001Good evening and welcome to the Yorktown Central School District Board of Education meeting for May 11, 2026. Can I get a motion to go into executive session to discuss the employment history of a particular pedagogical and non-pedagical employees and matters made confidential under FURPA? >> So move. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. >> Can I get a motion to go back into public session? >> So moved. >> All those in favor? I. >> Any opposed? Good evening everyone and welcome to the Yorktown Central School District Board of Education meeting for May 11, 2026. Can we please stand for the pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence for our armed forces and those in the Yorktown Central School District community that have lost loved ones this week, especially the mother of
002Nula Durnan and the father-in-law of Stefania Longabuko, the mo the father of Mark Gro and the grandfather of Craig Nelson. 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. Dr. Hatter, we have a full house here. >> Yes, we do. It's wonderful to see everyone here this evening joining us to celebrate some really, really special teachers, people, professionals. So, I'm going to make my way to the podium to begin this evening's tenure recognition ceremony. Just want to take a moment to first of all thank some people for all of their help and all of their efforts. I want to take a moment to acknowledge Lisa Bulo, Lori Kaga, the entire district PTSA. They have generously provided gifts
003to all of our tenure recipients this evening. And I also just want to say thanks to all of the all of the people who work behind the scenes to bring these meetings to fruition. Our custodial staff at the high school especially, but our district on&m staff, they turned this building around really quickly. We we double as a school during the school day. And so the staff did such a great job of turning the facility around in a very short amount of time, especially with the after school activities that were happening. So here we are. I have some more thank yous, but they'll be integrated into my remarks. First of all, to our tenure candidates, congratulations. I am so proud of you. This is such a big night and I wanted to do something a little
004bit different tonight than I have in prior tenure ceremonies. So, Evette, I'm sorry. Can I ask you to reload? So, I did something different for you. So, if I can ask you to reload the uh slide presentation. What I want to ask the audience as that's being reloaded, does anyone remember that final interview in my office? Wow. Okay. So, you all did. It was memorable. Uh, in fact, you were nervous at that point. I don't know why, especially now looking back at it. I'm sure you don't know why you were nervous. turned out to be a great meeting and it's led to something absolutely wonderful. So when you were in the office, you'll remember that I wasn't scripted. We just had a conversation about things that came to my mind. Just like tonight, I'm not
005scripted. Things that come to my mind. I wanted to remind you of something that was said in my office. Okay. So, I'm going to remind you of something that was said in my office. First of all, what I want you to remember back three or four years ago, you're sitting in my office. You remember the chair that you were sitting in? In fact, does anybody do you all remember the chair you were in? Everybody, I'm seeing all the nodding of the heads. I want to talk to you a little bit about that chair. More than half of the people who sit in that chair are not offered a job here. So let alone making it here to be recognized for tenure. More than half of the people who sat in that very chair that you
006sat in did not make it not only to tenure but did not get invited back. You should be so proud of yourself for getting that opportunity and then what you did with that opportunity. You should be even prouder. You may or may not recall the three things I told you all. Every person I've hired has two things in common. Number one, you sit in that chair, the head of the table in my conference room. We have a conversation and then there were three things that I reminded you of. The third we're not going to get into. It's confidentiality laws. we talked about, but the first two were really, really important. I'd be really impressed if anybody remembers any one of the two, but I'm not going to put anyone on the spot. The first, and
007I actually think every one of you remembers, respect our children. That's always number one. I always started with the fastest way to fall out of favor with me is to not be respectful of our children. You can almost hear that quote ringing your and I now I'm seeing the nodding in the audience like yes I remember that. The second was to respect our district. And I talked to you about the people who worked really, really hard both behind the scenes and in front of the scenes to make our district what it is. And to always be respectful of our brand, of our district that we're so proud of. You've done just that. In fact, you've done so much more than that. And that's why you're seated here tonight. So, as we work through the I
008had a picture of the chair in my presentation that I was going to show you, but that's okay. That's all right. Evette, we can go back to the original because that that that was it. It was the chair. So, in terms of the tenure process for the faculty and staff in the room, forgive me because you know this, but for your families here, they may not be familiar with what the process is for tenure. So, I just want to share a little bit about what that process is, and it's quite a rigorous one. It's a four-year probationary period. If you were tenured in a previous district, it's reduced by one year down to three years of a probationary period. You receive three formal observations in a year. So, it's anywhere between nine and 12 formal
009observations and dozens and dozens and maybe hundreds of informal observations. these casual conversations that are had the popins of the classroom and there are some of you whose classroom I've popped in dozens and dozens of times during your probationary period and your principles as well. There are annual summitive evaluations. We look at your contributions to the school. What's the impact that you've made on our school community? And we've looked at your professional growth. How have you grown since that time that we first met? And I will continue to look at how do you continue to grow? The beauty of our profession is you never quite get there. You're always, if you're good at what you do, you're always trying to get better. Times change, the world changes. Can we evolve to teach the student 10
010years from now? Because that world will look different than it does today. You all know that the world looks different today than than it did 10 years ago. In fact, I ran my first graduation speech through an AI checker and it told me that 70% of that speech was made by AI, which I didn't I knew nothing about AI nine years ago, but the world's changed. AI was not even a thought. What will that conversation be 10 years from now? And how will your practice have changed to meet the students needs of that day? So, we'll continue to watch that. I want to just take a moment as we go through some thank yous. I just want to take a moment for the tenure candidates. So, I'm going to just go. That's it. That was
011a chair. It was going to be very dramatic. It was going to be really dramatic when the chair popped up on the screen and and and so we we don't have that, but but we still have a great rest of the presentation. Uh so those were the items that we shared. I just want to take a moment tenure recipients look around you because when you came home and you had report cards to do and when you came home and you had a rough day because not every day is perfect. It's not easy when you care so much about what you do and you care about the students you work with. You bring that home with you and not every day is an easy one. They're great, but they're not easy. I just want you to
012take a moment to just acknowledge your families and say thank you because those are the people who've stood by you during those not so great times. So, let's take a moment to acknowledge the families. I'm looking around the room and I am seeing so many colleagues in the audience. And it's just so heartening to see in many cases you're sitting together or you're sitting nearby. You have had support not just at home but you've had support within the building. And I just want to take a moment from the principles and the assistant principles and the central office administrators and the colleagues in the buildings, teachers, clerical office uh employees, certified teaching assistants, custodians. you've been surrounded by a team to support you. So, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge all of the
013mentors. Whether you were a formal mentor or an informal mentor, just want to take a moment to acknowledge you. So, at this time, we're going to acknowledge our tenure candidates. I'm going to be honest with you because I know no other way. I've got 18 pages of remarks prepared. The good news is there's not a Knicks game tonight. The NFL draft is not happening. So, we've got time to celebrate you. And we're going to acknowledge each and every one of you tonight. And I am just so happy for you. Enjoy the moment. This is such a special milestone in your professional careers. Enjoy it. So, at this time, I would like to invite Mr. Casarini, Brookside School principal to join me on stage to my left. Welcome. And I'd like to invite to join me
