001So, good evening again and welcome to our regular board of education meeting. Today is Monday, April 13th. Please stand and join us in the pledge. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all the mission of the White Plains Public Schools is to educate and inspire all students. while nurturing their dreams so they learn continually, think critically, pursue their aspirations, and contribute to a diverse and dynamic world. >> Good evening. I'd like to ask you to join me in a moment of silent reflection as we recognize and remember Alons Ramsay, security assistant at White Plains High School from 1998 until the year through the year 2000, and Leva Cher Cherry Ellis, media specialist, librarian
002at Highlands Middle School from 1985 until she retired in June 2007. Thank you. >> You want to see the announcement? Thank you. Um we're at the portion of our agenda where we'll entertain announcements um by the board. I think um uh we can all mention that um we attended the Friends of White Plains spring fling. We had a wonderful time. And what was so important about that event for us is that the friends of White Plains are our very best friends. They donate so much to our schools to enrich our programs to give all of our students opportunities that, you know, other schools just may not offer and to really just broaden their scope of culture. So, we're really thankful for them. We thank them um that we were able to to be there and
003we thank uh Dr. ICA who was one of the speakers and um just I'm sure they're listening tonight um just to say on behalf of the board and our community that we really appreciate all all that they do because this doesn't happen everywhere but it happens in White Plains. Thank you. Anything else? >> Just could I add just about that evening? So, uh, Benjamin Boyin and Tom Ro were were honored and when Benjamin Boyin was was speaking, they talked about how the relationship that Dr. Ra, how with Tom Roach and the unity in the city really propelled us at the difficult time of the co um pandemic and how we really were leaders in the area and across the nation because of the relationship that all the agencies in the city have and it's really
004it's it was wonderful to see and it was wonderful to experience. >> Anything else? Okay, next we'll go to our superintendence report. >> Good evening everybody. Welcome. I I think uh we're going to we're going to recognize we're really happy to to have so many of our students with us and and their parents, guardians, loved ones. This evening, we're going to recognize our winter scholar athletes first before I do the budget presentation. That way, if you want to go home, uh but you're you're certainly welcome to stay. Absolutely. or or even watch live stream. But I do want to also recognize that many of our students uh who are scholar athletes for the winter sports are also participating in spring athletics. We have a number of games that are still being played right now. Students
005traveling. So we we know that we have some of our Tigers who aren't able to be with us um this this evening to be recognized by the board of education, but they will still get their certificates of recogn recognition sent home as well. So with that, I I'd like to welcome Mr. Cameron, uh, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Chapis, as we, uh, recognize our winter scholar athletes. 142, >> right? This, this win this season. 142. >> Thank you, Dr. Rea. >> Thank you, board. Uh, welcome everybody. If you've been here before, then you get to hear me say this again. This is one of my favorite nights that we have because this is the night where we get to recognize our student athletes off the field of play. Um, tonight we have 142 scholar athletes. And a
006scholar athlete is a student who participates at the varsity level and maintains an average of of a 90 and above. And a scholar athlete team is a team where 75% of that roster has a 90 and above. And I'm proud to say that 11 out of our 13 winter teams achieve scholar athlete status. So without further ado, uh we have Coach Furry here who's going to be reading off for winter indoor track for boys and girls. >> Hello and thank you for having me. >> The kids can come up and get their >> All right. When I read your names, um you can come up and get your pins. All right. So track and field is first, right? We have 55 of the 140 something kids here. So we're super proud. It's one of our
007core values of scholar athletes. We talk to the kids almost daily about it. Um and our kids work um super hard at being great athletes, but being good students um as well. Um so we're proud to have 55. We had another very successful year indoors. um a lot of um females, a younger core group coming out. The boys lost a heartbreak uh in the league meet, very close um from winning league champions. Um but we're super proud of them. It It's hard to believe we were outside today uh practicing for spring track and it was so hot outside. We're remembering back to the winter about what a tough winter we had and our kids had to uh you know work out and we were on the treadmills. We were on the bikes. We were carving
008paths out of the snow to try to run. Um so just super proud of their effort there. So without further ado, I'm going to read the girls names. Coach Terrace has been with us our female coach this year. Um she was one of our athletes and we're glad to have her back. She's been really a nice bright energetic light to us. Um she couldn't be here tonight. So I'm going to read the girls names and the boys' names. Mr. Chapas has your pens when you come up. So come up and get your pens when you come. We're going to start with the boys. Um, Mr. William McDermott, Mr. Michael Grande, Mr. Pierce Biffert, Benjamin Basettini, Declan Brown, Max Barrera, Justin McDyo, Shauna Fowler, Jag Alie, Justin Jovovich, Dylan Lamir, Thomas McDermott, Nathan Goston, I think
009he's at the lacrosse game like Pierce, Michael Mark, David Soe, Isaiah Don Dner, Christian so Oliver Bentacort, Max Tao, Patrick Cave, John Gonzalez, and Matt Grippo. >> Oh, you dress up nicely, Oliver. All right. Now, we're going to go to the girls. Um, we have Jillian Amison, Ava Anderson, Sophie Barrera, Marina Bouraa, Alli Bowman, Jessica Kamacho, Camille Castillo, Terresa Damato, Antonio D Ambrosio, Valentina Dietro, Gabrielle Dwarte, Megan Dutton, Margaret Gordon, Kendra Walker, Sydney Harris, Riley Keane, Sophia Lavine, Savannah Mccles, Amaya Mahoney, Helina Napolei, Isabella Reedi, Maserat Opraio, sorry about that. Solo Dad Romero, Valentina Garcia, Sashi Sanchez, Yuki Tanachio, Olivia Tush, Alali Cardonesa, Emily Villanoveva, and Amaly Whitler. Many of these girls are playing other sports right now. Thank you very much for being here. We appreciate it. Okay. Thank you, coach. So, we have
010a number of coaches who were unavailable tonight um because they do coach multiple seasons for us and uh we had some games tonight, which is echoing Mr. Dr. Ricka, which is why we're we're lacking a lot of our student athletes tonight. So, uh without further ado, I'm going to be reading for Coach Howie Rubenstein tonight for boys ice hockey. First up, we have Jonah Glasman, Mason Fischer, Jackson Shaver, Christian Bautista, Jacob Vines, Kai Chen, Evan Espen, Vincent Mcnardy, Johnny Malazo, Chris Lar Roa, Caitlyn Suguso, Iot Light, Julian Briki. Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> Congratulations, boys ice hockey. >> Next up, we have a a girls ice hockey team here. It's a uh it's a 15 team merger in section one and we have two girls who participated on that. Also good to note uh they
011were section champions and they were regional finalists. So they did achieve some success this year. First up for girls ice hockey we have Sasha Bernstein, Addie Walsh. All right, congratulations. We also have a ski team and the ski coach, uh, Coach Clark was not able to make it tonight. He did reach out and, um, he's very apologetic. He's sick. Uh, and if you've been here in the past for the winter, he's he's made it in the past. So, um, I'm going to be reading off our boys. Ski, Kellen Dhy, Oliver Chow, Wyatt Gonzalez. Thank you. Congratulations. >> Congratulations. >> Now playing baseball. Lacrosse. >> Lacrosse. Lacrosse. >> Congratulations. And for our girls ski team, which is also coached by Coach Clark, we have Olivia Tuzle. Congratulations. Next up, Coach Armagita's bowl team. Coach Armagedda is
012outside with our lacrosse team. Last I checked, we were up 16 >> 176. So, we had a um a large number of girls bowlers this year. So, we'll start with our girls bowling team. Philippa White, Emiline Kim, Nora Jones, Leah Dutton, Michaela Clampet, Allison Salera, Casey Hendrickson, Valentina Ina Garcia, Leah Vtoriioso, Brena Peters, Elizabeth Salerna, Melissa Reed. Congratulations, girls bowling. Next up, we have our boys bowling, >> Joshua Kim, Peter Marcin, Adriana Russo, James Zeppiieri, Alex Spista, Jonathan Ramos. I do see a number of those names are also on our boys lacrosse team who is also outside still. So totally understandable. And that is it for all of the coaches who were unavailable to be here tonight. And so next up we have coach Tano with wrestling. Mike's our modified coach. our two wrestling our
013two uh wrestling coaches are also our golf coaches. So, they're out there monitoring the golf course, I guess. >> Thank you, Mike. >> No problem. Uh happy to be here. First, I want to say congratulations to the entire team on a great season, both modified JV and varsity. Also, to the people who um are accepting this great honor today. Now, the entire team who has received this honor can't make it, but I just want to say wrestling is a very taxing sport both physically and mentally. So, the fact they could get it done on the mat and in the classroom is definitely something to be said and we're very proud of that. Um, so first up, Jackson Amiendo, Sean Megan, Justin Milliana, Max Romero, Kaden Matthew Wily, Josh Jamo, Lonel Torres Martinez and Luke Bellenton.
