Board of Education Meeting June 3, 2026

001Uh good evening. This is a call to order for the East Aurora Union Free School District Board of Education meeting for June 3rd, 2026. Could you please uh join me in the pledge of allegiance? >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please have a seat. The superintendent anticipates entering executive session to discuss the following. Continuing negotiations with the EAFA, superintendent evaluation, matters relating to the possible promotion or discipline of five employees, matters protected by FURPA. May I have a motion? >> So move. >> Moved by Mr. Blauers. Second. >> Second by Mrs. Alice discussion all in favor >> opposed abstained passed 5. >> Good evening. Uh we are returning from

002executive session where we uh discuss continuing negotiations with the EAFA, the superintendent's evaluation, matters pertaining or matters relating to the possible promotion or discipline of five employees, matters protected by FURPA, and matters related to a particular corporation. there. Now it's on. Can you hear me? Um, do we have any agenda changes this evening? >> Uh, yes. We have one agenda change. Uh, we're going to be removing uh presentations 15A and 15B uh for item 8 immediately following our session. >> Thank you. Um, we're moving on to item five, which is the superintendent's art collection. >> Well, yes, today is a a really special day of celebrations. And so, we're going to kick it off with the superintendent's art collection. Each year, our art teachers select just one piece of art from all of the works

003that have been completed during the year. And, uh, each year I am completely blown away by the quality and the artistic um, creativity of our students. Uh, and this year is no exception. Uh, so at this time I'd like to turn it over to Mr. Van Orand who will uh lead us in the celebration. >> Hello. So this is uh one of the greatest nights uh for us art teachers. Uh you know the other being the art show which was a couple weeks ago. Uh and we did have these kind of there. You may have seen them preview. We didn't advertise them too. Uh so this is uh our opportunity to showcase the uh best of the best and um as uh Mr. Ross said uh we only get to choose one. Uh and uh

004I'd like to introduce our art department first. Um I'm up at the high school administrator. Mr. Kegler also up at the high school. Uh at the middle school uh Aaron Conlin and down at the elementary school Michelle White. Michelle White will lead us off and we'll work our way up to the high school. >> Thank you. Okay, tonight is my pleasure to introduce Maggie O' Conor. So, if Maggie could come on up. I see. This is Maggie's of wisdom and Maggie's in fourth grade. Just an incredible art student. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Everything that she has worked on this year has just been phenomenal. You give her an assignment and she goes right to work and her sense of design and color and balance and attention is just commendable. So, I asked her this morning

005if she wanted to talk a little bit about her piece. So, we'll see if she still wants to. She was going to explain a little bit about how she made her tree. So, Maggie, you want to go ahead? >> Okay. So, um I started out with a background and I used chalk to do it. And I used Sharpie to do the tree and the branches. And I used metallic paint to um like the um the outline on the like branches and swirls. And I added a pattern tree. I don't know. Hi, my student who created this artwork is Holly Cheddy. She unfortunately cannot be here tonight, but she is an exceptional student both in character and talent. Um so this vibrant um very interesting piece is inspired by something called neurographic art. So um what

006actually this started with just a single pencil line while we were listening to music um instrumental classical music in class um and she created a single line and as the lines started to kind of flow and intersect she took an ink marker and um deliberately decided to thicken some lines and shapes. So these interesting organic shapes and um kind of thicker and thinner lines contrasting um came to be. And then each student including Holly chose a specific um color scheme that interested them and she used watercolor paint and watercolor pencils to fill in each of the organic shapes. So each student also completes an artist statement. Um, so Holly did also get to name this piece and um, just describe a little bit about what she learned while working on it. So um, yeah, this

007is just an incredible piece and I was very proud to select Holly for my first superintendent collection winner. >> Good evening everyone. Uh, once again thank you for coming. This is, as Mr. Vanstrand mentioned, uh, a very special night for us, art, our teachers. Um, we have literally hundreds of artwork, pieces of art that go through our eyes over the year. So, it's very difficult, but we start our our search early. Um, I made my decision 2 days before the deadline. Um, I had my eye on Lola. That's right. Governor. So I wanted to >> Oh my god. Um but I felt that a larger rendition for the halls would do it more justice. Um but I had her bring the the original just because it's it's much more special in person. So that's going

008to grace our halls. So a little bit about Lola. Um I've had Lola in animation, cartoony, drawing and painting. So three classes in just this year. Correct. Um so what sets her apart not only is her artistic skill and vision is um she is very self-critical but in a good way. Um when she is making a piece of art, she's doesn't hesitate to um ask not only myself but also her peers and get a good conversation going as to how it can be improved. Um so that's very commendable. Um little bit about plans. uh going to Japan this summer at Temple University to do some summer workshops in the arts and considering that as a potential place of study in the future. So, uh and I have the pleasure of having Lola in AP art

009next year, which I'm looking forward to pushing her harder. So, maybe you can talk a little bit about >> So, this was my first oil painting that I've ever done fully. Uh besides that, we were just working on like spheres and stuff, but I fell in love with the medium immediately. It's just so freeing and you really can't mess it up. And once what you said, I am very hard on myself when I do these. But the good thing about this is I can go over it as many times as I want and make them look how I want it to. So this was a still life project we did and I just took objects from my house as well as in the classroom. And I like to make mine a little more abstract and

010free so I can express myself within my art no matter what it is. >> CONGRATULATIONS. I just commissioned last year to make stuff after my student. HELLO. who was my student every year of her high school uh career era. Started off in studio, then she took ceramics and didn't get enough of advanced ceramics, so she took it yet again. And uh her her work is phenomenal. Um what's really great is when uh I I noticed her in uh studio, I immediately saw her illustrative qualities uh that that she uh possessed. And throughout the ceramics, she found a way for that skill to synthesize with uh the medium of of clay. And uh you may have noticed last year, if you paid attention at the uh um art show, she had a a mug with uh

011you know, a fish on it that she made for her father, which I would have loved to uh uh you know, have uh in in the collection. Um but he he wanted that. So uh so this this year uh she made uh this for us. >> So you want to talk a little bit about your process or >> Sure. So like he said I really found kind of like my niche with like painting on the ceramics. So I use underlays which is kind of like watercolorish. And so I basically just like paint on the ceramics. I also like like he said I did ceramics one and then twice and so last year I really focused on like perfecting throwing and then as like following that I realized I could paint on it. So I would

012basically just draw with pencil and then just paint on it and it's kind of hard because there's not a lot of color variety with the underglaze. So I kind of had to do it what I what I could. So that's why this is kind of more of a monochrome um design but The underglaze does do this weird thing when you put glaze on top of it. So, in order for it to be watertight, you put the glaze on top of the underglaze and uh sometimes those uh colors will change a little bit. So, she had to use her experience uh from previous uh attempts to um to uh get the colors that she wanted. So it was it was really quite technically uh advanced which uh for all her technical skills uh this this is

013going to be a knock Thank you very much. You're on your So you might wonder what happens to these. Usually uh they go to the front office for the first year and then they go out in the halls after that. Get this up here for All right. Yeah, again, congratulations to all those who were selected. Um, you can see their artwork is really quite extraordinary. A lot of effort and hard work and we're just so grateful. and as a superintendent. I love this day because we get to add four new pieces and they really are just uh quite exceptional. So, congratulations again. Um next up is our retirement celebration. So, this time of year is always a little bit sweet. Uh and this year we have 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 eight retirees.

014So, it's a big year for retirements. And um this group is again just a extraordinary group of people that have served the district in so many different ways for so many years. Um and so we're really just want to say thank you and how grateful we are for the differences that you've made in our students. Your um time, attention, your hard work, the dedication that you show every single day has really truly made a difference. And that's the one thing I always say about this profession. at the end you can kind of look back and say I've done something right I left the world a better place and you certainly have done that you know just really really >> exceptional group so um we're going to we're going to honor each one of you um

015one at a time and so first up is Mr. Roberts who will recognize uh Carrie Allen Uh, first of all, congratulations to all of the superintendent art collection uh uh winners and uh looking forward to having some of these on our walls at the high school. So tonight, uh, I have the privilege of celebrating someone whose impact at Eastor High School extends far beyond the walls of the health office. Back in the year 2000, Carrie Allen, you feel like you should be standing here, but I know you don't, joined our school community as our school nurse. Over the past 25 plus years, she has become much more than that. She served as a student mentor program coordinator, a valued member of our student support team, and most importantly, a trusted source of care, comfort, and

016support for countless students, staff, and families. When people think of the school nurse, they often think about uh band-aids and ice packs and medication. Uh, but anyone who has worked alongside Carrie knows that her role has always been much bigger than that. She's been a listener, a problem solver, an advocate, a mentor, and a calming presence during challenging moments. And I've been a part of those many times with you. Carrie has an incredible ability to make people feel better, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Students felt safer knowing she was here. So did I. Staff felt supported knowing they could count on her. And families trusted her because they knew she cared. Throughout her career, Carrie has experienced it all. The good, the bad, and yes, sometimes the ugly. Some memories popular, right? Through

017every challenging, every challenge, she remained steady, confident, compassionate, and professional. No matter what was happening around her, she brought a sense of calm that reassured everyone that things would be okay. I thought one of her colleagues said it best. After I told the colleague that this was not a roast tonight, that colleague commented with, "Over the years, Carrie has been so much more than our school nurse. She's been a trusted colleague, a confident, and most importantly, a wonderful friend to so many of us. What truly stands out about Carrie is her heart. She's one of the kindest people you will ever meet and someone who has always been there for those around her. No matter how busy the day was or how much was going on, students and colleagues alike uh could walk into her