014on stage Mr. Danisha Autri, Daisy Dilva Ni, Alexa Sanavika, and Dr. Denise Sandor. And we're going to go in alphabetical order. Congratulations. We have Danisha first. Perfect. I am so honored to recommend Danisha Autri for tenure as a certified teaching assistant in the Yorktown Central School District. Miss Autri has demonstrated exceptional dedication, flexibility, and compassion in her work with students across a variety of educational settings at Brookside School. She has successfully supported students in special classes, general education environments, and one-to-one settings, consistently adapting to meet the unique needs of each child. Miss Autri approaches every challenge with a positive attitude and a calm, reassuring presence that helps students feel safe, supported, and understood. She works independently, actively seeks additional information to better support her students and continuously looks for new ways to engage and connect
015with them. Miss Autriy's understanding of students academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs along with her professionalism and commitment to student success make her a valued member of the Brookside team. I am so pleased to recommend Miss Audrey for tenure this evening. Daisy, I am so pleased to recommend Daisy Ni for tenure this evening as a certified teaching assistant. Miss Naui has consistently demonstrated professionalism, flexibility, and a strong commitment to supporting students throughout her time at Brookside. She's worked su successfully in a variety of settings including one-to-one assignments as well as 811 1211 classrooms. Always approaching new assignments with positivity and determination. She's highly regarded for adaptability and strong understanding of student needs as well as a willingness to continue learning and growing in her role. She's actively pursued professional growth opportunities to expand her knowledge
016and capabilities within our school community. And in addition to her classroom work, she's taken initiative in supporting the school psychologist. Miss Naui's positive attitude, dedication to students, and eagerness to contribute to her to her school make her a valued and respected respected member of the Brookside community. I am pleased to recommend Miss Ni for tenure as a certified teaching assistant. >> All right, Alexis. Hello. I am so pleased to recommend Miss Alexis Anavika for tenure this evening as a school social worker. Miss Anavika has demonstrated outstanding dedication, leadership, and professionalism throughout her service as a social worker at Brookside. She's deeply committed to supporting the social, emotional, and behavioral well-being of students and consistently creates meaningful connections with children, families, and staff. Her compassionate and student centered approach has made her an invaluable resource for
017our school community. Miss Anavika serves in numerous leadership and collaborative roles throughout the school, including chairing both the social emotional learning committee, and the wellness committee, while also contributing to the IST team, clinical team, threat assessment team, circle of friends program, and many more contributions. Her leadership has strengthened the schoolwide connection and has fostered a positive inclusive culture for students and staff alike. Committed to continuous professional growth, Miss Anavika actively pursues training in areas such as social emotional learning, risk assessment, autism, ADHD, selective mutism, and so on. Her expertise and initiative, advocacy for students, and collaborative spirit make her highly respected of the team as well. I am so proud to recommend Miss Anava for tenure as a school social worker. Last but not least, at Brookside, I am so pleased to recommend Dr. Denise
018Sandor for tenure as an assistant principal in the Yorktown Central School District. It's difficult to fully capture the impact that Dr. Sander Sandor has had on our entire school community for the more than two decades of service to our school district. Throughout her career, she has consistently demonstrated compassion, intelligence, and an unwavering commitment to supporting students, families, and staff. Beginning as a school psychologist and later serving at multiple schools throughout the district, Dr. Sandor worked closely with students, always guiding them with empathy, professionalism, and expertise. In her current role as assistant principal at Brookside, Dr. Dr. Sandor has emerged as a respected educational leader and role model within the building and across our district. Faculty, parents, and students alike seek her guidance because of her deep knowledge, calm leadership, and thoughtful approach to problem solving.
019She serves not only as an administrator, but also as a mentor, advisor, and an invaluable support to colleagues in our district and school leadership. I am so proud to recommend Dr. Sandor for tenure as an assistant principal this evening. Can you get a picture also? Thank you. At this time, I'd like to invite Mohans school principal, Miss Susan Bry, to join me on stage to recognize the tenure candidates from Mohansa. And joining us on stage, I'd like to invite Isabelle Bradlin, Paula Brown, Christina Kums, Suzanne Lambert, Michael Nardone, Lauren Pocha, Pamela Trillis, and Nancy White. We're going to go in alphabetical order first and then Paul is going to be next and then we'll figure it out after that. >> It is my pleasure to recommend Miss Bradlin as a for tenure as a certified
020teaching assistant this evening. Miss Bradlin has been a dedicated member of the Mohansic community for over for her four years. She has supported students in both general and special education settings, providing academic and behavioral support to a diverse range of learners. She has developed strong effective practices for managing various student behaviors and helping students access curriculum with increasing confidence and success. In the classroom, Miss Bradlin is consistently kind, patient, and caring. She builds trusting relationships through respectful interactions and maintains steady expectations that promote a positive learning environment. Her calm presence and thoughtful approach help to encourage meaningful student engagement. And her collaborative spirit, strong work ethic, and genuine commitment to student success make her an invaluable colleague to the school community. I am so proud to recommend Miss Bradlin for tenure as a certified teaching
021assistant this evening. I'm pleased to recommend Miss Paula Brown for tenure as a certified teaching assistant this evening. Miss Brown has been a dedicated member of the Mohansic community during her four years of service to the district, supporting students across multiple programs and classrooms. She provides strong academic, social, and behavioral support again to a diverse range of learners. And Miss Brown has developed and implemented effective strategies for managing various student behaviors and helping students access their curriculum, making them so much more confident in themselves, our earliest learners. Miss Brown's proactive. She's dependable, whose initiative and ability to anticipate classroom needs set her apart. She consistently steps in to support students and teachers, often before being asked, whether by adjusting supports, preparing materials, or providing timely prompting. Her thoughtful, forward-thinking approach preserves instructional time and contributes
022to a positive, productive classroom environment. I am so pleased to recommend Miss Brown for tenure as a certified teaching assistant this evening. I am so pleased to recommend Miss Kums as a for tenure as a certified teaching assistant in the Yorktown Central School District. She has been a valued member of the special education team has worked extensively in our LEAP program providing thoughtful academic, social, and behavioral supports to students with varying abilities including students who are non-verbal and rely on communication devices. Miss Kums has a remarkable ability to genuinely connect with each student, contributing to increased engagement, happiness, and meaningful progress. Miss Kums is organized, detail-oriented, and highly dependable. She implements learning and behavioral plans with fidelity, follows procedures carefully, and maintains accurate records that support the team's decision-making. Teachers really do rely on her
023extensively. Her attention to detail strengthens the consistency and effectiveness of our programs. I am so pleased to recommend Miss Kums for tenure as a certified teaching assistant this evening. I am delighted to recommend Miss Suzanne Lampbert for tenure this evening as an elementary school teacher in the Yorktown Central School District. Miss Lampred is a thoughtful, hard-working educator who has demonstrated consistent excellence over her nearly four years in the district. She stands out for her professionalism, strong instructional practice and collaborative approach. Suzanne plans and delivers lessons with care and thoughtfulness, sets her expectations really high for students, but appropriately high, and creates a classroom environment that's joyful and respectful of all students. Under her guidance, students thrive academically and socially, leaving her classroom feeling confident, supported, and valued. Additionally, Miss Lambert's reflective practice, sound professional judgment,
