001order the Tuesday, May 19th, Board of Education business meeting to [clears throat] order at 6:03 p.m. Would everybody please stand for the pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the stands nationy for all. Paul Jennifer >> here. >> Kinsky >> here. Clifford >> here. >> Mike >> here. >> Kevin Holder is unable to be with us this evening. Mahoney >> here. >> Mary >> here. >> Thank you. >> The exits are to your left and to your right and behind us to our right. Uh I'd like please get a motion that after the review the board of education approves the agenda as presented and or amended at this meeting. Aaron Ian any discussion? All in favor? >> I I motion passes 63. Subject 3.1. May I please get a motion
002to accept the minutes of the April 21st business meeting as presented? Dave Patty. Any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes 6 to zero. Subject 3.2. May I please get a motion to accept the minutes of the May 7th special business meeting as presented? Mike Patty, any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes six to zero. Subject 4.1 statements and presentations of the board of education. I will hand it over to Superintendent Hack. >> Good evening. Um, on tonight's agenda, there are two items from facilities committee. One, there's a change order for the chiller pumps at the elementary school. They have been ordered by the HVAC company who worked with us on the capital project. Um, and they should be in within the next couple of weeks, but the change order is on tonight's agenda.
003Also, although we have received preliminary approval for a grant related to the prek playground, it is a reimbursement style grant. So, we have to pay for the money up front and then we'll be reimbured for it. So, there is a budget transfer in order to install the prek playground at the high school. Any questions about those items? >> No. Thank you. this evening uh and over the past month, the board has asked me to take some time to respond to statements that were made during public comment um and communications we've received from staff and families between last board meeting and now. And so I'm going to take the time to do that. We have three topics. The three main topics that were raised were about expanding the number of home rooms, examining our staffing numbers,
004and about high school tuition. First, I would like to talk about the expanding the number of home rooms back on that. So, there is a request that there be three sections in every grade level um but especially in the current grade levels two and grade levels four. Historically, yes, the district did maintain three classrooms per grade level, and that is when enrollment ranged between 55 and 75 students per grade. Our current average grade level enrollment is about 40 students. So, less students means less home rooms are needed. In order to determine how many home rooms, we use the researchbased definition of small class size. For grades K through two that is 18 students and for grades three through five that is 20 students. So what we do is we take the total number of students
005that will be assigned to regular education home rooms. We divide by the target number of students and that gives us a number with a decimal point. From there we round up or down and we also take into consideration additional factors as appropriate. So one example where we decided to add an extra teacher is our current sixth grade. Uh even though the number of students in the grade level equates to two home rooms according to our ratios, the third class was added due to the academic, behavioral and social emotional needs of students. This slide represents the current enrollment for each of our grade levels K through 8 in this column. Uh and then it has a breakdown of how many students are in each home room and that's in each regular education room in each of
006those grade levels. The ideal or small class size definitions for each of the grade level bands are 18 students for K2, 20 students for three grades 3 through 5, and 22 students for grades K 6 through 8. And then just as a reference point, a special education classroom for self-contained students that have higher needs, a ratio there is anywhere from 12 to 15 students for one teacher. Sometimes ATA, but not always. We did also receive community petitions about adding home rooms into grade 2 and grade 4. The second grade petition had 77 signatures. There were 21 second grade parents that signed that petition representing 16 out of the 41 students in that grade level. The other 56 signatures were a mixture of community members, staff members, or unknown individuals. There was also the grade four
007community petition about adding a third home room to fourth grade. In that petition, there were 20 there were 85 total signatures. There were 22 fourth grade parents that signed and that represented 18 out of the 44 total students in that grade level. The other 63 signatures were a mixture of community members, staff members or other individuals. In order to add a home room into both grade levels, uh it would mean either hiring two additional teachers or reassigning current elementary certified teachers and eliminating the initiatives and programs that they are associated with. So what would that look like? If we added two new teachers, it would mean adding about $300,000 to the budget. That is for salary and benefits. If we reassign teachers, the initiatives and programs that we would look at are pre kindergarten, the
008instructional coach, project lead the way, Spanish instruction in our elementary grades, and our LEAP program for higher performing students. The board has reviewed all of the above information over the last six months, including enrollments, student discipline numbers, academics, staff feedback, parent feedback, review of the initiatives and [clears throat] programs, and much more. And as of the budget, the board and the district made the decision to keep the number of home rooms as currently allocated. However, as always, should new information arise or enrollment change, the decision will be revisited. [clears throat] Any questions from the board at this point? >> No. Thank you. >> The second thing that the board uh has been doing over the for a very long time um but especially in the last six months um but also asked me to present
