001Okay, thank you. Good afternoon and welcome to the May 20th, 2026 meeting of the board of education. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, before we begin, I'd like to ask you to join me in a moment of silence for Timothy McGambbo, a 2025 Pel Memorial High School graduate who passed away last Saturday. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. So, this afternoon, the board is meeting briefly to certify the results of yesterday's school budget vote and board of education election, as well as consider a few ordinary business items ahead of our full business meeting next Wednesday. I want to begin by thanking the community for coming out
002to vote and for passing the 2026 2027 school budget. The school budget reflects our community's commitment to providing our students with an excellent education. One that supports strong academics, athletics, and extracurricular opportunities, and one that provides the support our students need to thrive. Congratulations to Trustee Sid Burke and trustee Emory Garcia on their reelection to second terms on the board of education. We are grateful for your continued service and commitment to the pelen public schools. I also want to thank Lisa Martino Alves for running for board of education. Running for school board um trustee takes time, energy, and a willingness to serve the community and we appreciate her efforts and engagements. Elections also bring important conversations about the school district to the forefront. It is important for the board of education to listen to those
003conversations, reflect on them, and take them into account in the years ahead. I also want to express our gratitude to the district for its thoughtful budget development process and for its communication efforts throughout the budget season, which helped ensure that our community had the information it needed to make an informed decision. And finally, a very large thank you to our district clerk, Valerie Miller, and to everyone involved in ensuring that yesterday's vote was conducted in a free, fair, and orderly manner. Thank you, Valerie. And we are grateful to the community for its continued support of Pelum Public Schools. Thank you. Okay. Um, we can get started. We have our student board members here with us. Would you like to give your updates? >> Sure. >> Yeah, I can go first. >> Okay. >> One important
004topic. >> Okay. >> I feel the same way. >> One important topic to highlight is the value of advanced placement exams and courses at the high school level. Over the past 3 weeks, students have been participating in AP exams which concluded last week. Many AP courses are offered starting as early as sophomore year, giving students the opportunity to challenge themselves academically and gain early exposure to college level coursework. AP exams provide students with experience in extended and rigorous testing environment that closely resembles the format and expectations of college assessments. This experience helps student students build important skills such as time management, endurance, critical thinking, and academic discipline. In addition, qualifying AP exam scores can provide students with the opportunity to earn college credit, potentially saving both time and tuition costs in the future. Overall, AP
005courses and exams play a vital role in preparing students for success in higher education. Another exciting update is that the high school spring band concert took place Monday night in the courtyard. This event gave student musicians the opportunity to showcase the hard work and dedication they have demonstrated throughout the school year. Performances like these not only celebrate student musical talents, but also highlighted the importance of arts education within the school community. Family, staff, and community members attended to support the students as they performed a variety of pieces they had prepared throughout the spring season. >> Thank you. soccer. Mhm. >> So, now that AP season is over for um freshman, sophomore, and juniors, they have regions now, which is a New York State registered test, and it goes towards a graduation requirement, and it usually
006takes the place of finals for a few classes, but that is another exciting time. And for or usually most of them are during finals week, except for juniors this year, the English regions is coming up and that's on June 9th. So, getting ready for that in class. And now that APs are done, classrooms, we may not be learning as much contentwise, but we're doing a lot of hands-on fun projects. Like in physics, we're learning how to build a car that um breaks on its own. And that's going to be some it's going to be a fun learning experience. And yeah, it's just it's going to be a really fun time after AP. And while we're still still learning, we're getting closer as classes and just celebrating the end of the school year. Um tomorrow night
007is the art show. So, this is for all grades. Um, it's specifically for studio and drawing and painting, advanced art, AP art, and photography and ceramics. And this is going to take place from 5 to 6:00 tomorrow in the library. And all the paintings are or everyone's art is already set up. So, if you want to stop on by and support our program, that would be amazing. And then finally, adding on to what Nick said about concerts. Um last night Miss Aes house had her final chorus concert and the students for the last few weeks we've been um meeting in secret to do to learn a song that was composed by her um late husband and I think we really surprised her. That was the strongest song I think I've ever heard. Um it was
008really meaningful. A lot of tears shed too but it was just a great night overall and I think it was a great send off for her. But yeah, not >> Yeah. Good. Thank you both. And I I have to I have to agree that that um even while the song was happening, I think everybody knew this was a really special moment >> that everyone in that room will never forget. >> So um kudos to you guys to the choir for doing that. Um and I was just going to say in general everything you guys mentioned is just like so um so part of like why Pelum is so special. >> You know, it's strong academics, strong art, but people coming together and really supporting one another. Um, and even as you know, we talked about