018office knowing that she they would be welcomed, cared for, and supported. Carrie treated everyone with patience, compassion, and respect. Even on the most challenging days, she made people feel seen, heard, and valued. she will be missed. On a personal note, I've had the privilege of working alongside her for 25 years. It's hard to believe how quickly that time has passed, especially this year. In fact, throughout the entire school year, every time I have seen Carrie, who I affectionately call nursy, I've asked her not to leave. And unfortunately for me, as you can tell by being here tonight, she has not changed her mind. While uh we are sad to see her retire, we're incredibly grateful for everything she has given our school, the students she's helped, the colleagues she supported, and the lives she's touched

019are all part of the legacy that will remain long after her final day. As she begins her next chapter, we wish her happiness, relaxation, adventure, and the joy that retirement can bring. She is certainly your Congratulations. Are you sure? Um, next is unfortunately Suzanne Sadfeld um could not be here with us tonight, but Mr. Roberts would like to share a few words at this time. >> Sorry about that. Hope you can hear me. Um, so just just briefly because um I I know Suzanne would not want me to say all that much about her. Um, but she started at the um high school back in 2007. Um, but um I I really feel in 2018 when she joined us in the main office that that's where she hit her stride. Uh I think there's a

020lot of people out in the audience today who interacted with Suzanne whether it was on the phone or in person. And uh and I will say that she was um the heartbeat of Easter High School. Uh everyone felt uh that uh they were the most important thing uh in that school when she interacted with them. And uh she retired mid year this year. We've we've missed her. She's irreplaceable. Uh but we appreciate the time that we had with her. We wish her the best of luck in her retirement with her grandbaby. And um if you see her, please make sure that you extend uh the thanks uh as um as we all um should do that because she she deserves it and the effort that she put in each and every day. Oh, hello Scowski

021family guys. Oh, hide. Sorry, I shouldn't say. So, congratulations to Suzanne ON HER RETURN. UM BEFORE I MOVE ON to our our retiree, I just want to say um owe uh Susanna a debt of gratitude. For 16 years, I've been doing graduation and she coordinates the whole event and it was um like flawless. Uh it was never an issue. hundreds of students and the coordination is incredibly involved and it went off without a trick because she was so excellent and calm and verbal in her class. So, um Suzanne, we miss you and we wish you well. So, next up is Mrs. Panto who will be recognizing Pathella. So Pat Fiorella joined Parkdale in 1996 as our senior clerk typus and for nearly n uh 30 years she's been a constant presence, a trusted colleague, and

022truly the heart of the front office. Um if you've ever called Parkdale, chances are Pat was the first voice that you heard. She mastered the art of screening calls with professionalism and grace. And let's be honest, Pat knew who needed to get through, who could wait, and who could perhaps try again later. Whether it was supporting staff, welcoming families, solving problems, or managing the helpless details of keeping uh an office running smoothly, Pat handled it all with dedication and care. And then there was substitute finding. Anyone who's worked in a school knows that finding coverage can sometimes feel impossible. Yet somehow Pat always knew a way around it. No matter how challenging things looked at 7:30 in the morning, by the end of the day, every single class was covered. Pat carried herself with a

023level of poise and etiquette that reminded many of us of Queen Elizabeth II. She was calm, composed, and unshaking no matter what challenge landed on her desk. But beneath that polished exterior was also one of Parkdale's and Easter, might I add, most legendary pranksters. Yes, Pat has helped orchestrate some of the most memorable office pranks over the past year, reminding us very often that schools are not just about hard work. They're also about laughter, joy, and relationships. In the main office, we all have spirit animals that symbolize the role we play on our very important team. Pat's spirit animal is a bird, and it couldn't be more fitting. She's always been observant, dependable, and aware of everything that's happening around her. Like a bird soaring above, she could see the bigger picture while swooping in

024and exactly knowing exactly when the help was needed. She anticipated a lot of needs before others even realized they existed and brought stability, comfort, and reassurance to our entire school community. On a personal note, I'll never forget my very first year in East Aurora. It was probably one of my most difficult years. I was adjusting to a new district, a new city. I had a car accident on the very first week of school. I faced an unanticipated hospitalization of my child. At the same time, the school was navigating year two of co. Through it all, Pat was my crutch. We spent countless hours solving problems, figuring things out together, and when things felt overwhelming, she always provided a calm perspective and unwavering support. She always reminded me that no matter how difficult things may seem,

025we would always find a solution. Pat, your legend, your legacy is not just the work you've accomplished, but the relationships you've built and the lives you've touched. Generations of students, families, teachers, staff members, and administrators have benefited from your kindness, your professionalism, and your willingness to always go above and beyond. As you spread your wings and begin the next adventure, we hope that you enjoy miles riding on your bike with John, of course, time in your garden, afternoon baking, and and of course trips to uh Virginia, Charleston, and Nashville to visit your friends and family. And we hope you have a lot of time to spoil your beloved granddogs. Thank you for everything that you've given to Parkdale for the past 30 years. Thank you for your friendship, your loyalty, your humor, unwing unwavering dedication

026to this school community. Congratulations on your retirement. We wish you happiness, health, adventure, and joy. And please be sure to sign up on the substitute list. Congratulations. Heat. Heat. Ready. 1 2 3. Next up is Mrs. Cook who will recognize Linda Marco. >> Good evening. Tonight we have the bittersweet privilege of celebrating the retirement of a true cornerstone of Parkdale Elementary School, our reading specialist, Linda Marco. They say time flies when you're making a difference, and Linda is living proof of that. Her journey with us started back in 2007 as a part-time writing teacher. Clearly, we knew a good thing when we saw it because by 2008, she was hired full-time, serving both Parkdale and what was back then Main Street Elementary. Fortunately for us, she permanently embedded herself into the very fabric of Parkdale

027in 2009, and she has been an anchor her ever since. Today, we're gathered to celebrate a woman who has spent her career turning I can't into I can't for countless children. When I asked some of Linda's longtime colleagues at Parkdale to describe her approach to teaching, a few specific words came up repeatedly. Consate, expert, research-based, dedicated, skilled. But perhaps the phrase that captures her essence best is a genuine love for her students. Linda doesn't just teach reading, she unlocks it. She has a unique gift. She takes the students who are struggling the most, the ones who feel like reading is a mountain they will never climb, and she walks with them until they reach the top. Her colleagues note that Linda will keep teaching, adapting, and pivoting until a breakthrough happens. She pairs a massive

028depth of scientific expertise with a level of patience that standard science honestly cannot explain. Because of that powerful combination, when a child is done working with Laura, they're no longer a struggling reader. They are proudly a successful reader. She is an educator who truly believes every single child can succeed. To her fellow teachers, Linda has been so much more than just a reading specialist. She has been a voice of sanity. Whether it's offering an insightful research suggestion, navigating the wild frontier of kindergarten and home learning, or just being a calm presence on a chaotic day, she has ridden the waves of elementary school life right alongside her team. We are deeply going to miss her unwavering professionalism, calm demeanor, and the brilliant so-called under the radar sense of humor. Linda's immense impact is built on

029the deep personal connections she makes. For instance, she famously brought joy and wagging tails into the building on special reading days with her therapy trained dogs Aurora and Kappa. Let's be honest, competing with a dog for a child's attention is nearly impossible. But Linda used them to create a safe, magical environment where even the most hesitant readers felt confident and excited. Now, Linda, your colleague shared a few stories with me to prepare for tonight, which means I'm obligated to bring them up. Um, your late August anxiety dreams specifically. Uh, most teachers for dream that they're forgetting their lesson plans on the first day of school. But according to your colleagues, you once dreamt that you were literally carving a tunnel through the back wall, um, brick wall that is, of your classroom so you can

030have a window. No, that's dedication to the pleasant learning environment. But perhaps the most legendary story involves a certain former student back when he was in kindergarten. I think he called you babe. Whether he forgot your name or just decided it was your official new title, uh the name seemed to stick. And the most beautiful part of that story isn't just the hilarious nickname. It's the fact that even now that struggling student um who is now soaring regularly detours to her room just to get a warming pep talk or start his day right. That is the permanent mark Linda leaves on a heart. >> So what does the future hold for Linda? We asked her colleagues to predict her retirement style. Specifically what she'll be doing on the very first Monday after Labor Day when

031the rest of us are running on caffeine and chaos. The consensus was unanimous. While we're trying to explain cafeteria rules to seven-year-olds, Belinda will be out in the fresh air on a beautiful, peaceful morning hike, training and walking Aurora and Catla and enjoying the great outdoors. She might even send the staff a text to wish us a great day while she's out enjoying the sunshine. And honestly, she has earned every single bit of that peace. Linda, thank you for your humor, your patience, your expertise, and genuine love for your students. We will miss you every single day, but we are so incredibly happy to see you trade your classroom for the hiking trails. Please join us in honoring Linda Merkel for a career beautifully spent and a retirement filled with wagging tales, long hikes, and

032absolutely no more tunnels needed for a view. King. Next up is Mr. Lombardo, who will recognize Walt McGloin. It's not a roast. >> Spoken like someone who's known me for a long time. We just want to recognize and celebrate a person who has left an really a huge mark um and also leaves a huge hole on East schools and our community with MLAN who graduated Easter in the early 1980s to retiring in 2026. Walt has devoted more than parts of four decades to East Aurora. During this time he has accumulated more state championships than any individual in East history. And while we'll certainly talk about those accomplishments in a second, Walt's contributions extend far beyond trophies, banners, and championships plaques. The people who have worked alongside Walt each have their own memories and traditions they

033were they will miss. Mrs. Mati will undoubtedly miss the surprise deliveries of donuts and coffee and remains optimistic that retirement will not end that tradition. Mrs. Rabby probably has more stories about Walt than anyone else, including a few that we are not going to share. Walt, no roasting allowed. as she was as she went from student and athlete to colleague and friend. Now, let's think about that for a moment. How long do you have to be around and how impactful do you have to be for your former students and athletes to become your longtime co-workers? That speaks volumes about the longevity of Walt's influence. Throughout his career, Walt has been a fixture in both our middle school and high school gyms, and generation of Easter students recognize him throughout our community. His presence, consistency, and

034commitment have made him one of the most recognizable and respected figures our district has ever known. As remarkable as his teaching career has been, anyone knows Walt understands that coaching has always been a special passion. I've had the privilege of accompanying Walt to numerous section 6 recognition ceremonies honoring state champions. Whenever we attend those events, I often find myself making the same observation. I hope that when I reach the end of my career, I have half the passion for one thing that Walt has for coaching. When Walt was on a cross country course for standing beside a track, I am not sure he has ever considered at work. Just last week, Easter hosted the ECIC championships, the largest track meet in Western New York, and as well as the section 6 class B team championships.