009on this evening is about examining staffing. So when we talk about staffing uh there are two things that really come into play. The cost of staffing, cost of programs and student enrollment. Um and then in addition to the cost of staffing and salary is also the raises associated. So when considering raises and the financial impact of those raises, the three most expensive areas per person are the superintendent, certificated administrators, and teachers. What you'll see here is about a four to five year history for the superintendent, for certificated administrators, and for teachers. The superintendent raises ranged from 0% to 2 and a half%. Certificated administrators range from 2% to 2 and a half%. There was one year where there's an equity adjustment. Um the board generally has a goal of trying to get administrators uh at
010the mid level regionally. And then for teachers, [clears throat] they have gotten a range of 2% to 2.75% plus step. Um, and that equates to an actual budget impact of 4 to 8% increase per year. Along with those salary increases, another consideration is about investment. Where in 1617 we had over 500 students in K through 8, we now have about 450 425 students per uh within K through 8. So we do have declining enrollment over time over the last 10 years. So with declining enrollment, it's not fiscally responsible to maintain the same number of staff and classes. So the board in that last 10 years at least has been committed to assessing staffing needs and organizational structure every time an employee leaves the district. In general, the board has adopted a philosophy of trying to
011eliminate attrition as much as possible so that we are not impacting people's jobs. So what does attrition mean? Attrition means that when someone leaves the district, the the position may not be filled. Uh we do that when it is appropriate in order to again manage cost without impacting staff. Some examples of this is last year we had one elementary teacher and two middle school teachers leave and none of those three individuals were replaced. It did not impact our class sizes. It did not impact any of our programs and it did not impact any of our initiatives. This year during budget season, the board again was talking about attrition and the importance of time to move through attrition. And at the March 2nd budget workshop, the board made the decision to eliminate an administrative position to
012retrition at the next opportunity when it arose. Uh there was no they did not want to cut the position as a part of the budget again with the goal of not impacting people's livelihoods. Um but made it very clear during that meeting that the next time an opportunity arises where administrator leaves that they would like us to look at eliminating administrative position. Uh and and the conversation about that actually started even prior to that. Um but that specific was direct directive was given at the march. So there are three specific instances of where discussion about administrative review and of positions has happened. Last year, Assistant Superintendent Amy Petrazi announced that she would be retiring at the end of this year. Uh it was decided that we did need to refill this position because this position
013functions as a key aspect of running the organization as a whole. If it is not filled, it would have to be filled with two directors. We did conduct an interview process with administration, teachers, and teaching assistants. Uh, and with that initial round of interviews, the right person was not found. So, we will be readvertising for this position. Also, recently, the assistant superintendent for business retired. At that time, the board decided not to replace the assistant superintendent for business to reallocate the supervision of the three departments overseen by the assistant superintendent to the superintendent's office and reduce that position to a school business official position. That person was appointed and began the position in January uh and then at in April resigned that position to take a position in another school district. A school district must
014have a business official. As such, the position was advertised. We found a successful candidate, and he is on tonight's agenda to be appointed. With moving the moving around of two directors to the assistant superintendent and producing the superintendent for business, we've saved uh around 36 to $40,000 uh per year. Last week, we received the resignation of elementary principal Michelle Ring. At that time, I did a review of the academic administrators and found that it would be possible to eliminate an academic position at that time. In order to do so, we made the decision to [clears throat] appoint Miss Melo Ramos, who is our current assistant principal, as the elementary principal effective July 1st. And as such, we can then eliminate the assistant principal position. So, you will also see that on tonight's agenda for your
015review and for your consideration. the assistant principal, sorry, the assistant principal position is still in the budget because at the time the budget was finalized, we did not have an administrative resignation. The budget was finalized at the vote in April. Uh and so it is a part of the budget. Now that we have the resignation, those funds that were originally designated for the assistant principal will be able to be reallocated to the board after the start of the new fiscal year. Are there any questions about staffing and attrition process? >> Thank you. >> The third topic that has been raised is about high school tuition and the cost of high school tuition. So the question that has come up is regarding paying the state formula for high school tuition which is also called the falls