024and dedication to continuous improvement make her an outstanding educator. Her strong communication with families, and commitment to the homeschool partnership further enhance her impact. I strongly support Miss Lampbert's tenure recommendation this evening. Congratulations, Suzanne. Congratulations. I am so delighted to recommend Mr. Michael Nardone for tenure this evening as a physical education teacher. For anyone who knows Michael, you'll that shouldn't prompt laughing. For anyone who knows Michael knows that Michael will step in to do whatever it is you need in the district. In just a few short years, I believe Michael has worked in some capacity with every grade level in our district. Whether it's through coaching, whether it's through our youth programs coaching, whether it's through his teaching, Michael has actively worked with all 13 grade levels. He is perhaps the most versatile educator that
025I have encountered. He will step in to supervise athletic events. He will step in to help with different tasks whether it's at graduation or other special events. But I also want to talk about his physical education teaching because that is also outstanding. He has a deep commitment to students. His physical education program is student- centered, developmentally appropriate, and thoughtfully designed to engage diverse learners. Mr. Nardone has taught, coached, as I mentioned, he's operated scoreboards, and he has always said, "How can I help?" Beyond his instructional strengths, Mr. Mr. Nardone brings a positive, energetic, and approachable presence to our school community. He works compassionately with all students, thoughtfully adapting activities to meet individual student needs and to help students experience success and increase confidence. Mr. Mr. Nardone's professionalism, his integrity, and his genuine care for students
026make him an asset to our school district, and I am delighted to recommend him for tenure this evening. I am pleased to recommend Miss Lauren Pocha for tenure as a speech and language therapist. Miss Poscha is an exceptional exceptional speech language therapist whose expertise, compassion, and student centered approach make a tremendous impact on students. During her four years in the district, she's demonstrated deep knowledge, outstanding clinical expertise, and a steadfast commitment to supporting students and families. Her work is evidenceinformed, highly collaborative, and consistently characterized by kindness, patience, and a genuine warmth. She works effectively with both general education and special education students. She has an an incredible uncanny ability to support students who utilize augmentive and alternative communication devices and students with significant language impairments through targeted developmentally appropriate interventions and strong relationships with students.
027She's helped learners make meaningful and impressive speech and language progress. I am so pleased to recommend Miss Pocha for tenure this evening. Congratulations. >> Thank you. I'm not going to mention the chair. I won't mention the chair. >> You're hearing recurring themes. We have great people here. We have absolutely great people. I am honored to recommend Miss Pamela Trillis for tenure as a special education teacher in the Yorktown Central School District. Miss Trillis has demonstrated exceptional dedication and professionalism and compassion throughout her three years as a special education teacher at Mohansik. From the beginning of her tenure, she embraced the challenges of a demanding classroom environment with resilience and determination. Working tirelessly to support students with significant academic, social, and behavioral needs while creating a supportive learning environment. Miss Trillis is deeply committed to the
028well-being and success of every student in her class. She intentionally creates a classroom culture where students feel valued, capable, and respected while implementing individualized instruction, predictable routines, meaningful accommodations that ultimately promote confidence in her students. Her thoughtful approach allows students with diverse learning and emotional needs to make meaningful progress in every area, academically, socially, and behaviorally. I will give you just one quick anecdote. I'm going to tell the story. So I went into Pamela's class to read to her students and she graciously rolled over a chair for me and when I was done with the book I said how do you sit in this thing during the course of the day. So I think within a couple days we had a brand new chair sent over to Miss Trillis. But Miss Trillis never commented about
029the chair. She never mentioned how uncomfortable that chair was that she inherited over the years. But that's just who Pamela is. She's all giving of herself to her students and she's done a remarkable job. Pam, I'm honored to recommend you for tenure in the district. Last but not least, I am delighted to recommend Miss Nancy White for tenure as a certified teaching assistant in the Yorktown Central School District. Her professionalism, her strong work ethic, her unwavering commitment to supporting students and staff set her apart. She brings an impressive professional background in law, finance, real estate. She transitioned successfully to education without missing a beat. It was seamless. She quickly established herself as a dependable and highly effective member of the Mohansic team. Over her four years at Mohansic, Miss White has served in a variety
030of roles, including supporting students with special needs before becoming a key partner in our library program. She's exceptionally organized, proactive, detail oriented, consistently anticipating the needs of the library and of the building, ensuring its smooth operation. Her ability to manage responsibilities efficiently while maintaining a welcoming and student- centered environment has greatly contributed to the success of the library space. And I am delighted to recommend Miss White for tenure as a certified teaching assistant tonight. Thank you so much. I thought it was every schoolach. >> Thank you. Mohansik had the largest group of the evening. So all the other groups are a little bit smaller than that, but congratulations Isabelle, Paula, Christine, Suzanne, Michael, Lauren, Pamela, Nancy. Well done. At this time, I'd like to invite Crown Pon School Principal Miss Jennifer Jacobs to the stage
031to join me. And to join us on stage, I'd like to invite Kirsten Ber and Kelsey Reynolds. Hello. All right. I am honored to recommend Kirsten Berger for tenure as a certified teaching assistant in the Yorktown Central School District. Miss Burgerer has consistently demonstrated compassion, dedication, a deep commitment to supporting the students at Crompton. Working within an 811 classroom setting, she excels in supporting the diverse needs of each student through a hands-on student- centered approach, and she creates a positive and supportive learning environment for all students. Miss Burgerer builds strong, meaningful relationships with students, earning their trust and respect through her patience, empathy, and encouragement. She ensures that students feel valued, supported, and connected, fostering a sense of belonging that is critical to their growth and development. Her calm and caring demeanor helps create an
032environment where students are able to thrive both academically and socially. Miss Burgerer's dependable and she's collaborative with her team. She consistently steps forward to support colleagues and to meet the needs of our school community and I am delighted to recommend her for tenure as a certified teaching assistant this evening. Congratulations, I am so pleased to recommend Miss Kelsey Reynolds for tenure as an elementary school teacher in the Yorktown Central School District. Miss Reynolds has consistently demonstrated exceptional teaching, professionalism, and dedication throughout her four years at Crown Pond Elementary School. As a fifth grade teacher, she creates a dynamic and inclusive classroom environment where all students are encouraged to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Her lessons are engaging, thoughtfully designed, and responsive to diverse learning styles, allowing students to feel supported, challenged, and successful at the
033same time. Beyond strong instruction, Miss Reynolds is deeply committed to the personal development and well-being of her students. She goes above and beyond to address individual student needs. Her classroom community reflects her caring and student- centered approach. fostering a strong sense of belonging and mutual respect among students. Miss Reynolds is also a valued leader and collaborative collaborator within the school. She's contributed to curriculum development and schoolwide initiatives through her work on committees including science, one school, one book, spirit, social report card, ELA task force. You name it, Miss Reynolds has been part of it. Families really appreciate Miss Reynolds thoughtful communication as well. Miss Reynolds is so welld deserving of tenure this evening and it's my honor to recommend her for tenure in the Yorktown Central School District. We got a good picture. At this