035Between the setup, management, and terror of those events, there was no surge of work to be done. Yet, every time he looked over a wall, it was clear there was nowhere else he would rather be. There has arguably never been a better distance coach in Western New York history, and that success begins and ends with his passion for the sport. But there is another passion that has always been equally important to W, his family. Many of us have heard stories of his children growing up alongside the program, running with teams from a young age and becoming part of the fabric of the Eastore cross country and track programs. Walt didn't just coach teams. He made them part of his extended family. He welcomed athletes into his life and created an environment where they knew they

036mattered. I've always believed that athletes perform at their highest level when they can answer one simple question. Does my coach care for me? From the very first day an athlete joined one of Walt's teams, the answer to that question was always clear. His athletes knew he cared. The results speak for themselves. Walt's cross country teams achieved a level of sustained excellence that is virtually unprecedented. They knew this was going to take a while. 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. Those were the years the girls captured the state cross country titles. 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2023, 2024, and 2025 are the boy state titles. Notice the ones in the 20s. He hasn't fall off as some coaches do. He has simply gotten better. And if one were standing here

037giving this speech himself, he would certain to remind us that he was also a member of the Easter's first ever state championship cross country team in 1981. Those accomplishments are extraordinary. Yet what makes truly special is that championships are only part of his legacy. His real legacy is found in the thousands of student athletes whose lives he influenced, encouraged, challenged, and inspired over the course of his career, including the ones that realized afterwards how much they respected and needed his lessons. While we are fortunate that Walt will continue coaching tonight, we thank him for his decades of service to East as a student, teacher, mentor, coach, colleague, and role model. On behalf of the East School District, thank you, Walt, for everything you have given this community. Congratulations on your retirement. You will be deeply

038missed and your impact will be felt for generations to come. >> He doesn't have a hat on. I don't recognize her. Um, next up again is Mr. Lombardo who will introduce um, Sandy Taro. I was hoping I had a break. Tonight we have the privilege of recognizing the retirement of Sandy Tadara who after 22 years of dedicated service at Park Elementary is concluding an extraordinary career with Easter school district. our second school nurse and makes me makes breaks my heart a little bit with what what we need to fill over the next little bit. For more than two decades, Sandy has been a constant presence at Parkdale, a familiar face that generations of students have remembered long after leaving elementary school. In fact, during our annual senior walks through Parkdale, Sandy is often one of

039the staff members that graduating seniors have see out and talk about afterwards. That speaks volumes about the impact she has had on the lives of our students. The work of the school nurse is unseen by many. The vaccination records, registrations, daily medications, health plans, and countless demands of each day require tremendous organization, expertise, and patience. Yet, no matter how busy the day was, Sy's always met those same demands with the response. Whenever I was down there and asked, "Hey, how are you doing today? I'm good." Sometimes she would look up from her desk, give me the eye, and go, "I'm busy." Positivity, warmth, and compassion became hallmarks of her career. Samuel possessed exactly the qualities you hope for in an elementary nurse. She was welcoming, kind, reassuring, and deeply caring. She was often the person

040children needing most in a moment of fear, discomfort, or uncertainty. Her principal, Tahani Pinto, captures Sy's impact perfectly. Sy's greatest gift has always been the relationship she built with students, families, and staff. She knew our students not just by name, but by their stories, their personalities, and welcome to feel safe and cared for. She had a way of turning the most dramatic kindergarten recess into a manageable moment, offering a band-aid, a comforting smile, and just the right words to help a student feel brave again. In a school of more than 700 students, Sandy built meaningful relationships that made everyone feel supported and valued. At the same time, she was a master multitasker, seamlessly balancing the countless health, safety, and medical responsibilities that keep a school running smoothly. Her compassion, professionalism, and dedication have left a

041lasting impact on Parkdale, and she will be greatly missed. I cannot agree more with Tahan's words. I would also add that Sy's impact impact extended well beyond the walls of Parkdale. She has been a trusted colleague and source of support for our nurses throughout our district. She has shared knowledge, offered advice, listened to peers, and provided a steady presence in a profession where every day can bring something unexpected. Her willingness to support others has strengthened not only her building, but our entire nursing team. As much as Sandy has cared for the children, families, and staff of East Aurora, one thing has become especially clear in our recent conversations. Her greatest joy is her family. The pride and excitement she speaks when talking about her children and new grandchildren is impossible to miss. Sandy, while we

042certainly miss you, we are so happy that retirement will allow you to spend more time doing exactly what you love most, making memories with your growing family. On behalf of everyone here, our students, families, staff, the entire East community, thank you for your 22 years of dedication, compassion, and service. The impact of your work has been felt throughout our district, not just at Parkdale, and your legacy will continue to honor your final day. Congratulations and good luck on this next wonderful CHAPTER MONITORS. Next up is Mrs. Pantoa who will recognize Michelle White. So Michelle does not like being the center of attention. So um one of her favors that she asks is to be very brief. So, um, Michelle began her career in East Aurora in October of 2000 after three years in Victor Central

043School District as our art teacher. Throughout her time at Parkdale, she led the art program with so much creativity, passion, truly setting the standard for primary art education and inspiring young generations of artist like Maggie O' Conor. She's one of our students being recognized today. And I asked her for a little information about her art teacher. She captured it perfectly. Miss White is super kind, cares about us, and she's a great art teacher. Her c close colleague Colleen shared that we've had the good fortune to experience the talent and devotion of Michelle. Her work is undeniable when you walk through our halls and see the accomplishments of her our students under her direction. Her work is amazing. And I know that as she begins retirement, she will be doing a lot of hiking. She will

044be doing a lot of gardening. This is going to tackle some of those really important projects that she has um including landscaping and spending time with her son, River. Uh we congratulate Michelle and thank her for many years of inspiring creativity at Parkdale. 1 2 3. Thank you. OKAY. NEXT UP is Mr. Brown who will recognize Sharon Zoski. >> No. All right, before I begin about Sharon, I just want to give my congratulations to all the retirees. Many of you uh through my journey over the past 22 years here in the district has been with many of you. Um and I' I can think of a fond memory um with every single one of you. So, I just want to wish you all congratulations. Uh we're going to miss you. But now we're going to

045talk about an incredible educator, a wonderful colleague, mentor to many, many people, and a friend to all of us here at the middle school and honestly in the district. Sharon Zack Rosepski aka Zack or Mrs. Zack. Um, I don't think all of her students even know the full name because she's just Mrs. Zack to all of us. Sharon's journey with our district began in September of 1998 when she was hired as a long-term substitute. Fortunately for all of us, she was a very good long-term substitute. And that following year, the district hired her immediately as a sixth grade teacher. Over the years, she has left her mark on countless of students that she has taught as she taught sixth grade and then she taught fifth grade and then she went back to sixth grade and

046then she went to fourth grade and had her journey at Hartell and then she came back to her home and what we believe was her passion of teaching fifth grade science and math. While Sharon's classroom accomplishments were impressive, anyone who has worked with her knows that she is way more than a teacher. For nearly three decades, she has shared her passions. She is a passion sharer with her students. She has fostered creativity and curiosity and a lot of enthusiasm within her classroom that have touched hundreds and thousands of students over the years. I wasn't sure if it was hundreds or thousands. I'm going to guess probably. She has a unique ability to make learning fun and come alive. And she has always inspired her students to explore the real world. She takes her students outside

047the Explorers Club. They're doing all kinds of things to make learning come to life. One of the most beloved members of our school community has been Darwin. Darwin is her tortoise and he has been a middle school favorite. For me personally, I love having meetings in Sharon's room and you hear the little munching of the lettuce and or you forget something's over there and there's just constant movement and you feel like you're being spied on, but it's really just been just a symbol of of Sharon's love for bringing that that life and that creativity into her classroom. Throughout her career, Sharon has consistently stepped forward to serve both students and oftentimes staff in countless ways. She's been an advisory member as a grade level leader for the past several years. She's been a peer mentor,

048a publications adviser, a student council adviser, the Explorers Club adviser, and an active and influential member of the grading team. And in every single role she has taken on, she's brought thoughtful leadership and a commitment to making our school a better place. One of our core values is that continued improvement. And Sharon is a prime prime example of that. But perhaps one of Sharon's greatest gifts has been reminding us that school should be a place of joy. Her students learn science but and math, but they also learn the importance of laughter, relationships, and not taking life too seriously. Anyone who has worked alongside Sharon knows that she never misses an opportunity for a good class prank. We could ask Mr. DS to go into detail, but we won't do that tonight. Especially when Mr. Dins

049was involved, you never knew what was going to happen. Sharon understood something important that kids learn best when they feel connected. when they are engaged and they feel happy. She showed her students that hard work and fun do go hand in hand. What truly set Sharon apart is the impact she has had on people. She has mentored new teachers. I think I went through and counted and I believe it was at six um but possibly more new teachers that Sharon has mentored over the years. And that's not an accident. Usually when we have new hires, we talk about who is someone that we want leading these people and and showing them what it's like to be here at the middle school. And Sharon was often the first one on the list. She's also in uh

050supported her colleagues and advocated for students and helped change and shape the culture of our entire school, especially through her active role in our student behavior team, which has really embraced positive behaviors and our new web program. insurance has been instrumental on that team. Her dedication, professionalism, her sense of humor and willingness to share her expertise have made her a very, very trusted and respected voice within our school. Her influence will continue to be felt long after she is gone. For me personally, I will miss the Survivor conversations. Sharon and I might be two of the only people left that are addicted and obsessed with Survivor. I've never missed one episode through season 50. And Sharon and I, we'd always be the first thing we would ever say to each other is, "Did you watch?"