016rate and that it was a concern when our students attended Tuxedo. Thank you. Why did we agree to use the state formula for Chester and Norway? And the answer to that is for districts like Greenwood Lake and Tuxedo, the formula is skewed or disproportionate and does not accurately reflect the cost. For tuxedo, it's due to the size and for us it's because we're K8 and our high school students count in one part of the formula and not in another part of the formula. However, for typical school districts, the formula is an accurate representation of the cost to educate a student. New York State sets very clear rules on how school districts must charge tuition when they educate students from another district. The key principle is very straightforward. A district cannot charge more than the actual
017cost, which is the statement, which is the stepping of educating a student. So, In order to determine what is the actual cost, there are two ways to do that. One is by using a district's own financial records. So, a district, the receiving district, may calculate its own per student cost, but it can only do so if its financial records clearly identify the exact cost for every single student and the amount charged does not exceed that actual cost. In practice, this is very difficult for districts to do. what clubs they participate in, what sports they participate in, what grade levels are they in, what building level services do they provide. It would uh be a massive undertaking. So when they cannot calculate for every specific student what the actual cost is, districts are required to use
018the state's standard formula. So what is the state standard formula? It is first of all, it is the most commonly used method. I have done a survey of the K8 districts and as far as my findings and the last time I spoke to them, every single K8 district pays the state standard market falls. How does that calculate get calculated? Well, the New York State Education Department calculates the tuition rates each year based on the financial data submitted by the districts. These rates are published online and serve as the standard Because these rates are based on audited financial data, the contracts between K8 districts and their high schools of choice or that they contract with often include what's called a reconciliation process. And this allows for an adjustment to be made later. What that is is
019we get temporary rate that works for the school year and then a final rate is established follow. So when we did the last contract with our high school districts, we had a new legal firm that has other contracts with other KA districts and runs those and had a lot of background knowledge about the rules at the state and at the insurance regulations and state law. They also did a full review of our past agreements and at the time informed the board about some of our tuition rate issues. So two examples that were pointed out to us at that time were that in 2021-22 the district paid less than the actual costs. The tuition rate was 11,557 and the formula rate was 11,657. They also found that in 2022 23 the district actually paid more than
020the formula which is not allowed by state standards. The district paid 11,846 students dollars, I'm sorry, per student when the Warwick formula cost was $10,000. So, we overpaid by about $1,500 per student. And then the Chester formula, the actual cost was $9,457, which was over $2,000 more per student. It was at that time that the district decided to move forward [clears throat] and pay the Senica Falls formula. It is the most fair and consistent method for both the partner districts and for Greenwood Lake. It helps ensure we are not paying more than the actual cost of educating our students. A higher tuition rate previously seen with Tuxedo again was largely due to its small very small student population which is SKUs. per student cost. Chester and Borak have larger enrollments resulting in a more stable
021and representative tuition rates. So the question becomes, why has there been an increase in the high school tuition bills this year? This was the first year of the new contract that was signed about a year and a half ago. What happened was in prior contracts, it did not properly account for special education students. Remaike is not paying the correct nor the full cost to educate all the special education students. You're paying a special education rate for some students but not all the special education students. The new contract accounts for all special educated students. It has nothing to do with the state or Senica Falls formula itself. Our current contract language reflects two different tuition rates. one for regular education students and one for special education students. It applies the state formula throughout the year and
022then it allows for an adjustment when it is fully calculated and finalized the following school year allows for a credit or for a total amount due. The standard regular education rate for general education students right now for Warwick is $11,781 and for Chester is $11,583. The appropriate special education rate for students receiving special education services for Correct is $53,411 per student and for Chester is $50,11 per student. Are there any questions about the high school rate for board members? any questions or comments on I think that answers all the previous questions that were asked. So, thank you very much. >> At this time, I'd like to have administrative reports. I'm going to be doing Miss Ring's report for her. She is currently attending open house with her elementary staff. At the elementary school, they are
023moving into the final stretch of the school year. Elementary school continues to be filled with joyful learning experiences, community traditions, and exciting opportunities. We are very excited to celebrate Arbor Day with kindergarten and honor the Finn family. This annual event provides our youngest learners with an opportunity to learn about the importance of caring for our world and are given a session to grow alongside them. They also welcomed the newest families to the UPK and kindergarten orientation programs. They provided families an opportunity to learn more about the school community, meet staff members, and begin preparing for transition into elementary school. A highlight this month was the elementary school musical, It's a Hit performed on May 14th. Our students truly shined on stage, showcasing incredible talent, confidence, creativity, and school spirit. Acting, singing, teamwork, and perseverance. Production