014Thank you. >> Thank you, coach. Next up, we have Coach Tlesco with Cheer. Good evening everybody. Um I just wanted to congratulate my team and every athlete in this um auditorium tonight. Um in my four-year career of coaching, this will be my first scholar athlete team. So I have to commend these girls for working both very hard in the classrooms and in the gym. So, um, tonight we have Noami Alvarez, Gianna Cohen, Emily Dominguez, Scarlett Duran, Leslie Guazar, Yena Lopez, Eileen Pina, Gerretti Martinez, Chloe Wagner and Jasine Zapata. >> Congratulations again. >> We can do a cheer, coach. >> Maybe next time. >> Watch out for that. >> Great job. >> Congratulations. >> Good job. All >> right. Congratulations again. Cheer. Next up, we have Coach Smith with boys basketball. Thank you, sir. >> All
015right. Um, it's an honor to be here representing um the boys basketball team. Uh this year we had over half our team um being scholar athlete with a couple more that were mere points away. Um the boys work very hard um on the court and off the court put in the work um in early mornings after practice, but they took care of their business in the classroom which is um one of our keys and um very proud of them. Uh, we're going to start with Roland Nansa, Justin Lamir, Jonathan Tuckman, Otto Armstrong, Justin Buck, Justin Bolang, and Nathan Plamer. Thank you. >> Congratulations again, boys basketball. Next up, we have Coach Carter with girls basketball. >> Hey, congratulations. >> Thank you. Thank you. Hello everybody. Um, I have high standards when it come to basketball,
016but also they understand when you go on the basketball court, what happens on the court must happen in the classroom. Um, so my team put in a lot of work this year. And with that being said, I want to say I'm proud of my team for earning scholar athlete honors. This is what happens when hard work meets discipline in the classroom and on the court. Keep the standards high all the time on and off the court. With that being said, I want to congre congratulate Briana Gilline, Molly O'Donnell, McKenna Austin, Paige Keran, Rachel Tuckman, and Amelia Purcell. Thank you. This is Ameilia y'all. A super eighth grader. >> Congratulations girls basketball. So last up uh we have our our boys swim and dive team. So, it's they are two separate teams, but uh coach Rebecca
017Dohy Fay is going to come up and read for for both. >> Thanks, Rebecca. >> Okay, good evening. I'm Coach Fe. I'm joined by Coach Eller. Um, Coach Cremona is at a lacrosse game as many of our coaches are this evening. Um, I'd like to start by thank you Mr. Cameron, Mr. Chapus, board of ed members, uh, Dr. Ricka, Mr. Martinez, thank you so much for your support. Parents, thank you for coming to our meet and cheering on our team throughout the season. Um, we had another great season this year. Our team united as a team, worked hard in practice, and improved their times as the season progressed. The senior captains helped encourage and unite the team, leading by example both in the pool and on the deck. The boys ended the dual season with
018a 10-1 record. They won divisionals for a second year in a row thanks to fast swims and stellar diving. The swim coaches are proud of our team's accomplishments in the pool and in the classroom. We know it's challenging to excel in both areas and we're happy to celebrate your accomplishments this evening. Um I'm going to read off our our scholar athletes names. We're also a um team. Our team made it as a scholar athlete team once again. So we're very proud of your accomplishments. All right, here we go. Um, Lucan Samo, Joseph Alleta, Connor Dominic, Max Fernadens Bokeette, Connor Ha, William Howley, Max Polio, Audi Kumar, >> Julian McDermott, Samuel Mahia, Adrien Mita, Maximleian Mui, Roman Range, Alejandro Wusco, Braden Silverman, Leo Tashman, Matthew Vgera Aravalo, Joshua Vaggera Aravalo. Uh the next four swimmers are
019middle school swimmers. Um, Giles uh, Aman, we've got Misha Barisano, Dean Hamdouch, and Matthew Russo. Let me say congratulations to all the athletes this evening and congratulations on a job well done. Thank you, Josh. >> You want to hold on to those? >> You won't see the kids. >> We'll keep him in the office. >> Set them down. >> Yes. >> Thank you again, boys. Swim and dive. Congratulations. So, thank you all for coming out again tonight. And uh I do hope to see you at our scholar athlete breakfast in June's where we recognize our spring scholar athletes. Get home safely everyone. >> I think first and most importantly I'd like to welcome back our student exio representatives and we are getting my goodness we are getting close to uh the end of the academic
020year and you have been tremendous representatives I have to tell you. I can't believe it. >> So, with that, would you uh would you like to kick it off? >> Hi guys. Uh, >> good evening all. I hope everyone had a restful spring break. As we reach the near end of the school year, I'm excited to report all the current things our elementary schools have been doing this past month. To begin, Post Road has been buzzing with activity focused on character building and career readiness. We recently held a two-eek kindness celebration. The first week supported the Post Road market through student donations for those in need, while the second focused on kindness towards self, others, and the broader community. In honor of Black History Month, students created and performed an original assembly that traced African
021origins to the Harlem Renaissance and the civil rights movement using art, music, and dance. Our college and career day was a massive success, featuring workshops led by parent volunteers and visits from the White Plains Fire and Police Departments. Students even conducted interest surveys and presented their own research projects. Finally, we were proud to host White Plains High School's education pathway students, providing them with mentorship while our own teachers found great pride in giving back to future educators to the future educators of White Plains. Ridgeway continues to foster a love for culture and literacy. The PTA recently sponsored a visit from the New York Chinese Cultural Center where students enjoyed the Lion Dance, an immersive look at Chinese costumes, artifacts, and history. Our special classes also enjoyed a unique conservation themed visit to the 2 by
0222 Animal Haven. We are incredibly proud of our readiness or readathon results. Students read over 500,000 minutes, exceeding their fundraising goals and earning a silent disco party. This was complemented by a family reading night on March the 11th, which included guest speakers, pizza, and book donations. On the athletic front, we thank backyard sports and our coaches, Miss McLaclin and Miss Shijati, for helping our fourth and fifth grade basketball teams build confidence and community. We also celebrate Miss Homez and our fifth grade singers for their dedication to the citywide chorus performance on March the 25th. At GW, March and April have been dedicated to literacy and the essential theme of inclusion. We successfully launched our schoolwide readathon and family reading night highlighted by a literary character dressup day that saw high high student engagement. Beyond reading
023for fun, our students participated in community meetings focused on equity and respect. They engaged with powerful texts such as she persisted by Chelsea Clinton and Malala's magic pencil sparkling meeting or sparking meaningful dialogues about perseverance and social justice. To demonstrate our collective commitment to these values, the entire GW community wore be wore blue on April the 8th, serving as a visible symbol of our dedication to creating a respectful, inclusive environment for every student. Church Street had a very productive month centered on community engagement. Through our one book, one school initiative, every student received a copy of Charlotte's Web thanks to the PTA. The program included trivia, vocabulary hunts in the hallways, and a writing contest. Our family reading night featured esteemed guest readers, including Mayor Roach and Dr. Ricka. Innovation was at the forefront during
024our invention convention where students K through 5 solved everyday problems with creative designs like the teacher belt. We also hosted career day with parent volunteers and units from the WPPD as well as parent workshops on technology safety and New York State testing. As we move forward, we are celebrating autism acceptance month and a schoolwide unity bulletin board and looking ahead to our multicultural day celebration and fourth and fifth grade talent show. To continue, ESU Middle School continues to prioritize a holistic approach to student development, balancing academic transitions with character building and the arts. The EPIC, or every person impacts culture recognition program remains a cornerstone of the school's culture, providing bi-weekly celebrations for students who exhibit positive energy and exemplary behavior. These students are highlighted during schoolwide announcements and group photography sessions, reinforcing a community