051because you could not let uh her know or she would not let me know who was was voted off the island. But the other thing I'll miss about Sharon is all of our conversations, whether we were talking about students, um whether we were talking about school, they always had a personal connection as well. There was always how is your family, how are your kids? Um, she would always talk about her daughters and share stories. So, there's always more to life with Sharon than just educating. It was always personal. As Sharon begins this chapter, we hope that it's filled with all the things that she loves most. We all know that she's looking forward to spending more time with her husband, Jeff Proes. I mean, Darwin or sorry, he she even made him dress up like

052the host of Survivor one year. I'm very excited. >> And she has, you know, her sorry, her wonderful daughters um and their families that she absolutely adores and I know she's very very proud of them. But after nearly three decades of giving so much to her to her students, giving so much to her colleagues and the entire school community, it's welld deserved that she's going to take more time for herself and her family. Sharon, we'd like to thank you for 28 years of dedication, your leadership, laughter, and service to our students and our schools. Thank you for sharing your passion, your wisdom, and your heart with all the students and staff. Thank you for reminding us that learning should be meaningful, relationships do matter, and that fun can go a long way. While we will

053certainly miss you in the hallways, your legacy will remain a part of this school community for years to come. On behalf of your colleagues, your former students, and the entire school community, congratulations on your retirement. We wish you happiness, good health, wonderful adventures, lots of survivor shows, and countless special memories with the people you love most. I haven't talked to America. Heat. Heat. Well, our celebration continues for just a few more minutes. So, I thank everyone for bearing with us cuz like I said, we had a lot to celebrate this year and just really grateful for for everyone who's here today with us. Um, and I'd like to begin by by thanking our two um, student exeicio board members. Um, this is the first year that school districts across New York State had students had

054students sit on the board um, as members and I can't think of two young men who could have done a finer job than Aiden and and Charlie. They just have been an exceptional addition uh, to the board. um bringing many uh great ideas and thoughts and experiences of the students to the board for us to think about. Um their ideas and thoughts have been at the forefront of our discussions as we've gone through some challenging times this year. Um but again, uh Aiden and Charlie, Charlie unfortunately couldn't be here with us. He's prepping for a big lacrosse match tomorrow. The regional match is tomorrow because they won the section uh just a few days ago. And so he couldn't be with us tonight. But uh these two young men are as good as they get

055and I couldn't be more proud of the work that they've done and more thankful for them taking the time to be here each and every meeting. There's a lot of meetings probably somewhere around 20 meetings a year and they showed up and and they did an excellent job. So we're so grateful uh for the work that you've done and you've set a high standard for the people are going to follow you next year. So we just want to say thank you for everything that you've done for us. And then next, I'd like to take a moment to uh recognize Judy Malice, uh who um came back out of retirement. Judy served the board for many, many years, and uh we had a board member leave in January, and she so graciously stepped up to finish

056the year for us. and we are very grateful that she did. Judy brings um gosh a a history and a career in teaching uh and then as a board member so her thoughts and ideas always move us forward and we are so grateful that she took the time again out of her schedule to be here uh during a very difficult budget season and again I think a lot of her history and experiences uh really helped us to get through the process. So Judy, thank you again for being here and for everything that you've done for our school district and the teacher and this board member. YOU'RE VERY excited and I'd like to welcome our newest board member, Joanne Ryan. We're really grateful that you have taken uh the chance to to join us uh being

057a board member. It's a lot of work and um a lot of meetings, lots of things to decide. Um the direction for our students, the direction for the school district in general, finances, education, curriculum, instruction, all the stuff that they have to deal with. And so taking the job on is is not easy. And so we're really grateful that you stepped up and you're willing to put the time and and effort. And of course, Joanne was a teacher for how many? 36 >> 36 years in the district. So, she's very familiar with many of our staff members and many of the things that we do here. So, we're just very grateful to have you with us. Congratulations. >> Thank you. We're moving on. Moving on to item seven, instruction and new hire tenure. Uh a

058approved tenure recommendation. The superintendent recommends that the board of education grant tenure to Chelsea Skullski 1.0 FTE administrator at the high school in the area of assistant principal prek12 anticipated effective September 19th 2026. May I have a motion? So moved >> by Mr. Brunson >> seconded >> by Dr. and proa discussion. All those in favor >> I opposed abstain pass to say a few words. Um we're so grateful to have Miss Gowski with us um as assistant principal of high school over the last 40 years. She's just done an exceptional job connecting with our students. Um being a great partner for Mr. Roberts. Uh is somebody who I rely on for um insight and thought especially with those most difficult situations. Uh she has particular expertise at helping students working through uh difficult and challenging

059times. Uh so she's been an incredible addition to our team and her two little ones are celebrating right now and so we have to welcome them and her husband Nick who are here to celebrate with her. SO CONGRATULATIONS also screaming and had to exit the board meeting. best four years of my career and I'm looking forward to >> moving on to 7B. Approve appointment of probationary physical education and health teacher. The superintendent recommends that the board of education approve the appointment of John Okma to a pro probationary 1.0 O FTE position within the tenure areas of physical education and health education at the middle school beginning on September 1st, 2026 as detailed in your agenda. May I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Moved by Mrs. Malice. Second. >> Second by Mrs. Uh >>

060doing the full name. Discussion. >> Uh all those in favor? >> Opposed? >> Abstain. >> Pass. 6. and to 7 C approvement of 1.0 FT probationary art teacher. The superintendent recommends that the board of education approve the appointment of Kristen Adolf to a probationary 1.0 FTE position within the tenure areas of art education at Fortale meeting on September 1st, 2026 as detailed in your agenda. May I have a motion? Let me do it. >> Moved by Mr. Blau. Second. Second by Dr. Proa. Discussion. >> All those in favor? >> Opposed? Abstain. Passed. 6. >> Welcome John and Kristen to the team. We're really excited to have you get started in the fall. Uh, and at this time, thank you for being so patient, but now it's time for our reception. So, we have some cupcakes.

061>> Uh, and can I also ask just a gather maybe over here for a little picture. Great to see you this evening. Thank you for coming out and celebrating. We wish, but unfortunately, we have to keep moving because we have some people waiting to give us presentations. Yeah, I guess >> we are going to move um >> over to item 15 E, which is the transportation efficiency review with first students. Um and that's going to be right now. >> Mr. Graham, can you hear us? Okay. >> I I I can hear it. There would have to be a a folk speaking in the meeting or our goal. >> Okay. If you are okay with the out mute on our end so our noise doesn't interrupt you. Okay. >> Okay. >> And then you just do

062your presentation. >> Okay. Okay. Great. Um thank you uh all uh for having me this evening. Um I'm Colton Graham. I'm the director of routing for first student. Um, and I have with me are the local operations uh team from Eora. Uh, Rob Hmel and Sandra Carney and uh, Deb Ty are also on the line. Uh, I've spent uh, the last uh, few weeks you look at your routes um, you know, to gauge efficiency and see what sort of opportunity might be uh, for savings. And uh tonight is a a kind of a brief review of of my finding and a um uh a longer presentation uh with superintendent um or so ago um and then we kind of abbreviated this down so that u to uh to your time. Um so before I I

063jump in I will just um give you a a transportation a school transportation axiom essentially on efficiency and that a a an efficient bus route will either consume all of its available seat or all of its available time. It it's an efficient run and most districts have one constraint or the other. they either run out of time before they run out of seats or able to utilize all their seats. Uh mostly in a a district with a single bell schedule would be someone that might do that in a tier district such as yourselves where you double routes. Um you're constrained by time. So let's see if I can get this to my camera. Okay. So essentially what we found is that uh time and and not seats really are the constraining factor in East Aurora

064transportation and the uh time period that is key is delivering the middle school and high school kids home uh in the PM and then getting to Parkdale uh by the time they release. um we only have about a 40m minute in that bell window and then you also have to drive you know from the end of your high school middle school route to Park Dale also in that in that 40 minutes. When we examined uh how unused time there were uh among all the high school middle school runs which is is that constraint there was essentially 61 minutes across all 16 routes. So on average 4 minutes uh per route which in in you know EG efficiency that's actually you know is use uh you see only 4 minutes left over across uh each route.