024reflected countless hours of dedication and hard work from students and staff. Drama adviserss Miss Emily and Miss Alli Kraden deserve special appreciation. There were also custodial staff and volunteers that helped make the performance a tremendous success. It was a wonderful evening that brought the community together and celebrated the many talents of our students. Recently they held student support meetings in this room would like to present appreciation to the teachers and support staff for their work during this. They are beginning to wrap up to the end of the school year and have exciting events to look forward to. field trips, the elementary school picnic, the spring concert, and the third grade moving up ceremony on June 22nd. Final weeks are always built with celebration, and they are grateful for the partnership and support of the board
025of education, family, staff, and community. >> Thank you, M. Mr. Gillespie. Hey, good evening everyone. At the middle school, we've had uh several events since our last board meeting. Some of those are pictured here on the the slides in front of you. On the top slide are several photos from our eighth grade Washington DC trip. Our students and staff covered a lot of ground as we uh explored much of what Washington DC has to offer, including museums, monuments, and other historical landmarks. I'd like to thank all of our chaperones that attended and give a special thank you to our eighth grade class advisors, Miss Castaldo and Mrs. Chapman for all of their work that went into planning and coordinating another great trip for our students this year. The two center photos on the bottom are
026from our annual Trills and Thrills music trip. You'll see one photo of the performance and one at Dorney Park. the two um our band and chorus both were able to perform that day and be recognized. And then after that, everyone traveled to Dorney Park to finish the day on the amusement park rides. Thanks again to all of our chaprons and to Mr. Compton and Mr. Poe for their work preparing our students and for this event and for this event and coordinating the uh details of this trip. Also on the bottom left is a photo from West Point. Our fifth grade students traveled to West Point on May 12th. Students were able to get a tour of the grounds and the history of West Point. And thank you to our fifth grade staff for their work
027in coordinating that trip as well. And then finally on the right, we have a photo that was mentioned at our last board meeting because uh Earth Day was the following day. And that photo is of students in Mrs. Heinus' class who wrote poems in recognition of Earth Day. And then they were able to place those poems in chalk on the back uh blacktop behind the school. So again, um, thank you to Miss Hannes for, uh, having the class complete this creative task in recognition of Earth Day. And also as part of that, the students went on a learning block and got to appreciate each other's um, collective work. Other recent upcoming events at the middle school, tomorrow, our fourth grade students will be taking their annual trip to Museum Village. Friday will mark the fiveweek
028progress reporting period for the current fourth quarter. So, we are halfway done with the fourth quarter. Those reports will be finalized next week and mailed home on Monday, June 1st. And then next Wednesday, we will have our spring concert here. Um, fourth and fifth grade concert will take place at 5:15, followed by our sixth through 8th grade concert at 7:15. Again, that's Wednesday, uh, May 27th. And then on Friday, May 29th, we will have our seventh and eighth grade semi formal dance. Uh reminder to any students or parents that are watching. Permission slips and payment for that event is also due tomorrow. Um also an email was sent out today to our current fifth, sixth, and seventh grade families uh with information on the selection of electives for next school year, which will be completed
029uh with our guidance counselor, Mrs. C. So, please be sure to check for that email and review those choices with your children as Mrs. C works through that process with them. Since our next board meeting will not be until June 15th, I'll cover just a couple quick quickly a couple of events taking place in early June. On Wednesday, June 3rd, we will have our athletic award ceremony where we will recognize our modified athletes that participate in each of the three athletic seasons. Finals week for grades seven and 8 will be the week of June 8th. a full schedule detailing which tests will be given and what days will be shared with students and parents in the near future. And we will also have our annual 4 through 8 field day on June 12th with a
030rain day of June 15th if needed. And I will cover all our remaining events as we wind down the current school year uh during our next. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Superintendent Construction updates. Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening. I want to provide a brief update on elementary school PD year-end activities and our spring assessment season. G&R inclusive group has concluded its professional development work at the elementary school for the 2526 school year. Throughout the year, the focus centered on strengthening instructional practices that support general ed and special education learners, which included differentiated instruction, tier one classroom interventions, and co-eing models such as station teaching, parallel teaching, flip-flop teaching, and team teaching. As part of the year-end wrapup, staff will be provided with resources and materials to support the
031continued implementation of inclusive instructional practices, including those station teaching resources, adapted materials, barrierfree lesson design, checkpoint templates, and updated PD plans. We have also concluded the New York State grades three through eight ELA, math, and science assessments as part of our spring testing season. Our NISLATs testing, which is uh the New York State English as a second language achievement test for our English language learners, is currently underway and is expected to conclude this week with scoring scheduled to begin next week. This assessment measures students students English language proficiency and helps determine English language services for the upcoming school year. As mentioned in last month's report, the remaining spring assessments will take place in June. Eligible students will participate in the algebra and living environment regions examinations and our grade eight students will complete their Spanish
