they're planning lessons mentoring children managing increasingly complex classrooms and maintaining the high standards this district expects if you look at the Facebook page of the middle country school district that's because of them they are doing the work that are getting the kids to do these awesome things this is not just about salary it's about respect retention and stability when a district allows negotiations to
146stall and move toward impasse it sends a message to the entire school community that professionals who carry out the district's mission every day are not being valued as partners strong schools are built on strong relationships those relationships are weakened when teachers feel unheard when negotiations drag on for months and when proposals move backwards instead of forwards we are living in a time in across Long Island in New York where we are struggling to find recruit retain teachers and that's a national problem as well middle country should be positioning itself as a district that respects its teachers not one that risks losing them the teachers are not asking for special treatment they're asking for a fair contract negotiating in good faith that acknowledges their work professionalism and the realities that they face both inside and outside
147the classroom a prolonged impasse benefits no one it hurts morale it hurts stability and ultimately it hurts students tonight I urge the board to recommit to meaningful negotiations to move away from proposals that amount to a pay cut and to work toward a resolution that reflects values that this district claims to uphold supporting teachers is an investment in students it's an investment in the community and it's the right thing to do thank you very much the last speaker is Chris Kelly Kelly in the audience thank you good evening and thanks for the opportunity to speak I'm a lifelong middle country resident and I'm a graduate of middle country schools because of middle country teachers I went on to become a senior vice president for one of Long Island's most impactful impactful real estate development and
148construction companies my wife and I chose to raise our four children in this district as well two of them have gone on to start successful careers one is working his way to law school and the other graduated Penn State and now works at Long Island's largest architecture and engineering firms. The other two are doing well in school and are still students in Center Reach and Donwood. Their success are due to the teachers in this district and quite a few of them are in this room. I recently read a response from the board president, Dawn Chirock, about the community I chose to live in. The response painted the community as impoverished and although I think I could argue differently, I would like to remind her the best way to lift children or people out of poverty
149is through education. So I think it is incredibly important that this board does not devalue our teachers. Finally, I'd like to say you do have an engaged audience here tonight and if you would like them to advocate for something like more funding, provide links, QR codes, and even pre-written emails for them to send to their elected representatives. Also, thank you. The budget presentation does not appear to be linked on the district website. So if you want them to use the information you provided, you need to let them have access to it. That's it. I need a motion to adjourn. All those in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. Thank you and good evening.