065However some routes that had you know as much as 15 minutes and some that had zero. So uh we did see what we might be able to do with that. um we collected ridership uh in the runs and it was once we had that wrership particularly at the middle school and high school level that we opportunities uh on some really uh low ridership runs. So basically, you know, getting those counts and then uh looking at the runs that had some available time, we're able to consolidate one middle school or high school run and then uh follow that with one bill run, which those can be longer because they're in the last uh uh tier in the afternoon and so you know they're not constrained by that same uh 354 minute um time frame. So with

066the the the current constraints, we were able to uh consolidate one run um based on again on looking at those uh some low ridership runs in the city uh with the high school and middle school. Once we had uh uh taken out that one run, there was not uh enough time to consolidate any other runs. We did a couple of tests and they basically would arrive at the park uh quite late, you know, 15 minutes or or or more um in the additional consolidations. So that kind of brings us to our last point is if you have more time uh you can fill up more seats and so again we see opportunity to consolidate uh some more runs if more time uh and we could be on time to park it. Um our estimate is

067about three minutes more bell gap uh between the middle and the uh middle high and the elementary uh would save another run and I you know discussed that with the local operations with the government and and we uh confident that that's that's something that that would be available that okay this is just uh just illustrating the middle schedule, what what that issue is. And and you can kind of see essentially all the buses uh depart from the middle school, go to the high school, and then they the students home from there. So, they're all basically leaving at 2:45, and then they have to be at Parkdale at 3:25. They have 40 minutes to essentially drop all their high school, middle school, uh students and get over to Parkdale on time. And this is that 40-minute

068constraint. And and you can see in the morning, it's not the same issue. It has to do with the um uh length of school day is slightly different. But so we have you know we're dropping out the high school kids at 7:40 and we have an hour uh to to do our Parkdale in between. Uh time in the morning is not the issue. It's in the afternoon and we see that across most it typically is that the PM is the more difficult more challenging time of day. Um just just a graphic to kind of illustrate the sort of the problem. There's 824 students here, high school and middle school, that basically all have to be taken home in 35 minutes. Uh now when we counted the students, there was only about 450 counted rider, but

069we don't have them by name. We simply, you know, have the driver count the load on their grad. So one of the things and we'll talk about that's important is if we were to register the high school writers and then know who of these you know which basically half of these kids is not actually there is not um right now even though we cut a route when we learned that there was uh available capacity we still have to route all these kids cuz we don't know which ones don't ride. We just we just have to count at this point. Um just a quick this is one of the routes that this was the route that we eliminated 11. Um this was a second separate route here. This circle um uh 114 did the and then

070these rural stops. And we were basically able to uh reorganize this and uh put you know the rural stops on 112 and then we combined all the uh city stops onto 106. And you can see again we would not have identified this opportunity until we counted you know about the counts from the because if you combine these two routes based on the um eligible students in the area it's there's 99 kids which would be far overloaded but we happen to know there's only about 40 of those kids that actually advantage of of the bus every day. So we were able to u to make that happen. Um, and then we also have to cut because you're a two-tiered system. Every bus does a high school and then they do an L3 high school middle and

071an elementary. We have to cut one of each. Um, so also, uh, 114 was was also, you know, at the elementary level it had a boys and girls club stop and and a couple stops close to the school and we were basically able to um, distribute those among 102 and and 106. And then that basically eliminated the need for bus 114 entirely or 914, sorry. Um, and then this is just uh I think we'll have a potential bell schedule to get that extra 15 minutes. Um, so basically this example, we moved the high school, middle school back 5 minutes and we moved the elementary up 10 uh to create this uh additional spread. And so you see now we got 55 minutes instead of that 40 minutes. It just it's student transportation time means a

072lot. Any any any extra to take kids or pick up kids uh you know is get you more done more seats uh students in the seats and so on and so forth. Um just uh some next steps um immediate we're going to uh eliminate uh bus 114 or 19 uh for the upcoming school year and then uh you know you guys as a district should discuss you know what this op option of of additional 15 minutes is that something that you're interested in or how would that work and which way would you go you know 5 minutes here 10 minutes at the you know which direction and so on and so forth. Um, if that's something that you wanted to move with and you kind of come up with the idea of what schedule you'd

073like to see, then uh we can go back and do some more mod and see what sort of routes uh what uh consolidations that would uh appear with that additional minutes. Um we believe there's uh there's one uh additional for sure and then that 15 minutes is going to give some other opportunities. I mean there are some buses today that are late to park. So we you know it's going to make those on time um and it might allow you know some other consolidation and streams and things like that. Um but we are confident that we could eliminate one more bus uh with that additional um um and then you know really particularly with the high school kids uh I I would make the recommendation to uh come up with a scheme for registering students

074uh as writers and and basically being able to uh uh only route you know demand and and not route to the universe of of all the potential um writers. We did find at the elementary basically 100% of the kids are riding the bus. So there's really not not a real reason to return those kids cuz all the eligible kids are are pretty much all right. Um but again at the high school middle school seeing about 53% um of the kids uh were counted who uh versus are eligible. Um, so we think that would be a good target because if we had it by name and we knew exactly the kids writing, we could take them off the buses and then that map of the distribution of all those students would look very different. We only

075see 50% and then we would know maybe there's whole roads that we don't even have to go down um now because of of of seeing those students. So um I think that would be uh very valuable. Um and I think that's about it. Um, I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Does anyone have questions at this end? Mr. >> BL, how work if we actually cut have contracts for a certain number of buses? How does that play out? >> Could you hear that, Colton? Um because of >> we have a contract with a certain number of buses in our contract. Does it allow us to cut a route? >> Uh that that would really be to Robin and and Dadra. Um I I believe so. I mean that's not something we have. Rob, are you

076able to answer that? the the contract allows for additions and subtractions of the district's prerogatives. >> Well, that was easy. Thank you. >> Um, as far as the uh the the times listed on here where it says like uh EAH 105 green 30 minutes, is is that the amount of time this the longest student would be on the butts or there's one that's 49 minutes, 38 minutes? Like if we're consolidating, does this increase the amount of time they're on the buses? >> Some of these correct? Yeah, I I tried to use basically 50 minutes as a maximum uh ride. Um but yeah, some of these went up a little bit. Boom. Yeah, cuz they're doing more stops and and so forth. >> Like that. Uh well these two yeah the 47 minute but say that

077that 106 was already something like 43 minutes to begin with so it only went up 3 minutes. >> Okay. >> Um I have two questions. One is what is the savings per route? There we go. Okay. If we eliminate one route, what is what is the savings of that? >> Sandy, do you want to answer that or do you want me to take it? >> $86,000. >> Thank you. And my other question is, are there models you can point to that people have used for this opt-in model that's still to kind of keep equity in mind? >> I'm sorry, I don't know that I understood that. So you you recommended this plan to register secondary riders and I'm wondering you models of how that's worked in a way that make sure that people aren't disadvantaged

078um because maybe they don't know or maybe they have full information. >> Um some of the districts I've worked with that have been doing this, they're they're doing it through the uh registration uh process in the uh enroll. So they've they've set up, you know, a a screen or a palm like during the registration process where you have to um choose uh bus transportation or not. Uh and we we felt that you know most uh it it seems like in that method we're fairly honest like you know I've had people say well everyone will just sign up and I didn't really find that to be people were fairly honest and then you just have to give them a you know that if they choose to ride that they can never ride. It's just it if

079we took their stop away it may take days to put their stop back you know something like that. This is this is not intended that you know people would never ride again. It's just we would like them to say I'm not going to be a regular rider and if they want to ride we put them back into the system. It's not a not an issue. >> Can I ask you Mr. Brown? >> Our safety plan and all school district safety plans include utilizing their buses to evacuate students in an emergency. I just want to be sure we have the capacity to do that. Even though students may not ride on a regular basis, do we have adequate capacity to uh get them all to an alternate location if we need to in a hurry? >>

080Debbie, were you able to hear that? >> I'm sorry, I did not hear that. >> Um Mr. Brunson asked, "Our safety plan um includes in the event of an emergency, we need to be able to evacuate one building, two buildings, three buildings, whatever the emergency is to a secondary location. Would we still be able to maintain the capacity to evacuate if need be?" >> I see what you're saying. Okay. So if we did take into consideration that I'm I'm sure that we could best care that we have other buses and other drivers, you know, for other schools that could come al. >> That's a good answer. Thank you, >> Mrs. Malice. >> I'm good. >> You're good? >> I can't. No. Um I just I'm wondering is this the type of thing that it will

081change in terms of every year um you'll have to you'll have to do this again because obviously the students that are in the district may move out or whatever. So it's it's it could be a savings for one year but then the next year you have to go through this entire process again if I'm understanding it correctly. Uh we don't really go through the whole process again. we use typically, you know, once we have designed the route and >> um I can jump in. We have a routing process that we do do every single year. >> It's done and we try to get it completed by August. Um Mrs. Swinnich is very um she's the one who coordinates it with um Amy Pa I never say it right. Pam uh they coordinate that and they

082work on that all summer long along with first student where we export the data out of our student information system. We upload it into first student system. They do their work on their end for routing our kids. Then they give it back to us to put back into our system to spit out the routes. >> Right. And so that will be if it changes and we were to have some type of registration up at the high school, that's where it really could potentially be impactful if we were able to do that since many of those that registration will become part of the process >> before we do this process to help identify. >> Yeah. Um yeah, I had a question. Uh you had said that possibly with students who did not ride that could lead