034time, I'd like to invite Mildred East String Middle School principal, Miss Marie Harowitz, to join me on stage to recognize our tenure candidates from MESMS. And joining us on stage, I'd like to invite Miss Gina Fatalongo, Michelle Luche, and Daisy Pñena. I am delighted to recommend Miss Fatalongo for tenure as a certified teaching assistant in the Yorktown Central School District. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, professionalism, just an unwavering dedication to supporting students and staff throughout her time at our middle school. She's built strong relationships with students through her patience, kindness, steady presence as well. And she's helped to create a supportive and encouraging learning environment for every student with whom she works. She works collaboratively with teachers to support instruction, implement accommodations and modifications, and assist students across a wide range of abilities,
035including special education and 504 students, uh, students who have 504 plans. She is proactive in seeking clarification and guidance to ensure students receive the support they need to succeed academically and socially. Three words that immediately come to mind are flexible, dependable, and adaptable. And Miss Fchelongo consistently steps in to prove those words to be true. I am so delighted to recommend Miss Fchalongo for tenure as a certified teaching assistant in the Yorktown schools. I'm pleased to recommend Miss Michelle Luche for her tenure as a certified teaching assistant in the Yorktown Central School District. Miss Luche has consistently demonstrated again professionalism, compassion, and a deep commitment to her students. She helps implement instructional strategies and interventions that support students with diverse academic needs and promotes meaningful student growth. She's working within a special class setting and
036she has been phenomenal in every regard. Miss Luche has built strong positive relationships with students. Patience, kindness, and encouraging are three words that immediately come to my mind when thinking about Miss Luche. Her supportive presence again helps students gain confidence, develop their skills, and experience success within the classroom setting. She works collaborative collaboratively with her fellow CTAs and with the teachers in the classroom and she has strengthened her understanding of curriculum and instructional practices which has allowed her to provide increasingly effective support to both students and colleagues. I am so pleased to recommend Miss Luch for tenure this evening. Congratulations I am delighted to recommend Miss Daisy Pñena for tenure as a certified teaching assistant this evening. She again has just been flexible, professional, and has had such a strong commitment to supporting all learners
037in the middle school. Beginning as a one-to-one aid and transitioning successfully into a classroom support role, she has proven herself to be dependable, adaptable, and very student centered. Miss Pena works closely with students during instruction, provides individualized support when challenges arise, and ensures accommodations outlined in IEPs are implemented effectively. She prepares clear and thorough class notes, assists colleagues willingly willing willingly and helps to maintain continuity and stability in the classroom, especially during times of transition. Her compassion, reliability, and collaborative spirit make her an asset to our school community. Her calm and supportive presence help students feel confident and successful, and she will continue to grow professionally and in this role. And I am so proud to recommend Miss Pñena for tenure this evening. Thank you. At this time, I'd like to invite Yorktown High School
038principal, Mr. Joseph Djiro, to the stage to recognize our tenure candidates from Yorktown High School. And joining us on stage, I'd like to invite Veronica Argilla, Ryan Langfeld, Rebecca Nanny, Edwin's not here this evening, and Rebecca Wellington. Okay. I am delighted to recommend Veronica Argilla as for tenure as a special education teacher and science teacher in our district. She's demonstrated outstanding teaching, professionalism, and dedication throughout her time at Yorktown High School. Since joining our district in 2022, she has successfully taught skills and ICT science while creating engaging student- centered classrooms that support learners of all abilities. Miss Argilla designs dynamic lessons that maximize instructional time and incorporate technology effectively to meet diverse student needs, particularly for visual learners. Her classroom environment is structured, supportive, and academically rigorous, while her calm, compassionate demeanor fosters strong relationships
039with students. She collaborates effectively with colleagues, maintains excellent communication with families, and consistently demonstrates professionalism through her reliability preparation, and openness to feedback. I am confident that Miss Argill will continue to grow professionally and continue to add to our school district in so many ways. Congratulations, Veronica. I am delighted to recommend Mr. Ryan Langfeld for tenure this evening in the area of special education mathematics. Mr. Langfeld is a thoughtful, energetic, highly dedicated educator who has made a significant impact since joining the district in 2022. His lessons are really thoughtfully prepared. They're engaging. They meet so many different learning needs. What I enjoy most about my visit to Ryan's classroom is the real life connection to what's happening in math. It's not just about formulas. It's about why we're doing what we're doing and making it
040relevant to the life of a teenager. that means so much in today's world. He effectively integrates technology into the lessons. He consistently goes above and beyond for his students, making himself available to students at any point during the day to provide additional support or a word of encouragement. Beyond the classroom, Mr. Langfeld serves as a coach for varsity athletics, balancing these responsibilities with his exceptional and extraordinary teaching and professionalism and commitment to children. He's respected by students, families, colleagues alike for his leadership, work ethic, and collaborative spirit. It is an honor to recommend Mr. Langel for tenure this evening. It is a pleasure to recommend Miss Rebecca Nanny for tenure as a special education social studies teacher in the Yorktown Central School District. Again, Miss Nanny joined us in the 2022 school year. And since
041that time, she has done nothing but create engaging, well ststructured lessons that challenge students appropriately and provide support along the way so that students can meet the high expectations that she sets for them. She's highly skilled in designing dynamic lessons, integrating technology, maintaining a classroom setting that's structured, supportive, but flexible at the same time. She collaborates with her colleagues. She collaborates with families. She works across our school, whether it's during cse meetings or otherwise. She is allin for her students. She's deeply invested not only in their success in the classroom, but you'll often see Miss Nanny outside of the classroom as well, supporting her students. She's had such a positive impact on so many of her students, and it is an honor to recommend her for tenure this evening. Just a note, Justin Severin is
042not here. He is chaperoning students who are on a trip this e uh during the course of this week to showcase their science research on the international level. So great things happening. Uh but Justin's not here, but we certainly congratulate him as well. And at this time, I'd like to acknowledge Rebecca Wellington. And it is my honor to recommend Miss Wellington for tenure as a school psychologist in the York 10 Central School District. Miss Wellington has been absolutely superb in her role since joining our district in 2022 in her capacity as school psychologist. She has incredible professionalism, unmatched expertise, and a very deep compassion. and all of those play a critical role in her work with students, families, and staff during some of the most challenging years in a child's life. Miss Wellington is highly
043visible within the school community. She's expanded her support services while working collaboratively with students and her colleagues. She demonstrates exceptional skills in counseling, crisis response, student advocacy, problem solving. She balances all of this with empathy and with sound judgment in every situation. Her preparation, attention to detail, ability to identify effective intervention strategies have earned the trust and respect of colleagues throughout the district, including my own. Miss Wellington is deeply committed to continuous learning and consistently seeks ways to strengthen her knowledge base and to strengthen programs and to improve student support systems. Yorktown is very fortunate to have Miss Wellington as part of our clinical team and I'm delighted to recommend her for tenure this evening. Thank you. And last but not least, we have two district-wide colleagues who are going to be recognized for tenure.