025standard of kindness and respect. The school also celebrated significant milestones in the performing arts and student orientation. Student musicians represented the district with distinction at the citywide coral festival, earning praise for their dedication and technical talent. Meanwhile, the students on Isu on Broadway showcased a high energy platform for students to perform classical music theater hits for the local community. Transition initiatives have been a major focus to ensure student success across grade levels. Sixth grade students recently visited Highlands Middle School to meet future staff and explore the campus they will attend next year. Simultaneously, East View opened its doors to incoming fifth graders from all five elementary schools. These visits were uniquely led by current Eastview students who previously attended those same elementary schools, providing a relatable and personalized introduction to the middle school experience. Highlands
026Middle School recently emphasized community cohesion and student well-being through a massive off-site event. Nearly, 1100 students and staff traveled to the Westchester County Center for a day of school spirit activities supported by the PTA and the eighth grade committee. The day included interactive games and encourt activities. Notably, the school implemented a calm room at the venue, offering a quiet sanctuary for students to recharge, a feature that garnered positive attention from visiting school districts for its inclusivity. Academic experiences have extended well beyond the classroom. This month, seventh grade students participated in a specialized field trip to the federal courthouse where they received a behind-the-scenes look at the American judicial system. This visit allowed students to observe live proceedings and interact with court personnel, bridging the gap between civic theory and real world application. The school's focus
027on literacy and historical empathy was further highlighted by high-profile guest speakers. Acclaimed author Lauren Tares met with seventh and eighth grade students to discuss her I survived series, sharing how she brings history to life through narrative. Looking ahead to May, the school is preparing for an intensive two-day engagement with Holocaust survivor Sammy Stagman. This interactive session will empower students to act as moderators conducting interviews based on their own research and curiosity to ensure a profound connection to history. Administrative and consultive efforts at Roshanbo High School had focused heavily on modernizing instructional practices and student support systems. Throughout March, IDE consultant Jillian White worked closely with faculty to integrate project-based learning and executive functioning skills into the curriculum. This initiative has reached a global scale through a partnership with the United Nations as school leaders met
028with UN representatives to align PBL themes with the 17 sustainable development goals. The school has also strengthened strengthened its network of community partnerships to provide diverse mentorship opportunities. Organizations such as Girls Inc. and Grandpas United have established a regular presence in the building, engaging with students during lunch periods to offer guidance and support. Additionally, school leadership met with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to finalize plans for a senior assembly about safety and responsible decision-making during the upcoming prom season. Consistent outreach remains a priority for Roshambo staff to ensure no student is left behind. This is shown by ongoing partnership with Abbott House which includes bimonthly rotating meetings between the school faculty and the facility. These sessions led by the school principal and psychologists are designed to monitor and facilitate the academic and emotional success of students
029residing at the house ensuring a seamless connection between their living environment and their education. The third quarter at White Plains High School concluded this past Friday, marking the transition into the final portion of the academic year. This date also served as a major social highlight for the class of 2027 as juniors celebrated their junior prom. The event provided students with an evening of community and celebration, marking a successful transition into the final stretch of the academic year. On Sunday, April 12th, the high school's commitment to innovation was on full of display at the engineering expo. Multiple student organizations, including the robotics team and Jets, represented the school at the event. Students showcased various technical initiatives and projects, engaging with the broader community to demonstrate the practical application of their STEM coursework and extracurricular research. Following
030the conclusion of the quarter, the student body transitioned into a spirit week, featuring a variety of creative daily themes. The week began today with a focus on comfort during pajama day, followed by the country versus country club aesthetic challenge. Midweek themes include a Jersey versus Jersey Shore day and a barbecue parent versus soccer parent dressup event. The festivities are scheduled to conclude with a 2016 throwback day, allowing students and staff to revisit the trends and culture. these activities continue to foster a sense of belonging and school pride throughout the building. The spring athletic season is officially in full swing with teams across the districts demonstrating both high participation and competitive excellence. The baseball and softball programs utilize the recent spring break for an intensive training trip to Florida, an experience designed to build team chemistry
031and provide valuable game repetitions in a professional environment. As the weather warms, Modified Sports are also preparing to launch their competitive schedules with games set to begin next week. The season has already been marked by several historic individual achievements. In boys lacrosse, senior captain Eddie Ryan celebrated reaching his 100th career point, a testament to his four years of consistency and leadership. Additionally, softball standout Alexis Te reached two major milestones simultaneously, recording her 100th career hit and her 100th career RBI, cementing her status as a premier offensive force in the league. In addition to individual success, the district has successfully hosted major multi-school events. The coach Singh Invitational brought 10 different track and field programs to White Plains for a day of highlevel competition. Further, the Pioneers Special Olympics basketball team hosted a standout homecoming game
032against Portchester. The event saw Harry Jefferson Gymnasium filled to capacity as the community gathered to cheer on the Tigers and celebrate the inclusive spirit of the district district's athletic programs. That is all for this month's report. Thank you. Thank you so much. And um again, just a fantastic reporting and also just amazing opportunities for our students. That's just a month um between, you know, today and and our last board of education meeting and just so much to be proud of. >> Representative from the student government to explain the 2016 throwback day. >> Would you would you like to explain the 2016 throwback day? >> Throwback all the way >> all the way to 2016. >> It's kind of like a tossback. Is it far? >> Um, I think the recent sentiment at least on social
033media, a lot of people have been trying to feel nostalgic about 2016. So, I think that's why that theme has been brought up during the spirit week. >> All right. So, it's not personal against us uh unks and boomers, right? >> Thank you guys. I tell you, that's what my son says. You were born in the 1900s, right, Dad? It was the late 1900s. Um, I also want to welcome GW. I see you laughing back there. Yes, the 1900s. Thank you for being with us this evening. 143 scholar athletes. And, you know, while so many of them were also participating in athletics this evening, it is just great to continue to see those numbers rise um each opportunity. And just the number of students who are participating in athletics in our in our school district
034continues to grow. Huge thanks to the parents and guardians uh who who support our students. Um I think one of the most important things is no matter what you how proficient or excellent you think you may or may not be in athletics, there is a place for every one of one of our students. And um thanks to the board for supporting that. Thanks to our parents and guardians for continuing to give us feedback and allowing us to expand our offerings and opportunities. Um just just great stuff for for our children. And I do also want to echo the uh the Special Olympics homecoming was fantastic and and the the the students who were in the stands, the students who were participating on the court, uh the the students from Portchester, the coaches, all of this
