001[music] Hello, Lockport Township High School District 205 parents and guardians. My name is Dr. Bob McBride, superintendent of Lockport Township High School District 205. This is your board meeting brief for the board of education meeting that we had here in the porter room on Monday, October 20th. As we often do, we actually had to start our meeting in the East Campus cafeteria. We had another very very large group 100 plus of students who were recognized by the college board bright future and school recognition program. These are students who excelled on the PSAT NMSQT the PSAT 89 and advanced placement tests. Some of them are the first students in their family to excel at those kind of tests and and eventually we hope go on to college and to bright futures. It was great to acknowledge
002them, to acknowledge their parents, and another high water mark of academic achievement for our porters. Just so important that we take a moment to thank our students for the efforts they've put in for the academic excellence they've achieved. And as important to thank their parents, their grandparents, their family members that have lifted them up and provided them the positive example to really commit to everything that we offer here at Lockport Township High School. There are many things on our agenda. I just want to draw your attention to a few. Every month we have a report from our Lockport Township 205 foundation. This is a foundation that comes alongside. It's an independent 5013C and it comes along our board alongside our board of education to support all the things we do here. It is also a
003vessel for all of the scholarships that we give to the end at the end of the year to students moving on to every kind of endeavor you can imagine from trade school to JJC to a 4-year college. We were excited to report that we received another $50,000 donation to endow a scholarship for our students. The reason why I'm mentioning it is one just at the end of the year I hope that if you have a senior you encourage them to apply for those scholarships but also it's one way one sign that I see as superintendent of really the support and love that people have for this high school district. It's one way by directly uplifting students that we see that measure of support and really really [music] love for public education. So thank you. Thank
004you for that support. The most important thing that our board approved last night is a major change here at East Campus. And I want to focus this board meeting brief primarily on that. [clears throat] Our board in concept and cost approved moving East Campus to an 8 period day. Presently at East Campus, we have a seven period day. Students take five classes and always have lunch and physical education built into their schedule. What we found after about two years of research is how limiting that is for our students. On the horizon, we face new state mandates in terms of world language and science that will make it even more difficult for porters at East Campus to acquire and take the classes they would like to take. Also, we know that the more that our students
005participate in courses that are deep in reading, give them college credit even before they leave, allow them to experience career and technical education. We know their futures grow brighter the more they're with our teachers and in our classrooms. It's really about opportunity. So our board approved the idea that we'll begin next year 2026 2027 of having eight periods a day at East Campus. We already do that at central campus. What this will mean is students will actually have six courses to choose from in addition to their required lunch and physical education. We are very excited to begin the work now to start planning to start implementing to start enrolling students in a six class [music] lunch PE 8 period day next year here at East Campus that'll match what we're already doing at Central Campus.
006There is absolutely a cost and the cost will primarily be in terms of teachers we will need to hire to address all of our sophomores, juniors, and seniors taking an additional class next year. But we believe investing in roughly about 20 teachers, which we estimate would be about an additional expense of $1.9 million, is important for student opportunity and important [music] for academic rigor. Please look for more developments as we begin enrolling students into this new 8 period day. In closing, I do want to acknowledge something very personal to me that the board approved. Initially, I was supposed to retire last year, June 30th, 2025. Several years ago, the board asked me to extend that, and I did. I extended that to June 30th, 2026. The board approached me again and asked me to extend
007my service to the district another time. Last night, the board of education approved that extension, and I'm humbled to be asked to continue serving you, serving our students, serving the board, serving our staff, and we approved an extension that will have me retiring June [music] 30th, 2027. At the same time, I am honored. I'm also bittersweet coming almost to the end of a 40-year career in public education. And I'd like to share with you what I shared with the board of education. In meditating and ruminating about that choice, myself, my family, my wife, we decided, let's end it here. Let's end it here in Lockport Township High School District 205. I can't think of a better place to close my career in public education than with you. [music] And I'm grateful for the opportunity. I
008hope you're grateful for our school district, grateful for our students, grateful for our staff, grateful for all of the opportunities that we have in this [music] place called a public high school district. Thank you so much for listening to this board meeting brief. And as always, go Porters.