044And at this time, I'd like to invite Miss Christristen Williams and Miss Caroline Almeida to the stage. I'm going to go out of alphabetical order for this. Perfect. I am so pleased to recommend Miss Kristen Williams for tenure as a school psychologist in the Yorktown Central School District. Kristen has proven herself to be an exceptionally valuable and dependable member of our district and our clinical team. Over the past three years, she's demonstrated remarkable flexibility and professionalism while serving students and families across multiple buildings and in a variety of capacities. Miss Williams conducts comprehensive evaluation, supports students with behavioral and emotional needs, and chairs section 504 meetings with care, thoughtfulness, and strong attention to detail. Her evaluations are thorough, well-reasoned, and consistently support informed decision-making on behalf of students. Miss Williams is collaborative, responsive, and deeply
045committed to student success. She builds strong relationships with staff and families alike, and is widely respected for her compassionate student- centered approach to problem solving. Her strong foundation in child development combined with her professionalism and integrity allows her to effectively support the academic, social, and emotional needs of the students she serves. I'm honored to have Miss Williams as part of our school district, and I'm delighted to recommend her for tenure this evening. >> Yes. And we have one more tenure recognition this evening and I saved Miss Almeida for last. Miss Almeida is our director of pupil personnel services, one of my most trusted and closest adviserss on not just matters in pupil personnel services, but in all matters across our school district. She's a member of my my leadership cabinet and someone whose expertise goes
046far beyond what the job title says. So what I will share a few things. Miss Almeida has been in our district completing 10 years of service. She served as assistant director of pupil personnel services now as director of PPS. Miss Almeida has consistently demonstrated extraordinary extraordinary intelligence, professionalism, and an unwavering dedication to children and families. Miss Almeida is one of the most knowledgeable and competent educational leaders I have had the privilege to work alongside in 20 some odd years of doing this. Her deep understanding of special education law, regulations, processes, and procedures is exceptional and has provided tremendous guidance and stability to our district. She approaches every challenge thoughtfully and strategically, always ensuring that decisions remain student centered while also being legally sound. Beyond her expertise, Miss Almeida is a creative and compassionate problem solver
047who works tirelessly, tirelessly to support students with diverse needs. She builds strong relationships with families, staff, and administrators through her collaborative approach, calm demeanor, and genuine care for others. Her leadership has strengthened our PPS department and has helped foster a culture focused on empathy, inclusion, and high expectations for all students. Miss Almeida's integrity, intellect, and commitment to excellence have had a profound impact on the Yorktown schools and have had a profound impact on me professionally. She's a trusted leader, exceptional colleague, and a tremendous asset to our school community. And I could not be prouder than this evening to recommend Miss Almeida for tenure. So after more than 30 years in the career, Miss Almeida has also decided that she'll be retiring in October of this coming school year of 2026. We are the better for
048having had Miss Almeida as part of our team. That is a very very big position to fill especially when you're replacing the best person in the field at that position. I do believe that Miss Almeida is the best person in the field of PPS without exception. I don't even know if there's a close second. Caroline, um that concludes my remarks for 10. So I appreciate your patience. I appreciate uh your participation, but it's not official yet because I just read the good part, but it's not official unless the board approves it. So, at this point, I'm going to turn it over to our board president, Miss R. >> Thank you. Can I have a motion upon the recommendation of the superintendent that the individuals named this evening be appointed tenure in our district? >> So,
049move. So, just before we proceed, I'm going to recuse myself from this portion of the vote. Um, I have a relative who is received receiving tenure tonight. So, just note that I'll be recusing myself from this piece. >> Okay. >> Thank you. Did we get a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> CONGRATULATIONS. SO, at this point, we're going to take a very brief five-minute recess. We I think we're on item one of the board meeting agenda tonight. So, we'll take a very, very brief recess to give you the opportunity to exit. You're welcome to stay, of course, but I know first period starts at 7:30 at the high school. Have a great night, everyone. Congratulations. Okay, let's move on to agenda item number four, the public hearing, budget vote and
050election. Um, we'll have a motion to open the public hearing. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> Any opposed? The um prop, Do You Do You Do You Do You Do You Do You Do You Do You Do You Do You You want to read it or should I read it? >> Okay. The propositions that will appear appear on the ballot as follows. Proposition number one, the budget. Shall the annual school district budget for the fiscal year 2026 2027 in the amount of 126,640,000 and the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the district be approved. The ballot is um shown there on the screen. There will also be three members of the board of education um appointed that evening. There are two vacancies. The
051term will run from July 1st, 2026 to June 30th, 2029 and one vacancy with the term of May 19th, 2026 to June 30, 2027. We have four candidates, Adam McDonald, Mike Mñani, Jacqueline Guino, and Catalina Tindle. Um, I guess we'll open it up for some public comment. >> Nope. >> Can I have a Is there any board comment? I signed up >> for the for the um the budget hearing or for public comment number one. >> I think you're on public comment number one. That's what my sheet says. You're next on the agenda. >> Yes. Um any board comment? >> Okay. Can I have a motion to close the public hearing? >> So move. >> Second. >> All those in favor. >> Any opposed? >> Okay. Now we'll move on to public comment number one.
052And we have one person signed up. That's Kathleen De Monaco. I'll just remind you that um the time is limited to three minutes per speaker. No district employee or student may be commented upon by name or identified by name or situation. Questions asked will be referred to the appropriate staff member for reply. Questions requiring investigation will will be referred to the superintendent for consideration and later response. >> Thank you so much and what a beautiful celebration we had here tonight. So, good evening. My name is Kathleen De Monaco and I'm Yorktown parent and a former committee on special education chair. I'm a proud SEPTA member and have been a parent with children in the school district for almost 10 years now. I'm here tonight to speak about something that is not theoretical to me. It's
053systemic and it's urgent. The state of special education staffing and training in the Yorktown Central School District. From my professional experience, I can tell you this plainly. When districts fail to invest properly in trained, supported special education staff, the result is predictable. IEPs are written but not implemented with fidelity. Staff burn out. Students regress and families are left to fight battles they should never have to fight. I recently experienced this myself. This is not just an operational issue. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, this becomes a legal issue. And I want to ask you directly, do you truly understand the impact your decisions have on our families? Or are you just are we just another line item in your budget? Because from where we sit, it feels like our children's needs are being weighed
054against cost instead of being treated as the priority the law requires them to be. And here's the reality. Underinvesting now does not save money. It leads to more outofd placements, more compensatory services, and more legal challenges. The cost of inaction is always higher. So, I'm asking this board to take specific meaningful action. Allocate dedicated funding for special education training for all stakeholders working in this community. Prioritize hiring and retaining certified special education staff, including one-to-one certified teaching assistants who are well-trained and continue to receive training and ensure that staff are equipped to implement IEPs with consistency and fidelity. I also want to be very clear. I will be here at every meeting paying attention, asking questions, and holding this board accountable until meaningful changes are h are happening. Because this is not abstract. This is
055about real children, real families, and their right to an appropriate education. Thank you. >> Thank you. We will move on to our next um agenda item and that's the official report. >> Good evening. As we head into the last month of the school year, the Yorktown schools continue to be lively as we host a variety of events for our students and our community. Tomorrow evening, May 12th, the Moansic School will host its annual art show. The show begins at 5:00 p.m. Over the next few weeks, there will be many opportunities to enjoy the musical talent of our Yorktown students. Tomorrow evening, Yorktown High School hosts its spring band concert at 7 p.m. in the YS auditorium. On Thursday, May 14th, Yorktown High School host its spring choir concert at 7 p.m. in the YS auditorium.