032proficiency examinations. Districtwide year-end benchmarking is also also currently underway including our NWA measurement of academic performance along with our amplified dibbles andclass math assessments from our special education uh department. Our annual review meetings are continuing through June as part of our year-end planning for special education programming for the 2627 school year as well as our 504 accommodation plan annual reviews for general education students. Spring [clears throat] and year-end evaluation processes along with ongoing uh committee on preschool special education and committee on special education meetings continue to ensure that appropriate programming and services remain aligned to student needs. In addition, visits to students placed in our Adam district programs have been conducted to to support the committee on preschool special education and committee on school age special education teams in gathering comprehensive information to inform placement
033and programming decisions. I'd like to extend my appreciation to our faculty, staff, administrators for their continued efforts in supporting a successful spring assessment season, benchmarking windows, and the coordination of year end and annual review meetings across all schools. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay, district leaison Ian Chester. >> Sure. [clears throat] Not much high school sports left up obviously. both today. Um, June 6th and they have their high school festival and their high school or high school music show is coming up June 6th, June 15th. And of course, the more the biggest thing for high school graduates is June 25th will be the graduation for Chester. Thank you, Addie. War. >> Um, same thing. You're really wrapping up. I just want to remind parents um that regions start on June 9th. So check your
034um the website your child's um portal to make sure you know when they will be taking their regions. All regions exams start on Warwick. Um and today is also their board of education and budget um voting too. And that's really all. >> Thank you Mike Lisba Oxbow. Uh, as far as NISMBA, there's still no def uh definitive answer on the budget yet. Um, there seems to be though a little bit of a ground swell to push back the uh the mandate on the electric buses. There's I know there's currently a bill and working it way through the uh legislative map. Uh hopefully that comes to fruition and it's pushed back another five years. Uh that would give us another five years of purchasing diesel buses as opposed to having to start buying electric buses and
035it also pushed back the mandate for full 2040. So we'll uh we'll keep an eye on that. Um, as far as OXPA, very interesting AI demonstration uh was given to the board members. It's really geared for board members. How you can do some things with AI also some of the pitfalls of it and some of the things that can go wrong with it. So, how you really have to watch what you're doing with it, not solely rely on it. It was interesting. Um, on another note, I was asked to join the executive order for the next year. Um, >> congratulations. [laughter] >> Um, so that's I guess a good thing. So Green River will have a representative on the executive board. So that's something. Thank you. That's all for now. And uh I know facilities
036that I was there were going to be approving the chillers to hopefully get that AC unit working. Uh, audit committee. >> Nothing. Okay. Budget. Hopefully everybody votes yes for the budget tonight. If you're out there listening, please vote yes. Um, policy committee. Any notic? Uh, anybody here from the PTSA? No. Um, village of Green Lake. and then uh Mike can you give the update on Perfect. Okay. Subject five, correspondence to the board, public statements and petitions. Privilege of the floor. Before we get started, I'm just going to read something. So, if everybody can just listen to what I read, please, and adhere to the directions. Public expression at meetings shall be encouraged and the following guidelines are intended to promote an orderly procedure for public comment participation. The public will be given the opportunity to
037address the board regarding items of interest and concern during the privilege of the floor section of each monthly regular business meeting excuse me board meeting. Anyone wishing to be heard must sign in on the public comment form prior to the start of the business meeting or before speaking. Speakers will be asked to state their name before addressing their question or statement to the board. Speaker Speakers may be limited to three minutes each and their comments or questions. Speakers are to have the right to speak without interruption and are to address the president of the board. Comments regarding specific personnel will be ruled out of order and referred to the superintendent. Speakers will not be recognized for a second time until all who wish to speak have been given an opportunity. The board may suspend privilege
038of the floor if it is determined that continued discussion on a particular topic will prevent the board from completing its scheduled business or if one of the above guidelines are not adhered to and continued participation is deemed to be disruptive. So just again um when you guys ask questions we will note those questions down and we will respond but we are not going to provide answers tonight. So, it'll be either at a future board meeting or uh an email. So, Oh, hey Good evening. My name is Melissa Gordina and I have been an employee of the Green Lake Union School District for nine years. I started as a substitute teacher in both schools and then spent the last seven years at the elementary school until I was transferred to the middle school this current year.