009uh Timothy McGumbo passing. That's what this place has been about. It's it's a place that is beyond just going to nine periods of classes and taking tests. It's really about the people and the relationships and um this last week in particular, I think has really been highlighting that. So, thank you both for picking such important things >> um to share with us. Um I was just going to add on top of that um not by way of a formal report, but just um wanted to as well, you know, as Jackie did thank the community for the support um last night. It was wonderful just to see folks coming out. It was great to be able to engage with the community over the last couple of months, months and weeks. Um just to to get to
010talk to people about the great things that are happening here in schools and then things that all of our students are doing in the classroom, outside of the classroom, on the field, volunteer work, just where people are going to college, just all of it is just um so amazing and so much to be proud of. So I'm I'm thankful for that and thankful to the community that came out and support. Um, want to thank uh again Jim, the business office uh for all the work that they did to put together this budget. I think my cabinet because we many many many meetings about this and working with our entire administrative team around really challenging budget but one that we could come forward and support and and still be proud of and be proud of the
011opportunities that we're going to offer to students. Two, thanks Valerie. I get to work side by side with her every day. Um so you all get to see that special um person that she is at times like this. So, um, thank you to everyone for all of that. And I just want to say one more thank you. Thank you to all of our students and staff for enduring the heat today and yesterday. Um, it was a challenge. Our custodians did an amazing job trying to manage it. Our principles, uh, assistant principles all had cooling plans in place that they shared with their staff on the beginning of the week. Um, so they knew which rooms were likely to be hot, which rooms were open, where they could go to get some relief. I know it
012was it was a lot. We asked a lot of folks today. So, thank you for enduring. Um, hopefully it was hopefully we got our heat wave out of the way and we won't see it again till July when nobody's here. So, um, I think that's okay. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you, Dr. Champ. >> And my do and my daughter's working on a a rocket. A rocket. >> Oh, yeah. Physics, too. Yeah. >> Um, okay. So, we can Sorry, one more. >> Yeah, of course. >> I want to thank the uh the AP Mr. Cero in his class. >> Oh yes, for the exit polling. >> Thank you. Exit polling was amazing. That was we've decided firmly that exit polling has to happen in the hallway and we had about uh the the participation
013rate was significantly better which I think made our results actually far more um accurate. So we really appreciate their effort. That's a lot of time and energy by the students and Mr. Sico, but it gives us really meaningful data each year to try to refine our what we've been talking about all along. How do we communicate the to the community in a way that is effective and they understand educate them on all that we do that's great for our students and our community and the value of the budget. So yeah, thanks again to them. >> Okay, now I'm done. >> Okay. Um we can move to financial reports and motions. Um, we'll take Do I have a motion to take 2.1 through 2.5 as a consent agenda? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Okay. Do
014we want to >> um Yeah. >> Read anything? >> Uh, yeah. Just the uh the uh votes that uh from last night's uh budget vote. So uh just make sure I get the right numbers. Where? I don't see the total column. There it is. Okay. Total. yeses 830 total nos 277 for a total number of votes cast of 1,17 um and then again the uh school board uh results it Amarie Garcia with 708 votes Lisa Martino Alves with 591 and Sydney Burke with 674 there were 62 writeins as well we do not have those listed out here but there were 62 there so congratulations as Jackie said to those members Um, also, uh, we have a, uh, just an additional poll worker that's, uh, on the agenda for approval that, uh, helped us out last,
015uh, yesterday. Um, also here we are, uh, formally adopting, uh, the change, uh, the reorganization date for the, uh, 2026 27 school year. So, we will be having our first meeting of that year on July 2nd. So, I know the board has been made aware of that. Um, students, you are not required to go to the summer board meetings, but you're always welcome. Nick will be on to bigger and better things, >> especially you Nick. >> Um, but uh, so yeah, July 2nd uh, for our reorg meeting. >> Uh, also we have a side letter uh, with the teachers uh, association related to a staff member uh, around retirement. Um, and then authorization to authorize the regional information center uh, to negotiate our data privacy agreements. >> Okay. Any comments or questions on that? No.
016All in favor? >> I. >> Okay. All those motions carry. Um, do I have a motion to take 3.1 through 6.1 as a uh consent agenda? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Actually through I'm sorry 3.1 to 4.1 as a consent agenda. >> So moved. >> Okay. >> Second. And I will just say we are um once again saddened but uh happy for uh one of our teachers who has chosen to uh retire. That's Miss Christina Piano, one of our Italian teachers. So she has served the district faithfully since 1998. Um she will leave big shoes to fill, challenging shoes to fill. Uh that's a very high uh high demand and low supply uh position. World languages are increasingly hard to find. So Christine has been amazing. She has been with us as many years.
017Um and just we wish her all the best her and her family as she goes out at this time. Uh she will be very much missed and bonjouro all the things >> arriv to her. >> Okay. All in favor? >> I uh those motions carry. Do we have any um new business? We don't we don't have communications and comments from the public. So I will take a motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Okay. Thank you ever. Thank you everyone.