035just a great opportunity and a great celebration of all of our kids and that was that was just last week. Um so just just so much to be proud of and thanks to everybody. College acceptances are are coming in. Um, and I look forward to sharing a big list, but I will tell you that so far Dr. Hand and I were just looking at a preliminary list just the other day of offers and acceptances and and we are extraordinarily well represented all throughout the country in all throughout the the different types of schools, colleges and universities um dependent upon students pursuits. So, you know, everywhere from the the the most selective um I would say to to also the the most sort of unique and nuanced niche colleges that allow students the opportunity to expand
036whether it be in the traditional academics or the arts. Um it it's just a great so far uh a great cross-section of opportunity for our kids. Um, I also want to just uh report to the board that the section one did collect and solicit feedback related to the the schools without borders question. You're seeing this more and more and more in headlines not just in New York but also throughout the country of public school athletics um and private independent and pro independent and parochial athletics um and how there's a tension and a challenge with regard to postseason championship play. Um, that's to say, we've had in the state of New York two private, parochial, or independent schools competing in the New York State public school championships. And what we're saying and what we're asking at
037section one, and we're asking for the rest of the the state to consider is that yes, absolutely, we want to have more play. We want to have play with uh private, parochial, and independent schools during the season, but there should also be a recognition that there can be two different championships. You could even have a third where the champion of that championship then plays for the ultimate champion. Um but but there are options so that we can give all of our children in the state of New York more opportunity, not less. Um and so we're collecting or or I should say the sections are collecting that information now. Um and hopefully u getting the feedback will allow us to continue to discuss making adjustments that will benefit more kids moving forward. the Orange shout shout
038out to the White Plains High School Orange wrote an article all about this. Um so even our students, you know, they're right there. They they they're feeling the pulse of of this conversation and hopefully the adults in the state will be able to get it done for them. Um the f the friends, what do you what do we say? We you can't have better friends than the friends of White Plains. Uh and they really they really are and and you know with all the support that they provide to to our our children um our our students and uh and also the recognition for so many great um community leaders. It was really really nice to celebrate together and recognize the continued service really um past and and and present of of Chairman Boyin and um
039county clerk Mayor Roach. He has like a double title. uh just outstanding and yeah, you know, to be able to work so closely with the municipal and and also the county um government has really put us in a position, I think a very strong position to be able to overcome, you know, all different types of challenges like pandemics uh and and and work together and I think that that that's just uh always worth recognizing. So, thanks to the friends for the for that great opportunity there. Um on the tonight's agenda, we also have retirements. Uh, but I do want to draw your attention to one. Um, um, Mrs. Laura Munchin is, uh, is providing notice of her intent to retire from as principal of George Washington Elementary on September 1st, uh, 2026. And so, of
040course, we uh, we wish Mrs. Mun the best and thank her and we will thank her officially um, toward the end of the academic year. There is still time to join the PTA. If you haven't, you can join right now. Um, we are still working toward that 100% uh um representation of everybody in the way plane city school district uh in our PTA. I can't say enough about the PTA, the work that they do, all of the units in all of the schools and then coming together as one um to to really uh support not just our students but also our parents and guardians uh as well. I think they just had last Friday night a big parents night out um where all of the units got together in town and and and had a
041chance to socialize and enjoy themselves. So, uh, shout out to the PTA and and please join if you haven't already done so. Uh, also need to and I'll say this about 35,000 more times, uh, between now and then. But May 19th, May 19th, the board of education and budget election polls open at 12, close at 9:00 p.m. Uh, and we're also going to again proh provide a presentation this evening on our proposed uh, 2026 2027 um, budget. And I I want to before we begin that presentation, you're almost ready, right, Dr. Vicarotes? We're going to do it. Um, but I I really do want to just say thank you. I want to say thank you to all of the community members, parents, guardians, students who have provided feedback throughout this process all the way through
042the academic year. I want to say thank you to the finance and audit committee uh for all of the hard work that they do um going through our recommendations um and assisting us as we plan. I'd like to say thank you to all of our colleagues. Um whether it be faculty, staff members, administrators in the school district, everybody has a voice in this process. And and I'd like to of course say thank uh thank you to the the board of education. Um, your leadership, your stability, and your continued questioning of all of the recommendations all of the time is really helpful, pushes our thinking, and allows us to ask ourselves, how can we offer more to our students and more opportunities for our students while also maintaining a a fiscally conservative approach to resources and
043sustainability, which are, you know, it's kind of a is a balancing act that we're going to talk about this evening. Um, but thank you to to everybody for all of your support. The White Plains City School District community is extraordinarily supportive of its students and extraordinarily proud of its schools and and it should be and that also um continues to push us to think about how we can better offer a better service, a better experience um and really try to provide that sort of individualized um experience that you would typically associated with a much smaller school district. We try to to really capture that here. So with that, I'm going to ask Ann to join me at the podium and uh we will talk a bit about uh our our recommended budget. >> We really
044do have the opportunity to present the budget in many different iterations um and also regularly. And um for folks who who are watching this evening, if uh if you have questions, comments, concerns, please always feel free to reach out. We've received a lot of feedback, a lot of questions already, which is great. Um, and folks have expressed uh, you know, an appreciation, I think, for for the size and scope of the program. Um, the the continued improvements um, and also uh, making sure that we're we're we're being responsible and staying within the tax gap. I have been told over the years like before you start in this large presentation give us the reader digest right out of the gate. So you know is there any bad news? Um if there's any bad news connected to
045this budget uh I I would say it's that the difficulty that we have with pilots uh and payment in lie of taxes is is one of the challenges that we'll continue to face as we head into the future. But that's I think uh the extent of it. The great news in this budget is that every single one of our children's programs, every single experience that they have right now is included and supported in this budget plus expansion. In addition, um there are no layoffs. We're not talking about cutting program or cutting uh you know sports opportunities. We're not talking about taking anything away and we're staying within the tax cap 1.6%. So, that's the Reader's Digest version right out of the gate. Um, but for but for everybody else, we we always like to talk
046about how how this is this is a multifaceted uh uh approach to budgeting. We we don't have a budget season in White Plains. Um, thanks to an Vicarotish, it's it's the budget season is always and so and Vicarotish, the business office, everybody working um to make sure that we're staying fiscally healthy. And thank you, Ann. This is this is a constant effort and and what that planning does is it allows us to really sort of, you know, make sure that our programming is protected and preserved. We can be efficient and effective with how we're allocating resources. Um if we need to make shifts and adjustments in the organization, we can do that. Um not without necessarily impact negatively impacting um the program or experiences of our students. Um it it keeps us healthy, physically healthy.