039I'm a lifelong resident who chose to stay and raise my children in Greenwood Lake. My two children have different learning needs, allowing me to experience both special education and advanced academic track. Between being a mom and working here, I understand all the different aspects of learning, academics, and behaviors. With that being said, I'm invested into the future success of the children of this town. We want them to be respectful and productive adults. That is why I feel compelled to address a few concerns. And I know you guys already spoke about the class size, but that is a concern of mine. I agree with the parents and the teachers about the grade levels that need to be put back into three sections. I have witnessed firsthand many different behaviors and personalities that cannot be ignored and
040have been interrupting lessons in class [clears throat] classes multiple times a day. This impacts the other children's learning, education, and school experience in a negative way. Going back to three sections or potentially adding a teaching assistant to the two sections can only benefit the students learning and be a positive change for everyone involved in these classes. The next matter has left many of us deeply concerned. To begin on a positive note, we start with the pledge, an inspiration quote, and cheering labor pride every day. We appreciate the hard work, respect, and effort shown by many of our students. However, we cannot ignore groups of students whose behavior is unacceptable and disrespectful. It is unfair to the hardworking, well- behaved students and to the staff members trying to do their job. Some of this behavior is
041being cursed at, students cursing in the presence of the staff member with no regard of them being there, given the thing or two, stared down, spoken back to in a nasty matter, and completely ignored when asked to behave in a classroom or a common area. Some examples of the students behaviors include running and screaming in the halls, pushing and touching each other, making a mess and leaving it for somebody else to clean up, cursing, and refusing to do what an adult asks for them to do, and then denying everything when asked about it. This is very confusing to many of us because we have the principal, assistant principal, superintendent, and assistant superintendent all in the in the building. The discipline and consequences seem to be inconsistent because some of the students are still rewarded with
042class trips, recess, and after school activities. Where are the consequences for being disrespectful to staff members? We've had assemblies to remind the children how to act like respectful like a respectful student. However, it it's been ineffective. Why is this happening? Is the school afraid of backlash on social media or the parents? Enabling this behavior is setting these kids up for failure and it affects the whole entire school environment. Soon all of these children will be in high school in a different town and this learned behavior will be continued. And where will our Lake Pride be then? It will be extremely embarrassing and a reflection on our district. Many of us think after school detention should be added next year as a consequence and to code of conduct. A code of conduct should be taken more
043seriously. For the sporadic times they get lunch detention. It's just not working. Thank you for your time. We're hoping this board will be proactive with these issues. Thank you very much. [applause] [clears throat] >> Good evening. My name is Jamie Whit and I'm here as a parent and I know I'm not alone in feeling concerned about our current setup for both second and fourth grade classes as a mom of kids in both in both grades. Since the start of the year, we start Yeah. Since the start of the year, we learned that at the last quarter vet meeting that both grade teams have been fighting for this request and it's starting to hear it keeps getting denied. As parents, we are just trying to make sure our kids are in the best possible environment to
044learn and grow. On paper, sure, 20 kids in a class might sound manageable, but we are seeing what we are seeing in and out of the classroom tells a completely different story. Both classrooms are dealing with ongoing behavioral challenges which are leading to more frequent disruptions and less instructional time. This makes it difficult for any child to stay focused and for the teachers to stay on track. It's not just about the academics, but how the kids are feeling inside the classroom. It's hard for them to stay engaged, harder for the teachers to keep momentum, and over time, a lot of valuable learning time gets lost. I want to be clear, we are absolutely supportive of inclusive learning. Every child deserves to be a part of the classroom community. But inclusion only works when supported correctly.
045We are concerned that the RTI program is not being met correctly for each student with those academic tools in place. Without the proper coverage for RCI teachers when absent or when they are pulled for meetings, every child isn't getting the amount of extra time they need, which means that classes aren't being reduced during times where RTI intervention is supposed to be. Every child deserves a classroom where they can focus, feel supported, and have a chance to succeed. That's all we want as parents and the community. To show this concern isn't just personal, we have started a petition among the second and fourth grade families. as you saw earlier and it reflects why many of us are feeling so upset about the current situation. What is frustrating is that the solution doesn't seem too far out
046of reach. It is our understanding that there are available spaces in both schools to accommodate the extra section for each room and we are under the impression that there are qualified staff me staff members available to support those extra sections. So, it feels like we have everything we need to accommodate the changes, the space, the staff, and a clear need. What we don't have is an explanation as to why it isn't moving forward, only that we meet standards for New York. These early years matter so much. The choices we make will shape our children's experiences in school, not someday, but now. We are asking respectfully, but sincerely, for you to take another look at this and consider adding a third section to both second and fourth grade. Remember, it isn't about class size, but giving