056On Wednesday, May 20th, the Brookside School Kindergarten will host its spring concert at 9:30 a.m. On Thursday, May 21st, the Yorktown High School Orchestra will hold its spring concert at 7 p.m. in the Wes Auditorium. On Tuesday, May 26th, Milree String Middle School will host its chorus concert at 5:30 p.m. and its orchestra concert at 6:30 p.m. in the Wis Auditorium. On Thursday, May 28th, the Crown School grade 5 will host its chorus concert at 9:00 a.m. Finally, on Thursday, May 28th, the Mildry School Middle School band will host its spring concert at 5:30 p.m. in the Yell auditorium. I'd like to take the opportunity to highlight a few of our incredible York High School sports teams going on right now. So, the girls flag football team won their league championship on Saturday against Lakeland.
057The boys baseball team won the Swario Cup in their game against Lakeland, too. And both the boys and girls lacrosse teams beat Lakeland on Saturday to win their respective Murphy Cups. With regard to the boys lacrosse team, winning the Murphy Cup on Saturday conclude the team's four wins in each of its cup games this season. Winning each game against Derenne, Wilton, Scarzo, and Lakeland saw the team bring home all four cups, a feat last achieved in 2013. Congratulations to all the Yorktown athletes. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Um Dr. Hatter, superintendent update. Okay. So, I have a few updates that I do want to share with our board and with the school community with with regard to and as we're pulling up the presentation, there are about eight items that I wanted to share
058with with our school community. So, the first is the New York State budget update. The there was a tentative agreement that was announced. However, what we subsequently learned is that the agreement wasn't much of an agreement. So, we're still awaiting a final state budget. There are a lot of implications on our school district. Um, it's conceivable that we can go into the budget vote without having an approved state budget and not knowing exactly what our state aid allocation will be, which I don't ever recall that being the case. And and here we are. So the deadline was April 1st. It's been extended multiple times and we have not received much in the way of detail as to when the budget will be approved, what changes have been made and as the uh what effect those
059changes have on schools. I also want to talk about the red light cameras. I put something out to the community Saturday morning about the red light cameras. So, a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended require vehicles to stop as well and to not pass a school bus loading and unloading passengers. Even if there you're on the other side of a double yellow line, you must stop. Even if there are multiple lanes on that roadway, you must stop. In March, we saw 68 tickets issued and 28 close calls. That's just way too much. in April and we were closed for part of April for spring break. We saw 90 tickets issued with 24 close calls. That is unconscionable. The three areas, the three roadways where the vast majority
060of those 68 and 90 tickets have occurred are on Underh Hill Avenue, Route 35, and Route 202. Those have been incredibly problematic and I have been in communication with the Yorktown Police Department to look at further enforcement. So there is enforcement with regard to the cameras issuing tickets. Uh but it just feels like even one ticket is too many. So I'm I'm concerned by the trend that we're seeing with the number of red light tickets that are being issued. With regard to AM and PM, they're they're pretty equally distributed and a slighted a slight uptick in the afternoons. Also, we're hiring. We're looking for great people to come work in our district. The community was able to see some dynamic educators, whether they're certified teaching assistants or teachers or administrators, being recognized this evening for
061tenure. If you're interested in coming to a great school district, submit your application. We are still hiring. These are just some of the vacancies that we have. A full list is available on our website. UPK registration continues to be open. We're now up to 145 fully registered students with two students pending. We anticipate once we get a state budget, we anticipate there will be 188 seats. So, we still have room available. We'll continue to fill the seats first come first serve until our seats are full. But again, if you or someone you know lives within the Yorktown Central School District catchment area and has a child who will be four years old on or before December 1st and would like to register for our pre-K program, please do contact our registar. The fleet electrification. I
062I do still feel like I need to continue to bring this up and it's something that is really really important that we shine a light on. I think we're all for the environment. I'm certainly a huge supporter of the environment and the positive impact that electrifying vehicles will have. However, we're in a tax cap environment, which means that we can increase spending by a certain amount of money, dollars, percentage. What we're estimating, and it's not us, we had a third party study commissioned, we're estimating that the cost of just charging the buses will take up one out of every $3, possibly one out of every $2 on our tax levy. That is a dramatic impact to our school district. Money that should be se spent on programs in classrooms and on students will be spent
063on electricity and charging buses. Right now we pay just to give you context we pay $120,000 in gasoline. So this is a lot more about five times more than what we currently pay in gasoline. So advocacy is key. reaching out to state lawmakers is really important. It's not that we're not for the environment, but when we have so many different priorities within our budget and a limited um increase that we're allowed to pursue each year, whatever that tax levy cap number is, spending one out of every $3 on charging a bus or one out of every $2 seems misplaced. the money should be spent on children within the classroom. We have an afterchool program that we've started. It's the YMCA is facilitating it. There is still room available in the program if you're interested in
064pursuing it. The programs are housed in our elementary schools, Mohansic, Brookside, and Krompon. Just the one detail to be mindful of is that your child the afterchool program that your child attends has to coincide with the school that they attend during the regular school day. Just the rates are there for anyone who is unsure of the rates. The construction projects are coming along well at Mohansic and Brookside. We continue to enclose the buildings. A lot of the rough plumbing and rough electric work has been done. The obviously that work will continue, but the construction addition is coming along quite well. We anticipate having the the building turned over to us at some point. Midsummer, so end of July, early August is when we anticipate getting access full access to the building and certainly being ready
065for the first day of school in September for both Brookside and Mohansik. Also, the fields at the middle school and high school continue to progress. The it's starting to look like a baseball field. The site work is nearing completion. We had some unsuitable, not contaminated, non-contaminated, but unsuitable. It was a very soft pete moss soil and the contractor did not want to let you can see in this image one part of the underlay of the field and then there's the actual field. Well, that's the um that's one of the underlays. There's a shock pad, then there's the turf, and then there's the rubber infill. And so, we wanted to make sure that we had strong, suitable soils for the underllayment to ensure that the field doesn't shift unintentionally. So, that project is coming along well.