083to eliminating roads and you touched earlier on in one of the questions but what would happen if a student who doesn't normally ride for some random instance has to the one morning that that way they have no ride to school. >> You mean that they like needed at particular day or if they they decided to to become a bus rider? Um, no. For some reason, if something was happening with parents or some family thing and they need this, they figure out the night before they need to take the bus to school, but the bus doesn't come by the road anymore. >> Oh, probably. I mean, if it was an emergency that day, they would have to go to the closest bus stop that's already being served if it's not if it's not currently coming down

084their street. Cuz there typically wouldn't be time to driver to alter their route. you know, I mean, if someone calls in in the morning and says, "I need to ride today." But, you know, there's typically bus stops that are fairly close. I mean, nobody, you know, I wouldn't think would have to go very far. And then if they wanted to become a writer, we would reinstitute their own bus stop. >> Okay. Thank you. >> One more. >> Oh, okay. >> Mrs. George, uh, what is our reimbursement rate for, uh, uh, for, uh, transportation? >> I think it's right around uh, 57% something like that. So, it was in one of our slides during um, >> so in the following year, we receive 57% give or take uh, of our previous year's >> correct expenditure is

085associated with this. So, so if you have to keep in mind if it's you're saving $87,000, you're really only saving about $40,000. >> Yes. >> But on I will just caution that on the converse side, this is a good strategy to help us manage all of our transportation. This was just on our regular routes, this study. And um this looks like such a great savings. But Mrs. Swinnich was in my office. We already have a request for next year to add a route to our special routes. So this which will cost more than this savings. So it's this thing that goes like this constantly when it comes to transportation. >> For a while we were cooperating with Holland Y >> to provide those some of those special routes you're talking about. Are we still doing

086that? >> Yep. For that that one route. Yes. This route Holland would not be able to do it. We do not believe we don't believe would be able to do it. It's still too soon to actually know where it's going to land. >> Okay. So maybe >> even looking at >> it might be one student for >> one student with one whole route. >> Yeah. >> For this if we can get that student on another special route but again it goes back to the bell bell times. It's not the seat capacity, it's the time capacity. The >> same bus can't be at two places at the same time. Got it. It's a special needs student. >> Not always special needs. Some of our special routes are special needs. Some are non pubs. Some are, you

087know, there's >> Okay. I'm just curious. Okay. >> Are we all set? >> Thank you very much. It was very informative. We appreciate your time. >> Okay. Thank you so much for having us. Um, and I'm glad that we can tell about you. >> Thank you, Colton, Rob, Sandy, Debbie. >> You're more than welcome. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Bye now. >> We're now going to to jump back to 15A personal touch, a review of universal feeding presentation. Please. >> Yes. I'd like to introduce Debbie Becker and Chef Mike from Personal Touch. Um I think it was at the January meeting, maybe the February meeting, the board asked for at some point during the year to give an update on how universal feeding is going. Good evening board members. I'd like to

088There we go. >> Good evening board members, administration, visitors. Um I'm Debbie Becker. I'm the GM for Personal Touch Food Service. Like Joanne um had alluded to. we um she wanted us to perform and give you guys a PowerPoint to show you how universal feeding has made such an impact here in Easter schools. What we did is we did a comparison from September through May for year 2425 when it was not universal feeding and now we've also included 2526. So, as Michael advances, I'm going to explain each slide to you and what an impact it has made here in the district. So, if you look at our very first slide, um the blue columns all represent the 2425 school year. The yellow's golden color is our 2526. So if you look at overall participation, the

089district was at 42%. And now with universal feeding, the district is at almost 80%. Um our next slide is our meals per day. That includes breakfast and lunch. So um during the 25 2425 you were the district was at about 795 a day. Um here now currently we serve about 1,400 meals a day breakfast and lunch here in the district. Um Easter breakfast as you can see has made a huge impact. Um during the 25 2425 school year, you were at about 20,000 breakfast. We are now hitting almost um 60,000 breakfast in that time frame. Um which we had run this report from September through May. Easter lunch um overall um is currently sitting during the 2425 school year at aboutund maybe 10,000. They are now up to almost 160,000 lunches. The next slide shows

090you your average monthly revenue from the 2426 school year. That is through the contract with personal touch food service. Um you are sitting at about 60,000. You currently are at about 82 to 83 currently right now. Your next slide shows you your reimbursements with belonging into the national school breakfast and lunch program. So every meal that we serve to each child child here, breakfast or lunch, the district gets reimbursements. Um currently the school district during our 2425 school year got about $200,000 in reimbursements. Currently, right now, you guys are sitting at almost $900,000 in reimbursements which can be used to revamp and redo equipment. It has to these funds need to be set aside and used in the cafeteria setting. Um it could be from tables, chairs, new equipment, new serving lines, whatever that um

091encompasses anything to do with our food service. >> Yes. Also, this is the fund balance that's being generated to help put relief on the general fund for the salaries and benefits of the cafeteria monitors. Um, that is an allowable expense out of child nutrition. You are correct. Does anyone have any questions? Okay. So, thank you. It was nice. Thank you for having us. And, you know, we're welcome to come again this time next year to show you how the statistics have changed. >> Commissioner McConnell. >> Yes. Just the sheer amount of food that you have to order, prepare. >> Mhm. >> How'd you handle all that? >> That's Chef Mike. >> It's been a real challenge. Um I mean, looking at the breakfast numbers alone, definitely our number, our daily numbers almost tripled for breakfast

092service. Three times the amount of food, same amount of storage space. So, it's it's really been challenging this year trying to come up with a menu rotation and just um procedures working with my head cook over there that work like we had to switch up our menu offerings. We didn't have enough Yeah. We didn't have enough sheet pans to run donuts and pizzas on the same day. So, it's been a learning process with universal feeding this year. >> Apparently, we're doing all right. Yeah, we're down to June and we're we're doing very well. >> Yeah, you're doing very very well. >> Well, it's a huge benefit for the the children in our community. You know, uh people think Easter is wealthy and that everyone has all the money they need and and that's not necessarily

093true. And also that it isn't necessarily true that families are able to put together the food that they need at the mo in the morning for breakfast. you could have lots of people trying other members of the family trying to get out to work or or whatever. And and uh so this really uh takes a lot of the pressure of food insecurity off of the family on school days. I think the the for the community uh the challenge is uh what do these children do on Saturday and Sunday and and and and holidays and in the summertime? And of course that's not your thing, but but it's but it is something for us to think about. Do we now do we still do the backpack program at Parkdale? >> Yeah, Mr. Pantella, are we are

094we still doing the backpack program? Yeah, the for those not familiar with it, the backpack program is sponsored by local uh uh volunteer groups such as the Rotary and the Kuanas and uh and it provides a backpack of food uh which the younger members of the family bring home, but they all but it's also food in that backpack for all the other members uh all the other children in the family. uh and uh and they they take it home on Friday and it has something a couple of meals for Saturday and a couple of meals for Sunday. So, so that's a great program and uh and I think there's a challenge for us to to think about as a community what we can do to sustain these children in the summertime. So, um, Daniel, um,

095on Michael's menus, I because the district is in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program, if you look at Michael's menus, there is an actual phone number that parents can call that would provide food to any family throughout the summer. >> Oh, that's great. >> So, Michael has that on his June menus. You might see them pop up, but there's a >> screen to look at. >> Um, it actually will tell families exactly where they can locate food >> throughout the summer. >> Well, that is good. And our people can help publicize that. >> Yeah, of course. >> Yep. Absolutely. Just as you were talking about how it's challenging, you know, you have tripled the number of breakfasts and stuff. Have you observed much food waste in terms of trying to figure out how much

096and and how are the kids in terms of being receptive to the different >> September and October were all they're always a little rocky in food service. Kids are coming in. They're just learning their routines. So, we have a fresh new set of students in every building. We're working on building our production records to ma make our pars, you know, same as students are learning their new routines. Um, by November, December, we saw a very minimal amount of leftovers once we've had, you know, those our daily production numbers and everything. And all my head cooks in all three buildings, we we use those production records like our Bibles, you know. We look at them. I'm okay. I have mac and cheese on today. You know, at over at the high school today, I had about

09712 orders left over at the end of the day. So, yeah, our our production records are have come in very handy this year. >> And you're the kids in general are eating the food that they're they're taking. And I guess that's sort of as far >> Yeah. As best as I can tell. Yes. Mr. Robert, >> if I can, I want to just compliment Chef Mike. uh not only is it the quantity, but the the quality and I'll even go as far as saying the creativity that he is showing in the menu is beyond anything I've ever seen. Uh and the kids are benefiting from it. I'm I'm in there most days um watching this long line of students going to a variety of different options. Uh and and they're excited about school lunches, which

098is which is pretty cool to see. So, thank you, Mike. It's it's it's been a noticeable and celebrated effort and and I appreciate the hard work. >> Thank you. >> My pleasure. >> Very nice. >> Our student board members talked about um the the the lunches or the the breakfast in particular that they were eating and what they saw. Do you have anything to contribute or do you want to share that with them? Um, I've definitely seen a massive step up in this year based on the quality and also like the variety that we talked about in previous years throughout all of my schooling. So, it's definitely great this year. >> One thing too, I just want to share my children came to the middle school last year. Um, they're twins. They were in fifth