047our children the environment to grow and thrive. I also want to add that as a parent of children in both grades, it hurts my heart that they are not only fighting to go to school because they feel like all they do is get yelled at, even when they're told it's not directed towards them, but they can't even get the support from the administrators to fight for them to have the best experience. Thank you. >> Thank you very [applause] much. Here, I can I can give her my mic if you want so she doesn't have to stand on a chair. >> I don't need >> I'll put this on the chair. [clears throat] >> Okay. You want to move over? [snorts] join us. >> Hi, my name is Grace White talk and I'm a second grade
048student and I just wanted to tell you about my classroom experience. [sighs] My classroom has been feeling very disruptive and loud and sometimes I do not feel comfortable at school. It can be hard for me to focus and learn when there is a lot of yelling and interruptions. Some days it makes me not want to go to school, but I want to love school. So, I'm hoping that you can make a good choice and help us feel better at school. [applause] Thank you very much. You did a great so nervous. >> Um, so it's about the class size again. So I'm not going to repeat a lot of what was sent to you all. >> Can you just please state your name, please? >> Oh, sorry. Danielle Bowman. So it's about the class size. I'm
049not going to go over what was said to you guys and what Jamie just had said, but not only am I a parent of a fourth grader, I'm also a den leader to four six of the fourth grade boys and assistant coach to 12 of them. So, I know firsthand the challenges of managing the different personalities and learning needs. I only deal with them at small doses, not for six, seven hours daily. We currently alternate certain kids inning and dugout wise, excuse me, to ensure they're separated. If not, it's complete chaos. So, I can't imagine what the teachers are going through every day. Managing six of them versus 12 of them is much easier. So, it almost seems like common sense. So, when we were made aware of this, it was the middle of March
050and we attended the April board meeting. If we had known the discussion started back in December, we would have certainly spoken up back then. I usually leave the school stuff to the professionals, but however, this goound, it seems to be highly alarming. The teachers and staff have continually expressed their concern around the education and quality that these kids are getting. It's not just like Jamie said, their education. It's how they're feeling [snorts] within the class and not wanting to pick. Um, I'm going to skip all that cuz Jamie said it. Um, I only ask that we do what's right for the kids, especially the fourth graders. Their first three years of school were complete chaos due to CO. So instead of learning to share, socialize and communicate, they were separated and masked and taught not
051to share. That was out of our control. Today's struggle is not. We have the space, the clear need, so we should do what's right for them. If the space exists already, and from what we were told, teachers are on hand, where does that $300,000 budget line item come from to add the additional space? I know you can't answer me now. Um, and that's about it. Thank you. Okay. Thank you very much. [applause] >> Good evening, members of the board, administration, teacher, staff, and community members. My name is Jess Pulasar. I'm a parent of two children in this district, a taxpayer, and a public service worker. In public service, accountability matters, leadership matters, and when systems stop functioning properly and people affected first are the ones depending on them the most. In education, that means our
052ch our children. Sorry. Tonight, I'm asking this board and this community to seriously reflect on the direction Greenwood Lake is heading. Over the last several years, this district's budget has continued to rise while enrollment continues to decline. We are approaching $33 million with fewer than 700 students projected in the district. That means taxpayers are being asked to spend significantly more money on fewer students every single year. And yet PE parents, teachers, community members continue raising the same concern. classroom strain, lack of in intervention support, behavioral issues, community failures, curriculum concerns, discipline inconsistencies, and growing frustration over priorities that appear increasingly distracting from what is actually happening inside our schools. Let's be clear, this is not the fault of our teachers. Our teachers are overwhelmed. Many have repeatedly asked for more classroom support and intervention resources
053while continuing to carry increased behavior and academic and with limited help. At this time, the culture being tolerated at leadership level is deeply concerning. This community has witnessed public behavior from individuals connected to the district leadership and governance and many feels inappropriate, unprofessional, and completely misaligned with the with the standards expected in education. Sorry. When a board member publicly degrades a teacher when concerns from families repeatedly go unanswered. And when administrative administrators appear more absent from difficult conversation than engaged in solving them, confidence erodess. Meanwhile, parents are hearing about increasingly disturbing student behaviors occurring in our school and on busing buses, incidents involving vandalism, sexual misconduct, destruction of property, and severe behavioral issues. Yet many families walk away feeling concerns are minimized, dismissed, or labeled unfounded. Despite students openly admitting involvement, that is not restoring
054confidence. That is damaging trust. The answer is not expanding bureaucracy while classrooms and staff continue struggling. The answer is reinvesting directly into teachers, reading about performance, behavioral support, student accountability, intervention services, school safety, and consistent leadership that in that is visible, responsive, and student focused because right now many families feel this district has lost focus on the fundamentals. Greenwood Life does not need to become bigger administratively. It needs to become stronger educationally. Parents are paying attention. Teachers are exhausted. Taxpayers are frustrated and this district belongs to the community, not the politics, personalities, and public relations. I urge this board tonight to start listening to the people inside these buildings every day before continuing to ask the community for more money without first rebuilding trust, accountability, and confidence in the direction of this district. Thank you.