066Again, we are within budget on both projects. We're within budget. For the high school, middle school fields, we are about a month behind on schedule. Part of that are the 50 inches of snow that we had in the winter for this outdoor project. Um the other part were the field conditions that that we noticed with the soils. But rather than having the field toward the end of this month, it'll be toward the end of June that we can anticipate substantial completion on the baseball field. And then we'll begin the other field to the north of of that baseball field. And finally, the last update that I have is with regard to our budget vote. We just held the budget hearing. There is information all over our website for uh the budget, what it means with
067regard to taxes. There are some municipalities that will see a decrease in their estimated tax rate. The town of Yorktown will see an increase of 2.11% is what we're estimating and decrease as low as 9.98% as much as a 9.98% decrease in um in some communities. So specifically a 9.98% decrease in the town of Newcastle, a 6.9% decrease in the town of Courtland, and an increase of 2.11% in the town of Yorktown, which is 96% of our tax base. But what I' I'd like to just share and clarify is the school district does not determine those tax rates. I'd love to take credit for a 10% decrease to property taxes, but it's all a function of equalization rates. Once the district and the board determines the tax levy number, the equalization rates take hold and
068the it's it's a formula driven number that we derive and it yields a 2.11% increase in the town of Yorktown estimated and then two decreases 6.9% Portland and a decrease of 9.98% Newcastle. So the budget vote is always the third Tuesday in May. It's May 19th, 2026. The poll is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and the location, the voting location is French Hill School, which is at 2051 Baldwin Road. There will be our annual budget newsletter will be delivered to mailboxes at the point uh at some point later this week. We'll have those in mailboxes and uh it's already available on our website in in a PDF form for the community to view. and that's a legal requirement that we put those in mailboxes uh within our school district voting area. That concludes
069my report. I'm happy to take any questions that you have. >> Um I the bus electrification issue is a really important one and I don't hear a whole lot of districts talking about that. Um one out of every dollar would have to go to charging the bus. um which could have a huge huge impact on our district and to Miss De Monaco's point like we need to give those dollars to our students. What can we do? >> So a big part of it is advocacy at the state level. It's a state law and you're right in that it has not been discussed with the same urgency that I believe it needs to be discussed with across the region. Part of it may be that the mandate it takes effect in two parts. The first part
070of the mandate starts in 2027. So, new bus purchases beginning in July of 2027 need to be electric. So, if you're going to buy a bus in 2027, it's got to be electric with the law also stating that by 2035, the entire fleet has to be electrified. So that that that's important to note because 2035 seems like a long time away. But when you have 68 buses that you have to replace out with electric buses, first of all, the cost of an electric bus is I believe it was double. Last we checked, the cost of an electric bus was double. We don't qualify for the same incentives and rebates that districts that operate their own fleet do. We contract out. We have a third party that does our busing. So we don't reap the same
071benefits that school districts that have their own bus fleet do. We we do need to intensify that conversation. My recommendation is to rec reach out to elected officials at the state level, state assembly, state senate. I've been having one-on-one meetings with elected officials. I I've shared the report with them. the initial startup beyond beyond year one. We talked about year two the charging costs, but in year one it's going to cost our school district 42 to $46 million to retrofit to to build the infrastructure. So that's just not the buses, that's the charging stations at the depot. That's ensuring we have enough capacity to charge the buses. It's also changing out the lifts. That's one of those kind of under thought of type of of consequences. Electric buses are so much heavier than a typical
072gasoline and we don't have diesel buses in our school districts. We're using all gasoline buses at this point. So, we're not operating diesel vehicles, but the the lifts can't accommodate the current lifts can't accommodate the weight of a school bus that's electric. Also, the mechanics who work on electric buses have different qualifications and and a different skill set than mechanics who work on a combustion engine. So, there are a lot of moving parts here. I don't know why, to your point, um, Mr. Roll, I don't know why the conversation has not been in every district across the board. I I'm hoping that it will start to gain momentum as more people hear about it and and just say, "Hey, wait a minute. Shouldn't we be spending Shouldn't we be spending these dollars directly in the
073classroom supporting programs for children as opposed to charging school buses, which which are important? Electric vehicles are terrific. They're great, but a mandate is incredibly incredibly prohibitive and I I want to say impossible for a school district to implement. >> Thank you. Anyone else have rush me? >> Uh if I could just add um to what Dr. Hatter said. So, we were on a call earlier in the year with uh Senator Harkham. It was uh area superintendent uh board members. Um and we were not alone in our thought or our assessment. Uh several um district leadership um leaders had uh shared the same concern and there were a couple of districts uh who have bought a bus or two and they shared on the call how difficult it is to um find uh find them
074to be repaired in a quick turnaround time because those um mechanics are more specialized um and harder to find. So I think I think our our sentiment is shared across the board whether uh they have a vendor for transportation or they own their fleet. Um but of course change has to come you know at at the state level. So um we'll see with that. Um I had a question on um the tickets the uh for the uh bus stop signs. Do we have any data on if it's um is it a different group of people each month that are getting it or is it a consistent group that's getting multiple tickets? >> So, we don't have data specifically on how many repeat tickets were issued. Although that's a great question that I can ask Bus
075Patrol, which is a company that generates the well, they don't generate the tickets, but they generate this the citation to the Westchester County Police Department, and the police department generates the tickets. So, I don't have information on repeat offenders, but what we do know is that the the roadways, we we have the number of tickets issued by roadway and route 202. So, I I could I could speculate, but I won't. But Route 202, Route 35, and Underh Hill Avenue are I the vast majority of tickets are issued. the other locations within our town are almost like a handful or not even double digits but those three roads but I don't have the short answer to your question is I don't have data on repeat offenders but I can certainly ask to see if that data
076are those data are maintained >> and thank you for putting up the extra signs in those uh roads roadways where we are seeing the increased tickets so thank you for that yeah thank you >> Jack >> I have no comment at this Mike, >> Cheryl, >> nothing for me. >> Pete, >> I'm good. >> Um, I just want to follow up on Rashmi's question. Um, do we have an idea? I mean, because it's very concerning the number of tickets, right? That means that a child could be getting off a bus and someone is coming and and this could end tragically. >> Um, so I can't understand why someone can't stop for five seconds for a bus. But do we have a location on each of these roadways where it's happening more frequently? Like can YPD
077patrol that area? >> Yes. And and YPD has been so great. They they're just terrific partners and terrific um friends of our school district and we to them with regard to the short answer to your question is yes. So, for example, we know specifically how many tickets were issued at the 100 block of Underh Hill Avenue and how many were issued at the 2 to 300 area of Underh Hill Avenue. Route 202 is a little bit more challenging in terms of those data. But yes, I I will certainly follow up and and we have been in communication, but I'll certainly follow up with our our town PD and I'll also follow up with the highway superintendent because we to Rashmi's point, we did put up signs. So the school district bought signs and we have