047Uh so you know we can kind of look down the road. We're planning for three, five, seven years and as best as you can uh with regard to to predictions related to let's say you know foundation aid um or you know federal government redistribution of New York dollars coming back to to New York and and White Plains. Um, it also allows us to to create a stable profile um when when we're planning and then of course um reminds us that everything that we're doing right now uh you know is going to have is going to have an impact in the future and it keeps you honest, right? No games, no tricks. You're not going to see any gimmicks in our budgets and that's something that we're very proud of. Um it's it's all about making
048sure uh that the the resources that are available for our students are going to our students in a in a direct fashion. strategic plan. Every single year we look at this strategic plan together with with stakeholders from throughout the community and we refresh it, make adjustments where needed. And the strategic plan is the really the foundation or the underpinning of of of the budget as well as all of the goals and objectives, including the board of education's goals and objectives annually. Um, always focused on our students, always focused on our community, always focused on our service, and we're really proud of it. Okay. So, I have to ask Ann and because this is something again to be really proud of. Um the cost savings over over the course of the last 10 or so years,
049nine years, 10 years, >> all the way back to 2017, right? Uh has has has been throwback has been tremendous. A >> and a huge thank you, as Dr. has said to the finance committee and the board of education for all their support and you know supporting us in updating our long range plan every single year, always extending that year out so that we have a real view into the future because that really today and looking at that determines our decision making so that we can continue to make sure that we're being fiscally responsible and preserving and supporting and enhancing uh the instructional program for our children. Um, so through this long range plan work and constantly doing updated fund balance projections and always always looking for efficiencies, the biggest impact has been the fact
050that we've been able to not raise the tax levy up to the maximum allowed by law. And that has allowed us to um not tax almost $27 million. And what that translates to if on an average property valued with a property assessment taxable property assessment of 15,000 almost $1,500 in savings as of year nine annually for a taxpayer. So that's huge. We've also been able to turn these dollars um into supporting our capital project work and preserving the assets of the districts. Um, and this way we're not issuing debt service and thereby we're saving interest expense that's not being taxed to the taxpayer. Um, we're self-funded for tax or sherari settlements and uh that are um due to commercial property owners and compensated absences that are due to departing employees in accordance with their collective
051bargaining agreements. We're funding pension costs and offsetting that expense. We're helping to offset debt service expense and pay down debt sooner. And we're funding those one-time only expenses that come up that are needs, but we're not building them into the annual budget. So, we are making sure that we're uh turning every dollar back to a benefit to our taxpayer. >> To trip over these wires, >> I know, right? Tape them down. And again, you know, this is this is not one of those situations where we're coming to you and we're saying, "Oh, you know, five years ago we had a zero tax increase and now we have to reduce program." No, no gimmicks, no no quick shortcuts. It's all about planning and really trying to utilize every single dollar, every single uh dollar that we
052have available to us to support our program and then also continuously refine that strategic plan um which keeps us in a very strong position. Now, if you wanted to go back and go through and read um and and take a a walk through the the planning process as we've gotten to this evening, um in the on the district's website in the all about the budget section, you can explore all of these uh different presentations that we've given. And I do need to to thank Dr. Debbie Hand uh as well as all of our administrators um who worked on our curriculum and instruction um budget and really provide great opportunities for our students colleagues in the classroom make recommendations for course offerings and adjustments to the courses next year. really exciting stuff and again utilizing resources
053that are available within the district's uh budget already and and recognizing that we're not necessarily always going to be able to add and again this year's budget we can add um and we can also stay at the 1.6% which is the maximum allowable tax levy for us this year non-instructional budget have to thank everybody in facilities of course Mr. Hernandez and everybody in facilities um for looking at our plan moving forward and Dr. Dr. Carol, our plan moving forward to make sure that we're maintaining our facilities to the highest level. I mean, you know, I'm very very and I know you are too. Very, very proud of the facilities here in the White Plains City School District. These are buildings that we maintain meticulously. Thankfully, uh the board of education has always been very invested
054in the people's buildings and the grounds. Um and we continue to do that. you're and you know in addition to the new innovation wing this year is going to be no different this summer we have eight weeks to do about 15 weeks worth of work um and everybody's already gearing up to look at that as well. Uh and then as we mentioned the long range um plan which which keeps us focused and and makes sure um that we're keeping our eye on the goal of that fiscal responsibility as well as an extraordinary academic opportunity for and extracurricular opportunity for our students. So when you look at the the proposed the summary of the proposed budget uh again very simple in the proposed budget we're we're at 1.6 six uh% and and takes you to just
055about $285 million. Major sources of revenue and we've seen this shift over the years as we've talked about. Um but continue uh prop real property taxes continue to be the the primary driver. Um but as you'll see in in the next uh in the next slide, um we've we've had some real uh major shifts over the last 10 years or so. you want to talk about? >> Yeah, >> sure. >> So, as Dr. Ricka indicated, um our our real property tax uh revenue is the lowest um percentage now at 74% that supports our appropriations budget from a high of 86% back in 21-22. And um state aid and our local revenues are at a high of 26% um as compared to 14%. And that's really, you know, due to um the state and supporting the
056foundation aid and making us whole. And we have been able then to lower that tax burden. >> And and you really you can't overlook the the level of advocacy that's coming out of White Plains. Um board of education members are part of the Westchester Putinham School Boards Association as well as the Lower Hudson Education Coalition. tons of advocacy working to bring White Plains dollars back to White Plains. The the support that we've had from our elected officials, Senator Shelley Mayor's office, uh, as well as our assembly members has been extraordinary. Um, and we continue to work together with them to try to elevate and create more opportunity and more White Plains dollars coming back to support White Plains students. As I mentioned earlier though, the growing pilots within the city is is an area that
057we have to continue to keep our eye on and continue to communicate clearly and openly uh with both the county as well as the municipal government. Look, we all understand smart development is important. We know that our city continues to grow and thrive. Um and at the same time unfortunately the unintended negative consequences associated with payment in lie of taxes is that those properties for the duration of time that they're in the the the pilot phase are not included in the roles which then lowers the school districts all public school not just white plants all public school districts ability to levy taxes each year. So, we are advocating for a carveout and we have been for the last several years. Unfortunately, I think it was two years ago maybe that the governor it it actually
058the bill made it to the governor's desk but wasn't signed. But we're going to continue to to that stay on that track for advocacy because number one, we recognize how important it is to have guard rails with regard to the annual school budget. And we also recognize that now since 2012 or 2013 2012 um that even even older than 2016 um the tax cap we need to look at it um because as time progresses it is going to be necessary to make adjustments so that mathematically so that mathematically school districts can continue to exist within it and keep that responsible spending. If you don't make adjustments now, it's going to be 20 years on and we're all going to be looking at each other saying, "Why doesn't this math work? It doesn't work because gas
059prices are $5 a gallon, right? If you're lucky." Um, and and we have to make sure we're keeping pace and making adjustments where need be. Um, so that advocacy will will remain, but right now, um, again, those those pilot program that that payment in lie of taxes is in effect. And um we also will continue or work to continue to have a voice in in that in that process. Uh key factors for the tax levy uh growth and and you're aware of this uh the the taxbased growth factor as well as the allowable growth factor. I just talked a little bit about payment in le of taxes or pilots. Um and then capital exclusions. Did you want to is there anything in there? >> Um >> yeah, go ahead. And just to piggyback what you