099grade last year and I asked them after their first day of school. I said, "What was the best part of your day?" And they said, "Chef Mike is the goat. Wow. >> Yeah. >> So, thank you for all your hard work. >> No. Yeah, Mike does a great job. >> Staffing, we've had a couple issues uh challenges with staffing this year. We're currently looking to replace or find a new head cook over at the high school. But, I mean, that's every business that, you know, yeah, similar challenges everywhere. I wouldn't say anything quite unique, you know, pertaining to universal feeding. Thank you. >> I'd just like to say we've been working with personal dash for years and Debbie and Mike have been really good to work with. Always, you know, solution focused. Um we talked

100to the kids making changes to, you know, like the types of food we're serving and the variety. They're always responsive. But I think this year more than ever because of like the volume and how things have changed so dramatically. Uh it's gone from my perspective, I know daily it's probably not so smooth, but very smoothly and we're serving our children well. uh they're getting really good food and they're getting plenty of it. And so I think the process is worth uh incredibly well considering the major change that we've gone through. You know, the volume change has been so significant. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Anything else? Any questions? >> Okay. >> Thank you for being here. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. >> Thanks for staying so long. >> Yes, I know. Really

101>> respectful. You think I'm >> not? Okay. Um, we're moving on to item eight, uh, public hearing of the 2026 2027 dis district districtwide safety plan. Mr. >> Um, Mr. Mayor, I kind of ask you to fill in um for the night. Um, first thing, Joanne George has headed this committee for a while. We want to make sure that we thanked her publicly um for the work and what she has done over the past few years um heading this committee. Um for now, like I mentioned, he is at the chair. We met on May 8th to discuss and review the 2627 district safety plan. Um the board and general public are now invited to review and offer feedback, comments, and suggestions through July 6, 2026. The draft plan will be posted on the district website

102where can be requested from Miss Casey. comments should be sent to boeak.org or they can call the district clerk for the board and for everyone in attendance. Updates of substance from the 2025 2026 district plan are um there's now language regarding AEDs and school cardiac emergency response plans has been updated throughout the district plan. Um, in the district safety team, before and after school personnel are being added as additions to the district-wide safety team, as in language throughout the document to confirm that safety planning applies to these times. This aligns with New York City Department of Education's recommendation to include before and after school safety planning. That was an August 2025 memo. At the end of the section, special provisions, a paragraph to address the nurses access and functional needs of students, staff, and visitors.

103At the end of section additional evacuation drill requirements, a paragraph was added explaining the pro that protocols applied to before and after school. All updates of substance are highlighted in rows throughout the document. Yellow highlights indicate incomplete information mainly dates confirming of names which will be added prior to September 1. With the district framework in place, the work now shifts to updating the building safety plans. This will they will be brought to the board of ed in August 2026 for approval as they contain confidential safety and security protocols. There are no public copies or public hearing. Any questions that I can relay back as I kind of went through that with him um in that document? >> I don't believe so. Any questions? No. Um this is the time now for community comments. So, I'm

104going to open it to see if there are none. >> There are none. Okay. So, um I would like to make a motion to adjourn the public the public hearing of the district-wide safety plan for the school year. Uh may I have a motion? >> So, moved. Moved >> by Dr. Proa. Second. >> Second by Mrs. Whitel. Discussion. All those in favor >> I >> opposed um passed 6 or abstained pass 6. Uh we're now moving on to the public hearing number nine uh for the 2026 2027 code of conduct. >> Yes. So uh much like Mr. Mr. Lombaro stated the safety plan. The code of conduct will now be open for public comments for the next month. Just to give you a little history, you may recall, I believe it was 2022, uh that

105the committee met several times. The committee is made up of teachers. It's made up of administrators, students, and community members. Uh and we met and really did a a pretty major overhaul of our code of conduct. It had been a few years that that it was really gone through with a fine tooth comb. So we did that in 2022 with the assistance from Boseies and and their code of conduct um guru uh at the time. Then the couple years after that in 2024 we added some language around restorative practices with the work that we do with Lori de Marlo. She came in and helped us add that element to our code of conduct. And then last year our focus was on the distraction-free learning environment, also known as the cell phone um rule. So last

106year we met with the committee a few times and discussed that and implemented it. This year the committee uh met via email and we went through to to review the document because there had been so many updates recently. It was determined that the next major update that we're probably looking to add to the code is specific language around the use of AI. However, we have a a district um steering committee with a lot of voices, you know, from students and parents and and teachers and admin that is working over the next year under Mrs. Misano to formulate what that looks like for our district. and we just decided that rather than trying to get that in this year, we weren't really ready for that. So, I anticipate that next year we will have more of

107an update of the code of conduct and and have more of an imple within our district. Long story short, there are no changes this year for the code. We've all gone through it. We feel it's sufficient. We know for a fact that it has everything it has to have. it meets all of the the you know mandates or criteria that it has to have. The only changes are dates and some personnel changes that have taken place, things like that. But there's nothing for me to highlight for you all to take a look at. >> Uh this is the time for community comments. Do we have any community comments? >> No. Um now we'll move to board member comments. Do any of the board members have comments specific to the code of conduct? Thank you. Um,

108I'd like to make a motion to adjourn the public hearing for the 2026 2027 code of conduct. Um, may I have a motion? >> Second. >> Moved by Dr. Androa, second by Mr. Brunson. All those in or excuse me, discussion. >> Just to clarify, these are open for community comment until July till the July. July 6th, both. Okay. June 4th through July 6th. Yes. Um >> we'll be up on the website tomorrow. >> Thank you. All those in favor? >> Opposed? Stained. Passed. 6. Um we're now moving on to item 10, which is community member comments. And I'm just going to review the emails that were sent to the board of education um and received uh after our May 19th, 2026 meeting. We received an email from Roxan Perry about budget and election. Thank you

109service and thank you for the service learning day video. Um an email from Rebecca Okconor about the cafeteria aid budget line. Um, an email from Aaron Jameson about the annual ESSA funding information, an email from Cynthia Bojack about the 2026 Keller reception, and an email from Aaron Reading about the NICET resolution regarding screens and AI. Uh, did everyone receive those emails? >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, do we have any community comments this evening? >> There were no comments. >> Okay. Thank you. So, we are going to move on to superintendent's comments. >> Um, yes, I have two today. Um, uh, first I wanted to let the board know that we'll have a grading presentation. Miss Lions will be here in July to give a presentation on an update on the grading committee, but

110I just wanted to uh, thank both of our steering committees and our fifth and sixth grade team is ready to move forward with a pilot for 2627. So, we're very excited about that. And so she'll um either details of what that exactly looks like. We're sending out a communication to parents um in the next week and then we'll also send them another update in August prior to the school year just to make sure that we're spending enough time explaining exactly how that's going to change. And so u I'll make sure that you're copied on those emails as well. Uh and then one other thing today we met about the Parkdale playground and I'm very happy to say that things are in order and we are able to move forward. So, we are making the final

111selections around colors and they're preparing for a groundbreaking in August. So, that's a very exciting um very exciting news and then we should see the completion I think sometime around the end of September or October. >> So, it'll be really great great for our youngest learners. So, very excited about that. >> Um we're moving on to 12 administrator comments. Do any of the administrators have comments? >> I have two quick things. Um, obviously end of the season for us. Um, since the last we were here, um, boys, boys and girls or softball and baseball both had quarterfinal games just after we were here, but they both unfortunately lost tight games. Um, but it was, I thought, good progress for the whole season. Boys track won um the section 16 championship. Girls were second in the

112section 16 competition. They all have state qualifiers Friday, Saturday this weekend in Olden. Um, girls lacrosse unfortunately lost a tough game, tied at halftime with Salamea at Salama in the semifinal game. Um, boys tennis went all the way to the section final as well and lost to Leport. And our boys lacrosse team won the section six title. Um, a fun game on Saturday at All High Stadium against Eden. Um, we thought it was going to be close. For those who know me personally, my 8-year-old has not hit a losing well. I thought it was safe to take him to this game. We promptly got down six-2 and he looked me with tears in his eyes and said, "Why did you bring me here?" Um, the final score was 24 to9. So, I thank our boys

113for saving me with that one. Um, but they'll play Penan, the defending class D state champion tomorrow at 5:00 at Williamsville North in the subregional game. So, we also had a college signing ceremony just today. We got seven more athletes. Jericho Chamaga, Charlie Finity, Sydney Gerard, Kaylin H Hotton, Noah Cook, Harland Randall, and Jenna Skullinsky all commit to compete in college athletics. That gives us 17 seniors. Um 13.6% which is above double the national average for athletes that go from high school to to college athletics. Great. >> Um Charlie Finer is not here today obviously because he's with the lacrosse team as they prepare. >> Anyone else? Mr. B. >> Sure. >> I just wanted to share obviously this time of year is exciting. There's a lot going on. So I just wanted to give

114a little update. Um lots of incredible concerts. I was at one last night. We have one tomorrow night. Um our leap capstone was last week. I know a couple of you made it and it's always lovely to see um as many people come out for that. But our eighth graders and the lead program just blew us away. And in fact, Channel 4 will be at Parkdale Friday morning with Hope Winter, one of the reporters meeting with Mrs. Cook, myself, the the two teachers, Mr. Tune, Mrs. Markinger, and a student who created the buddy bench. Cara here is she's incredible. So, we're very excited about that. Uh tomorrow our orchestra, we have 60 to 70 students going to Cleveland for a field trip. And then on Friday, our middle school bands all complete at Darian or

115compete at Darien Lake. We have field day next week coming up for our fifth and sixth graders. And then we have a lot of picnics and celebrations. Our eighth graders go to campus at the end of next week. The following week we have our eighth grade luau up in the high school which is a huge event and we have picnic lunches in seventh and eighth grade where we'll have live music outside and the students can enjoy yearbook signing activities and just hanging out to celebrate all of their successes of the year. So there's a lot going on um this time of year at the middle school. >> Wonderful. Thank you. just um the reporter Hope Winter is she is a VA grad the person that's coming out to do the reporting. So >> nice. >>