078a great relationship with the town highway department and so we bought the signs, they put them up. We may need to purchase additional signage to really kind of communicate that you can't pass a school bus that has its lights flashing and stop arm extended. It's against the law. You will be ticketed. >> It means a child's coming out. It means coming out, >> right? I mean, I I don't understand it. >> And we've talked to our bus company as well. I I want to I want to make sure that we address the other side of it as well to ensure that the bus company and the the bus drivers are operating their vehicles safely and that it's not an abrupt push the red lights and and put the stop arm extended. So, we've had that
079conversation as well with our bus company just to ensure that everyone's doing their part, not just the drivers, not just the district, not just the bus company. we all need to do our part and so we have had that conversation with the bus company with regard to ensuring that the yellow flashers are going on first and then the red light you're slowing down and then the red light comes out. So we have had that just trying to ask everyone to act safely and responsibly and and that's what I wrote in our letter. It's for the safety of our children and our community. So everyone's should be working together for that. I just have one more question, >> of course. >> On the construction, you said that the buildings will be turned over um late July,
080early August. Is that um with interior furnishings like they're going to be ready for children those at that time? >> Yes. Yes, they'll be substantially completed. I'm sure we'll have some punch list items where things maybe that got damaged along the way that we'll have to repair. But yes, we'll have what's called substantial completion by the end of July, early August, which means we can begin moving in the furniture, moving in the teacher uh classroom supplies, decorating the bulletin boards, and all of the things that go with building a classroom. >> Um we'll move on to committee reports, audit. >> Sure. Um we have a meeting tomorrow at uh 5:30. Uh we are doing um the internal um audit uh report review for the payroll area and then we're also kicking off the external audit
081uh season with the external auditors um all for this school year. So that's tomorrow at 5:30 and I'll take the next one. AI we have a meeting tomorrow at 8:00. I think we have bookended the day um for our administrative team um and more to come on that after tomorrow's meeting. >> Thanks. Facilities. >> So Dr. Hatterder gave a great update already on the um projects that are underway. uh we continue to meet every two weeks and uh we are um aggressively pushing forward the calendar um to the next projects as these come to a conclusion. So everything is um on track. Uh we're clinging to our budget and hoping that uh we get a break somewhere along the way because we've had a few uh setbacks, but we're managing. So far so good. >>
082Thanks. in fiscal. >> As soon as the state decides what they're doing, we will have another fiscal advisory committee meeting and we'll discuss the ramifications of that. But until then, um we're we're in limbo. >> Thank you, Cheryl. Policy. >> Sure. We last met on May 7th. Uh we reviewed eight policies. Uh you'll see some of them on tonight's agenda um under first reads and adopts, first reads and a review. And we're next meeting on June 4th. Thank you. Okay, we'll move on to our policies. We have a first read and adopt motion to approve the first reading and adoption of policy 6640 inventories capitalization. >> So move >> second >> discussion. Um Dr. Hutter, we don't normally do first read and adopt at once. Why are we doing it with this policy? >> Yes.
083So I will share either Miss Ammerling or Miss San Philippo can provide additional details, but this has to do with a time frame that we're trying to meet with the state so that we can um notify them of a policy that they asked to be amended. So I'll turn it over to Miss San Philippo for that. >> Thank you. So yes, we recently had a um targeted review by the state of our title grants and um during that review they identified um some policies that they wanted updated. Specifically, this one was regarding um capitalization of assets that are purchased strictly with uh federal funds. So they wanted us to just make some of these changes. They gave us a oneweek deadline to implement them. So that is why we are doing a first read and
084adopt tonight. And again, it just applies specifically to capitalized assets purchased with federal funds, which is not a lot in our district. >> All right. All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? We'll move on to the first reads. The board will conduct a first read for the following policies. 5151, Education of Students in Temporary Housing and Unaccomp Unaccompanied Youth. 8131 epidemic and pandemic planning. Any questions or comments about those? Uh, and as Cheryl pointed out, the policy committee reviewed um the following policy with no changes. 2210 annual organizational meeting. Any questions or comments about that? All right, we'll move on to our consent agenda and that's items 11 through 15 on the agenda including board matters, personnel matters, business matters, uh pupil personnel service matters. Uh does it include? >> Yeah, it doesn't
085include grips. Yes, also gifts, grants, and donations. >> Um can I get a motion to approve? >> So move. >> Yeah. And I just wanted to note here that I'll have to recuse myself on the personnel agenda. That's the personnel agenda you're including in this cassette agenda. Correct. >> I'm going to recuse myself from that piece since I have a relative on the personnel agenda for tonight. >> Also, Dr. I think you wanted to make some comments. >> Yes. Um I do want to acknowledge in the audience we're appointing a flex path assistant principal. I see that Mr. Sean Campbell has joined us tonight. We welcome Shawn to our school district. Um I I know they're sad where he's leaving and that we stole him away, but we're happy to have Shawn here. A lot
086of experience in programs such as Flex Path and in special education, and we're delighted to have him join our team. So, I'm asking for your approval to authorize Sean's appointment tonight. Sean, thank you so much for being here with us tonight. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Congratulations. We'll move on to board comments. We'll start down there with Pete. >> Um just this is one of the more exciting nights when we get to honor the tenure recipients. Um you know, Dr. Hader, you put up there how uh what they have to do to to get granted tenure. And I really at times don't think people understand the rigor that goes into goes into it. And um they should all be proud. So, um, another great night. Thank you, >> Cheryl. >> I'll
087piggy back off of what Peter said. Um, he's he's so accurate in saying the rigor of not only the interview process, which is extremely rigorous. Um, I'm not sure it's the same in every district, but I know we have a very thorough screening process. Uh but then the probationary period for all of our educators, they they were able to, you know, build a sense of community and individuality and and instill confidence while knowing the curriculum and dive digging deep into it and knowing how to approach the delivery of curriculum to all learners. Um it's just such an amazing four, three or four years. Um this group wowed us and we expect and hope that they continue to wow us. That's our expectation here and that's typically what we see. So, I just want to say
088congratulations and thank you to those candidates and those um those that recipients tonight who um chose Yorktown as their home because we are better for all of you and we really appreciate the fact that you chose us. So, thank you and congratulations. >> Rashmi. >> Yeah, I just wanted to say congratulations to all our tenure recipients. Um like Peter said, the next couple of meetings are exciting ones because we recognize uh our school partners and then um anniversaries and uh retirements. So >> Jacqueline, >> like everybody else said, it was such a wonderful night. It was such a great representation from all of the schools also. And I think that everyone in the room, especially on the board, couldn't uh identify with at least one of the people receiving an award tonight as a personal
089impact to their life. So, congratulations to everybody and I can't wait to see what the next wave brings. >> Mike, >> uh yeah, congratulations to all of our um tenure recipients tonight. And um I I piggyback what Jacqueline just said. Uh I love seeing uh the family turnout and the school turnout uh in the audience and uh the support uh of all of their colleagues is really um what makes this place special. So, thank you to everyone. Yeah, I agree with you, Mike. The seeing the um the people from this the other their colleagues from the school here watching it, cheering. They're like we have little quiet high fives in the background. Um it really does speak a lot about our school district. So, congratulations to everyone and also congratulations to our administration. You have
090gone through three or four years depending um weeding out the best of the best and that's who's with us. So great job and congratulations. Dr. Hutter, anything? Miss Ammer and Miss Aleau, anything? Okay. Public comment number two of um can I have a motion to adjurnn? So move. >> All those in favor? I >> have a good night.