060were saying, I mean, the tax levy cap really prevents the state aid formula from functioning the way that it's designed to to help level things out between municipalities. But there are key factors in this complex uh calculation of a tax levy cap, that being the taxbased growth factor. Um that physical changes to the tax role is what increases that factor and then generates additional revenues. um as your community begins to grow. Um and because of the pilot payments going up by $1.3 million in the assessments coming off the tax roles, we're seeing for the third year in a row just about 0% increase. And on average, that's a loss of $2 million in revenue to the school district. Then there's also another factor which is the allowable growth factor and that's what you often hear
061about, the 2% cap. uh is the lesser of the consumer price index of 2.63% the end of the year 25 or 2%. So we're limited to 2%. We talked about the payment in le of taxes. Those are those agreements with commercial property owners between the city of White Plains and the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency, not with the school district. And then our capital exclusion is really our capital construction debt less any state aid that we receive or any use of debt service reserve. And that net amount is similar to the prior year keeping our commitment to our taxpayers when we do capital construction that there's no impact to the taxpayer. So this is this is the actual calculation and you can see that you know the the taxbased growth factor really is almost at
0620%. The prior year levy versus the current year levy is a decrease in our levy of 1.3 million. And if you look at the tax levy limit before the exclusions are added back. You can see that we actually have less of a tax levy than the prior year of 1.4 million. And that's really due to the pilot going off the tax roles. And then our exclusion for our capital construction is relatively the same as the prior year. So the maximum allowable per law for our tax levy is about $210 million, $3.3 million increase or 1.6% and that is the recommendation is to go with the maximum allowable by law. If you'd like to read more about about the tax cap and almost as if it was a prediction and vicarish actually wrote her dissertation on
063this topic and it's very interesting this time of year every year um she gets an update that u people are you know because when people look for your dissertation and they take it out you get an update somebody read it like for instance I've only had it one time I think it was my mom um but and every this time of here. Every year there's an uptick in the number of people who are who are looking at dis. Why? Because it is it's a prediction on on the unintended consequences and it's still relevant between the state aid and the tax cap limit that prevents it functioning the way it was designed. So, >> so we're going to watch for tonight. Everybody at home is going to be reading Ann's dissertation this evening. Uh, you know,
064the final state budget is still pending and the second budget extender was uh was put out last week. Uh we are not or at least I'm told we're not confident that necessarily the budget will be completed even in April. Um so you remember last year it was pretty late. It was in May. That's very late. It was in May and it it is if maybe we'll see it before the end of this month but um it is even possible that it could be in May again. So, in in of course in the governor's executive budget, and we have talked about this before, there is there was a recommended overall increase in school aid. That's likely going to change in the in the one house. Um we did see that that foundation aid uh was was
065fully funded that hold harmless remained in effect in the governor's proposed budget, which is great because two years ago um the governor had recommended uh I think it was two years or maybe it was even last two moving away from from that hold harmless to save harmless uh provision. but this year that it's in there which is important again why because so many school districts are in this safe harmless pattern uh all throughout the state of New York and so again reflected in in terms of what what's the expectation with with the tax cap and every all of these are sort of interconnected um expense driven aid or expense-based aids were were funded at in the governor's proposal at current law no changes universal prek uh is part of the the governor's proposed budget as
066many folks have have heard heard throughout the state, which is great news um for for young the youngest children um throughout the state. And your course in in White Plains, we've have un universal prek. So um you know, it's great. It's great that everybody else will will be able to have that as well. Um foundation aid would be about a 1.1 uh million dollar increase, 3% over project. And again, this could change in the one house that they're they're >> we most likely >> most likely see additional rent. >> Yes. um expense driven aid again building aid and just ma made mention of transportation aid boseies aid special education high cost infrastructure million dollar net increase 6% over um 2025 2026 projected and then universal prek um serving 80 half-day slots and 256 full day
067slots in 2026 2027 uh move halfday slots to full day pending enactment of of the the overall budget depending upon how how that all shakes out. So the major areas of expense whe when we look at our our school district um is really is exactly where you want to see it. It's it's making sure that students are receiving the services and that's in instruction. It's in benefits and and support of the classroom. It's in transportation um servicing our debt uh as well as uh as very inter fund transfers small amount. when we look at the overall expenses where where we want to see the dollars being spent is with our students. And uh there's a couple of slides down the road and you've seen it in other presentations. We're almost around 76% 75% of of
068our expenditures directly related to curriculum instruction and and our kids' experiences. And that's where we want to be. Every year we run a demographic study. Um we're always keeping an eye on enrollment. We know uh that that throughout the state of New York and indeed really throughout the nation um we're seeing a decline in many areas with regard to school age children um live births uh and school age children in White Plains. We're relatively um stable and the projections are that we're going to continue to remain stable into the future which is great. Um we know that it is very desirable uh to to live and raise a family in White Plains. It is a great place to raise a family and you know we we see this right we see development we see houses
069go on the market and get sold over over uh you know uh offering or initial asking rather um quickly and and that's something that we're all very proud of and and uh moving forward we we project that our our school district will continue to remain stable um with with our students uh in in terms of and this was I was making mention 1,237 full-time employees ES instructional support 73% non-instructional support 23% administration 4%. Staffing um staff salaries are are in alignment with collective bargaining agreements. Retirement incentive is estimated to yield a savings of around a million dollars for the 2627 academic year. And this is really important because you'll remember we were looking at structural deficits down the road, right? because the the limitations of the tax cap and then the increases in uh that
070that we can't control in the market um they're out of whack. They're out of balance and we all know this from from our own, you know, household uh budgets and and and this is something that we have to contend with. So what do you do? you look for in innovative ways to recapture uh resources within the organization um and then be able to use that to to close those gaps so you don't have to make any dramatic or or or you know negative consequential decisions with regard to budgeting. You hear this all the time and you see it unfortunately you're seeing it right now. School districts contending with what? doing away with transportation, doing away with athletics, doing away with that. Oh, I'm sorry. We can't have a school play because we don't have all
071of these really bad things that we know are are devastating to to school communities and children's experiences. Um, they're all predicated on, you know, what can you afford to do? Um, and fortunately, again, right, we we're always looking how can we recapture, how can we uh make shifts in the organization to be able to support our programming without having to make reductions. Um all of our vacancies are anticipated to be filled. Um so that means all of the again all the support that that our that our children have right now um we're we're recommending that they have uh next academ academic year as well. Um we're increasing uh 0.2 full-time equivalent in in dance uh rather two 2.6 in dance by adding a 0.2. We're building that that that offering up as we move toward
072the the innovation wing being open with the full dance studio. I know um one of the things Mr. West talked to me about nine years ago was we need a dance program. White Plains, we're working we're working toward having that full dance program. We're really excited about that. Special education at Highlands. Um in our 812, we're adding a a 1.0 full-time equivalent teacher and 2.0 full-time equivalent um teaching assistants at high school. and the 812 again 1.0 FTE teacher and two 2.0 full-time equivalent teaching assistance as well and facilities and operations and security. We're recommending the addition of a 1.0 full-time equivalent Highlands night custodian and a 1.0 full-time equivalent security floater. This is a a team member who will be able to move around and jump in, pitch in should we have absences throughout