055[applause] Good evening. My name is Rebecca Lynch. I'm a resident, taxpayer, and parent in the district. This budget process raises serious concerns about transparency and fairness. The budget pamphlet was already released, and only after that did additional information get posted late last night on Facebook, just hours before the vote. That kind of last minute communication does not allow for meaningful public review or informed decision-m. The vote also begins at 11:00 a.m. while the board meeting where key context is where key context is often discussed does not occur till 6:00 p.m. Perhaps most concerning is the district's inconsistent approach to leadership and hiring. We currently have a middle school principal who previously served at the assistant superintendent level in another district. Significant experience by any standard. Yet when opportunities for advancement or leadership decisions arise within
056the district, there is no clear indication that internal experience is meaningfully valued or even seriously considered. Instead, leadership roles continue to be filled externally. That sends a very clear message. Experience within the system does not translate into opportunity within the system. And that raises serious questions about whether there is any coherent strategy for leadership development at all or simply a preference for outside hiring regardless of qualifications already present. Financially, we are also in a uniquely difficult position as a district without a high school. We are required to contract with other districts to educate our high school students and that cost has now exceeded $40,000 under the Senica Falls rate. Yet there is growing concern that these agreements are not being aggressively renegotiated by our superintendent to protect taxpayers. That is that is a significant and
057growing financial obligation for our district for a district our size. The question is simple. Are we building a transparent system that develops and values the talent and trust already here or one that continues to expand without clear accountability? Right now the answer is not clear and it should not and it should concern everyone voting today. At some point, the community must ask whether current leadership is truly aligned with the financial realities and priority of the people they serve. >> Thank you very much. [applause] Before we move along, would anybody else like to speak? No. Okay. Thank you very much everybody. Much appreciated. >> Okay. Subject 7.1. Can I please get a motion to approve the financial reports for April 2026 as presented at this meeting? Mike in. Any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes
058six to zero. Subject 7.2 and please get a motion to approve a budget transfer for the universal prek playground as presented. Dave Mike, any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes 6 to zero. Uh subject 7.3. May I please get a motion to approve a budget transfer for the 8th grade Washington DC trip as presented? Aaron, Ian, any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes six to zero. Subject 7.4. May I please get a motion to approve a budget transfer to reallocate funding to Orange Bosey's budget codes as presented. Mike, Dave, any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes six to zero. Subject 7.5 and please get a motion to abolish one full-time assistant principal position as presented. Mike Dave, any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes 6 to zero. Subject 7.6. May I
059please get a motion to approve change orders for the elementary school capital project number 002-016 as presented. Aaron Mike, any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes 6 to zero. Subject 7.7. May I please get a motion to approve the agreement Storm King Consulting as presented? Mike, Patty, any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes six to zero. Subject 7.8. May I please get a motion to approve the extended school year tuition contract with Warick Valley Central School District as presented? Mike Dave. Any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes six to zero. Subject 7.9. May I please get a motion to approve the MOA between the district and the GLTA as presented? No. Is the motion denied? Can I please get a motion to deny? No. >> Motion dies. Okay. I guess we'll discuss
060that and that'll be brought up at a later time. Thank you. Uh motion fails 0 to6 or wait. All in favor? No. Okay. So motion fails 0 to6. >> Motion dies. Okay. Subject 6.8. And please get a motion to accept with regret the resignation of Scott Sullivan as school business manager as presented. Mike >> Patty. Any discussion? Scott, thank you very much for your time. [applause] All in favor? I. Motion passes six to zero. Subject 8.2. May I please get a motion to accept the resignation of Michelle Ring as elementary school building principal as presented Dave Patty? Any discussion? Thank you, Michelle, for your time. Good luck with your future positions. All in favor? I. Motion passes 6 to zero. Subject 8.3. May I please get a motion to approve the unpaid? >> Bless you.
061>> Yep. >> May I please get a motion to approve the unpaid leave of absent extension of Jose Morales as presented? Mike, Patty, any discussion? All in favor? I motion passes 6 to zero. Subject 8.4. May I please get a motion to appoint Walter Kaufman as school business administrator as presented? Aaron Ian. Any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes 6 to zero. Subject 8.5. May I please get a motion to appoint Stephanie Mel Ronaldos as elementary school building principal as presented? Dave Mike. Any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes 6 to zero. >> Subject 8.6. May I please get a motion to appoint Leticia Alexandre as school bus monitor as presented. like Patty. Any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes six to zero. Subject 8.7. May I please get a motion to
062amend the baseball coach appointments of Jake Sheffman and William Crown as presented. Dave, Mike, any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes six to zero. Subject 8.8 and I please get a motion to appoint the following individual to the substitute position as presented. David is on Mike Gave. Any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes six to zero. Subject 9.1. May I please get a motion to accept the CPSE CSE recommendations as presented at this meeting. Aaron, >> Patty, any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes six to zero. Subject 10.1. And please get a motion to adjourn to executive session to discuss medical, financial, credit, or employment history of any particular person. Light Dave. Any discussion? All in favor? I. Motion passes 6 to zero. Uh we will not be returning to public session
063after executive session. The next board of education business meeting will be held Monday, June 15th at the middle school captorium. And please get a motion. Thank you very much everybody. Enjoy your Please go vote yes.