073the district. Um staffing changes are all all being funded through existing resources. So, shifting those resources around in the organization to be able to fill the needs that we're going to have next year. We have some some employee benefits uh costs that we of course contend with each year in the in TRS, the teachers retirement system. Our contribution rate is actually going to decrease a bit um from 9.559% to 8.24% which is uh 14.07% reduction. And we're going to use 1.1 million in retirement reserve funds to support our annual expenses there. In ERS, we have a contribution rate increase. And by the way, this was all predicted. We we we predicted these increases as we were planning initially from 16.5% um to 17.6% 6.67% increase. And we're going to use 500,000 in retirement reserve funds
074to support that annual expense. Health insurance. We we are part of the uh statewide school um cooperative health plan. Swishchip 2627 premium rate increase 8 8.7% 5-year average increase 7.4%. Um and it's 1.5 million annual premium savings if as opposed to if we were in the state um health insurance plan uh New York state insurance plan. So again, you know, health insurance as we all know is expensive. Um however being part of this con consortium has been a savings to us. >> Absolutely. And um part of long range plan as Dr. Rick just mentioned all of these things are factored into the long range plan as part of the assumptions and health insurance actually came in a bit better. We were assuming 10% which was kind of the norm out in the market and the
075uh consortium was able to come in at a a composite increase of about 8.7%. How long? >> Oh, the question was how how long have we been in Swiss chip? >> 15. >> Um, I want to say that it was from um when it was first created. I'm going to say 18 18 1989 >> 1989 >> early 90s. Um it was one of the superintendents um I want to say at Horththornne Cedar Nolles um who really this brainchild of putting 23 school districts as a consortium together and I believe the district you know a number of years ago I want to say at least you know 15 years ago maybe longer you know made it its sole um health insurance provider. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> 1989 >> I think early early 90s 89. Yes,
076I was like I was I was >> You tell me where you are, I'll tell you where I was. >> Yeah, I won't tell you where I was. >> I was >> uh Herb Freeman was the architect of of of the state of our consortium. Yes. >> And it and it has it's been I mean it look it's it's imperfect. I mean, all right, everything's imperfect, but being part of this consortium has really benefited, I think, White Plains >> and and the and the key to this consortium, um, you know, I'm the vice president of Swiss ship. Um, and, uh, I do. >> Yeah. So, but I've been on the committee ever since I started at White Plains and there's a lot to know and to learn and the most important aspect is that our
077um employees, our union representatives have a seat at the table and they're helping us with those decisions about benefits and the finances. And you know the goal is to make sure that we're hearing from them and you know balancing all these aspects together and we work as a team. >> Yeah. That and that is >> okay >> that that I think is is really beneficial, really valuable that we do, you know, we have those voices at this table and we're able to come together like that which you wouldn't necessarily be able to do in a much larger plan. Of course we have other contractual changes um that of course we have to pay attention to. Utilities going up, property insurance increase uh 20%, right? Contractual increases for consultants, Bosey's tuition um you know right around
0783% or so. And then people transportation increase 5%, additional routes, all this we and and we know we've talked about this before, right? All all of these percentage increases um we we projected and and we planned for as well. >> Um debt service, I have to let you because this is great. You know, this is another, you know, great story. You know, our district debt service is, you know, principal and interest is 9.7 million, but in 2022, uh, we had the, um, plan for our big capital improvement that's taking place now. And we thought at that time the voters authorized us to borrow $60 million, but because of favorable bids and the work that's been done, we think we're only going to have to borrow 50 million. So that equates to almost $7 million in
079savings in interest expense on that debt, which again saves taxpayer dollars of about $358 annually on a property assessed at 15. So that less um what we get in state aid, you know, goes down to that net number of what our local share is, which is part of the tax levy calculation as far as the exclusion. So again, it's flat and this way there's no impact. >> Three-part budget which we're required to make sure that we show we show it in a variety of different ways which which again is important. And when you look at 2526 and then our proposed preliminary 26 27 um we're again right where we want to be program um putting resources the vast majority of the resources in the district directly um into our program and we're very excited to
080again bring forward a budget um that does just that this year. Um when you break out and you look at the three-part budget and you see what's in in all of these different buckets, um it really does give you a sense of all of the different facets um throughout the organization that we're required to attend to. And it is complex. There's a lot going on as you all we all know this in in the White Plains City School District and we're really proud of that. Um but it does it it requires a great deal of planning um and and really sort of foresight uh as as we think each each year and we approach this process each year. very strong budget, very strong budget planning process. Again, no gimmicks, no tricks at the at the
081maximum allowable levy of 1.6% supports the entire program, plus allows for expansion in addition with using resources that already exist. Um, no layoffs, no cuts, no none of those things. And we're really really proud of that. Um, and we're really grateful for all the support that we received coming up to and leading up to this evening. Which brings me to the worst slide in the presentation. And we have to talk about this is what happens if you were unsuccessful or if a budget were to fail and uh move into what's called a contingency budget. Well, the good news is that um if if the budget were to fail on the the the first vote that boards of education in the state of New York have an opportunity um to be able to come back to
082the or go back to the table and decide uh whether or not they're going to make adjustments to the budget or keep the budget the same and put it back out for a second vote. If a second vote is unsuccessful in the state of New York, then the school district moves into what's called a contingency budget. And you know this because you've heard unfortunately over the years of you know two, three, four school districts throughout the state u moving into a contingency budget. And really what that means is there's no increase um no increase in the tax levy is allowed. Um non-contingent expenses have to come out. The administrative cap continues to apply. And what that would mean for the White Plains City School District is about $3.2 million. Right? That's that 1.16% um from
083the preliminary budget. So that is program. Um so what does that mean? It means it's really really important that everybody in the city of White Plains come out and participate in the process. Make your voice heard on May 19th, 12:00 p.m. to 900 p.m. If you don't know where you're voting, you can go right on to the district's website, put your address in. It tell you exactly where uh where you can vote. Um, and if you don't want to do that, you want to pick up the phone and call me, no problem. I'll do the work for you and let you know where you vote, we've got we've got we've got a QR code that you can you can scan using your smartphone or and and it'll get you right to where you need to
084be. But the the reality is we're all available all the time to answer any questions anybody might have about the budget, talk through um anything related to the budget as we move forward into uh May, which is really right around the corner, May 19th. 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Uh May, did I say May 19th? May May Oh, and look, uh again, um we're going to have a hearing on the budget on the 11th of May. And then on May 19th, of course, the the board of education and budget election. It is, uh it's a real great honor, um to be able to bring this this plan, this fiscal plan forward for the community's um consideration. Uh we're real proud of it. Um, it's not easy as you all know, but it's done together and
085and that that level of teamwork and effort um has gotten us to to where we are this evening. We've got that check in the box on April uh 13th and we'll we'll be looking forward to coming out to the hearing on May 11th. Thank you all so much. And of course um if anybody has any questions thank you um budget at wpcsd. us um or phone call we're available anytime. Thanks everybody. Thank you. >> Thank you again and and uh look forward to to continuing having these conversations as we move forward to the to the 19th. Um I I would I think finally the the last thing that that I'll I'll just draw your attention to if it's okay um before we move in consent um are the uh the donations um on the agenda.
086Item B. Um, the following donations were made for the following from the friends, again, best friends, right? Friends of White Plains Public Schools. $2,040 for tickets to a concert during the White Plains uh band and orchestra trip to Portland, Maine. Um, they will be going up to Maine. This the friends are supporting a a concert during that time. $1,000 for academic symposium um with a author Roberto Casada. uh is $780 for Ridgeway for purchasing books for all fourth graders. White Plains High School PTA grants committee has also approved the following grant. $500 for the cosplay group. By the way, just think about that. Like there's so many great opportunities for for students here at school. Thank you so much for this. We even have a cosplay group. Um they're going to purchase supplies and materials
087to to design and develop costumes for 36 students. The following donations are made for the Philip Barnett scholarship. $200 from Joanne Dumpy, $150 from Richard Brownell. The following donations are made for the Lois Van Ep scholarship, $1,500 from Eric Caner, F $150 for from Marsha Carterelli, $50 from Elizabeth Schut, and $36 from Helen Rothstein. And the the following donations were made to the music department from Susan Shaw. 10 instrumental band methods books, note uh note reading flashcards, 500 index cards of varying sizes, 200 pencils, five music education and lesson plan idea books for music teachers, $300 donation for Highlands Middle School for their holiday concert performance at New York Presbyterian and Westchester Behavioral Health from Nora Contract at New York Presbyterian Behavioral uh Health and a heavy duty laminator with plastic rolls uh for Ridgeway
088School from Bruna Mash. And and thank you so much to all the the generous donors. We're we're really grateful. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> Can I use mine now? >> Yes, >> I can. >> Thank you. So, next we're going to move in. You know, we should do it this way all the time. You just >> do that first to come back. Yeah. Process improvement efficiency. Efficiency. Okay. So, we're going to move into our summary of action items. We have summary action items 4 through 9. May I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> I'm sorry. Let me amend uh a motion for 4 through eight. I wrote four through nine. Summary action items 4 through eight. May I have a motion? >> Second. >> Are there any questions? All in favor? >> I.
089Yay. And thank you again for all of our donations. We are very fortunate. Uh next, we don't have um an item A under individual action items. So, we're actually going to start with B. Um yes the um uh uh item B under uh section 9 is the adoption the recommended action is the adoption of the proposed budget for the school year. >> Yeah. But >> yeah, last year. >> Yes. Yes. Yes. May I have a motion? >> So move. >> Second. >> Do we have any questions? >> Again, sincere thanks to every single person um here and in in the district. Every comment, every question, and every suggestion. Thank you. All in favor? >> I I >> All right. Y >> everybody hands up. >> Madame President, if I may interject. >> Sure. >> We
090skipped over public participation. >> We did. >> So many people. >> Yes. Well, let's just take care of that. Is there any public participation? >> John, >> thank you. Thank you for that reminder. And you know, I always I wrote I kind of put a little but anyhow >> that's because we switched it up. That's what >> that's okay. Next um under item uh under section nine um item C, the recommended uh authorization of bo of the board president to execute an amendment to employment agreement of uh Tammy Cosgrove, the interim assistant superintendent for human resources. That's D. That was D. D. >> Well, look. Let's do D. Can we do that? >> Yeah. Got a motion. >> All may I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Questions? All in favor? >>
091I >> Thank you. >> Now we go to C. the recommended approval of establishment and abolition abolishing of pedagogical and non-pedagical positions as part of the 2026 27 adopted budget. May I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Are there any questions? >> What can you just elaborate on the library? >> Just take sure. >> Sure. Um yeah, absolutely and thank you for for that opportunity. So so in the in the proposed budget, we we uh noted some uh creation of some positions um through resources that already exist in the budget. We're making those shifts here. Um so these are not positions where people are are losing um their their positions. They're available for us to shift within the organization to meet the needs now. >> Thank you. >> Thanks for that, King.
092Yeah. >> Any questions? All in favor? I >> I >> This is pretty cool. E. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> Okay. Next. Um >> item E. >> The approval of o of of over of an overnight field trip for White Plains High School, the White Plains High School Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Bond Band students. May I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? >> I have chaperowned many of those trips in the day and they they are just wonderful learning uh and cultural experiences for the students and I think Portland may be a a a new uh destination. So wonderful. >> Any any other? >> All in favor? I >> I >> Next we have the recommended approval of the resignation for the purpose of retirement
093um of Laura Principal George Washington School effective September 1st, 2026. May I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second second. Go ahead, Joe. Yeah, once again I just want to to thank uh Mrs. Munchin and and we will we will recognize her at our retirement um board of education meeting in June. But um having had the opportunity and continue to have the opportunity to work very closely with Principal Munchin um completely dedicated to our children um and and a very long um career here serving in the White Plain City School District. also appreciative of her uh sharing this in advance with us um so that we can um you know appropriately post and and recruit for uh her successor and and of course without without a doubt wishing her all the very very best
094um for health and happiness not yet in in but when she gets well health and happiness yes always but of course as we get to September. >> Yes. All in favor? >> I um >> G. >> Okay. G. Um next uh letter G. Be it resolved that the board of education of the White Plains City School District hereby approves the memorandum of agreement among the district, the White Plains Teachers Association and employee uh 964 dated April 7, 2026. May I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. Okay, that is our consent and individual action items. Next, um we'll move on to board discussion. Of course, we always meet for HR and those are confidential items that are not publicly um discussed. Craig, will you comment on I guess
095you can comment on finance committee? >> Sure. The finance committee um met twice over the last month >> um to primarily discuss the internal audit results. uh the intensive area of human resources. Um the finance committee really would like to thank uh first Mr. Pepper for all the work that he did while he was here before he retired and of course Dr. Costco for coming in and working on the corrective action plans that were put forward um um by the administration. The finance committee also met with the external auditors to plan for our annual external audit which will commence as soon as the school year ends. and of course approving the claims auditor um for the next school year. >> Thank you. Thank you Craig. Other other committee >> curriculum met >> and it was
096really a very interesting meeting. Uh we went over you know there are so many different data points and assessments that kids have and we were looking at the information from the NWA and how was administrated and showing the growth across the district that we're seeing. Um which is it was very exciting. That's very That's what we're here for, to see the kids grow. Thank you, Dr. Han, and everyone else. >> Any anything else? >> Port. >> No, our special needs didn't meet this. >> Okay. And the wellness committee um the wellness committee always meets. It's it's a great I didn't make this this one, but this is an awesome committee. the the thoughtfulness in the preparation of food, the balance, you know, the the the ingredients, um the feedback from the the students is remarkable.
097>> So very thankful and and wellness extends to, you know, emotional wellness as well. So it's really quite um an interesting committee and I love um participating on that. So next without any further ado, nothing from you. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Madam President. >> Okay. Um um John Shepard and John Mavage. Thank you. >> Wait, hold on. Let's try again. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> May I have a motion to adjourn? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I Thank you everybody. Thank you. Thank you.