116Any other administrators? >> I'm nervous to to this, but I I just wanted to give you an update. Uh I had a chance to meet with Aiden and Charlie a couple weeks ago regarding their experience as student representatives on the board of education. Do do you mind if I do this tonight? Is that okay? I know we're running a little late, but um so uh this is a summary of a conversation that we're doing organizing it in sort of their reflections of the their experience, but then also suggestions for the future and we have one of our um student reps for next year sitting in the audience who's um so uh the 2526 school year saw these successful introduction for the student representative position on the board of education. As we had hoped, the uh

117student board of education representative program provided students with a valuable opportunity to engage in leadership student discussion and strengthen connections between students and the district decision makers. Both student representatives reported positive experiences throughout the year. While there was an initial adjustment period, as you can imagine, as they learned the expectations and responsibilities of the role, they quickly found their place within the board of education and felt welcomed by board members and district leaders. The representatives shared that serving on the board was an enjoyable and rewarding experience. They appreciated the opportunity to observe district governance firsthand, participate in discussion, and represent the voices of their peers. A significant strength of this year's model was the decision to share the position between two students. Both representatives, uh, Aiden and Charlie, agreed that having a partner in the

118role reduced stress, improved communication, and provided mutual support throughout the year. They valued being able to collaborate before meetings, discuss important topics, and represent students together at the board table. The student government students unanimously agreed that having two representatives is the most effective model moving forward. They noted that if adjustments are ever needed, the role could be structured in a similar fashion, but using a president and vice president model. But they strongly believe that maintaining two student representative best supports student voice and engagement recommendations for the future. Uh they offered a few recommendations to strengthen the program. The first is and Sabrina you're experiencing this tonight. Um meeting procedures and board protocols were challenging to understand initially. So to help students become more familiar with the board of education work, uh representatives and Charlie recommended

119that they invite student government members to attend at least one school board meeting each year. They also looked at ways to improve the communication with the student body as an area of improvement. So their recommendations are student representatives should provide a brief summary at each of each board of education meeting at each student government meeting. They also had the idea of sharing meeting highlights through LULE TV to increase awareness of board discussion and decisions among the broader student body. And I think those are both very achievable goals for next year. So um looking ahead the student board of education representative program is an important leadership opportunity as we said over a year ago and it promotes student engagement strengthens communication between students in the board of education. The experiences and recommendations shared by this year's

120representatives will help guide the future improvement and ensure that student voice remains an integral part of district leadership and decision-m. So at this time uh I am really excited to introduce um one of our two student government co-presidents and subsequently our student board of education representative Sabrina Sultana and she will be um in this position with Jackson Sukahu is also preparing for uh the lacrosse uh game tomorrow night. Um, I'd like to introduce Sabrina to the board of education BEFORE any questions or being long-winded, but we had a a conversation and u an honest review of the past year, but with some really good recommendations for the future. I have all the confidence in our representative. Great job. >> There you go. Thank you. Yeah. Any other administrators? >> Well, that's a tough act to

121follow, but I will follow in Mr. Brown's footsteps and just share um some of the wonderful things that are going on right now in June at Parkdale. Um it is your activity every day. Um this Friday we have our field day. Um next week on the 11th, we'll have our orchestra concert. Our band and orchestra concert will be at the high school. um classes are taking various field trips out, a lot of walking field trips out in the community over the la next um couple weeks and the last couple weeks as well. Um and then we also have our annual Flag Day celebration. Um that is going to be the day following Flag Day this year on the 15th. So, lots of fun to be had at Parkdale in June. And um Okay, thank you.

122Um, we are now moving on to board present and board member comments. Um, and I will start with Mr. Fry. >> Thank you. I just wanted to reiterate again what Mr. Roberts said. Um, I'm very excited to um for Sabrina and Jackson both to be coming into this role and I'm hoping that Charlie and I can give them the best chance they can to pick up where we um have left off here and even excel beyond us. So, um I'm excited for that. And um also today, um Quanis uh had a chicken barbecue, which I'm a couple people are talking about as well. Um ran through our key club at the high school. We had workers up at Hamilton Park helping out there. And then next week is senior week for the high school. Um

123so we'll be at Darian Lake this Friday. And then Monday we have our yearbook dedication and ice cream social. And then Tuesday going to campus followed by a senior sunset at night. And then Wednesday is the famous Parkdale graduation walk. So >> I love that. >> Yeah. >> Wonderful. Thank you. >> This is Malice. >> Up and over. You're younger than I am. I just wanted to say thank you to the board. It's been um it's been an experience. Again, it's been a while. Um, but I this has been a fun board to work with and I I have that whole sense between the administrators and the board that we're in good hands. I love this district and I just want to see it continue strong. Thank you, >> Mr. Brunson. >> Nothing this evening.

124Thank you. >> Uh, I have a couple updates. The I won't talk much about the LEAP presentations. I did go to that event. It was I was blown away at the projects that these middle schoolers came up with, how how well they presented. You know, you would walk up to a station, they would start talking to you and tell you all about their project and their research and it was really fantastic. So, I just wanted to thank the middle school for keeping that going. I also attended the um global leadership academy bazaar. It's a really great event and I know they made a lot of effort this year to get more students there and uh make it a little bit more of a school event instead of just kind of the parents of the kids

125who are in it. And they have the students in that program research the history, environment, culture, art, and food of different countries, Asia, Africa, all over the place. And they have booths. It's really wonderful. And this year they raised $2,200 that they donated to action against hunger. >> So I also want to commend the high school for having a program like that where these students are learning globally, they're sharing globally and they're learning about action and donation globally as well. And the final thing I did was go to um New York State School Boards Association New York State Budget Review because now we have a budget. Uh the day that they ran it, they had just they were just passing the final pieces. Um the education part was set. It largely matched what we had

126heard unofficially. So that was good. The 2% harmless for foundation aid. Um the good news that came a little late. We had kind of discussed our last meeting is a 5-year delay on the zero emission bus bus mandate. And that's something I know from the legislative committee we have been working to get that just to give us a little more time. We all like the intent, but it's an unfunded mandate that takes a little bit of time and effort to figure out. And the other thing they talked a lot about was the impact of the reforms to tier six, which also was a little bit of a surprise. It had been a conversation and then it was suddenly in with the budget. and that will have a lot of changes. As far as the impact

127on district finances, they said we're going to have to see over the next year or two how that actually shakes out because it will have implications, but they're not exactly sure what those implications will be. So, I think we will see that over time. Uh, yeah, that's a couple weeks. >> Thank you, Dr. Crona. Um, I have gotten to go to the high school band, orchestra, and jazz concerts and chorus concert. And the jazz was performing tonight at the barbecue. Um, as well as um yeah, all of the concerts. And then there's the last one tomorrow. Um, I will say if you see me in the next, you know, week, have tissues. That's because I have, if you don't know, it's because I have one leaving 8th grade doing all the fun stuff and then

128one graduating. >> Well, it's a new audit session. So, I'm getting the band back together. We uh our first meeting will be uh June 24th. Audit committee will meet and discuss the annual internal audit review. And after that, we'll have more dates as you know, so the auto season's just going to start running now. That's it. >> That's it. All right. I think we're all stepped in. Thank you. Um we're moving on to uh present. Let's see. Uh 15 C, which is the business office operations and financial report. >> Um yes, such a nice way. Oh, wait. I'm sorry. >> 14 legislation. >> I missed legislation. Sorry, guys. Is there any legislation? >> Okay, there's no legislation. >> All right. Sorry. Moving on to 15C, the business office operations and financial report. >> Yes. Um,

129as Mrs. Whitel said, we have a state budget and I just came across three numbers together as comparison, uh, current year state aid, um, enacted state aid, um, executive branch state aid, what it was going to be and what it really landed at. And I just thought it was a nice little document. And the the last page um talks about the whole harmless and the 2% on foundation aid. Just a nice visual report to have. Um our financial reports tonight are as of the end of April. Um we have $6.3 million in the bank and the general fund. We expended approximately 70% of our budget. We're trending to expend 98 to 99% of our budget this year. Um, and we had received about 93% of our revenues and we're trending to receive about 101% of

130our revenues. Um, in the cafeteria fund, um, revenues as of the end of April exceeded expenditures by about 133,000 which personal touches um, presentation touched upon. Um the only other thing I wanted to talk about in the cafeteria, we had our five-year um review from child nutrition and it was a great review. Um we had one finding um and that was that a public um announcement was missed. We were transitioning between who was taking care of um the cafeteria um this type of stuff between offices and that was the one thing that got missed. So, we're right on that to make sure that that doesn't happen again. Um, in the federal fund revenues, we had just over a million dollars expenditures. We've expended $1.2 million, which, as I say, every month, it's very typical. We

131have to spend the money and then get the money back in our federal grants. Um, in our capital fund, we continue to expend um on the big project. We're almost at $5 million expended as of the end of April. And as of the end of April, the capital outlay work had not started. Um, oh, Brown is not here. Oh, there he is. Do you know when they're starting our capital outlay 3.3? They >> Oh, they completed it. So, that'll be in the next month's financials. and just our cash in the general fund does match our cash flow and our cash flow looks good. We shouldn't have any problems throughout the summer regarding cash flow. Any questions? Any questions? Anyone? >> Um, moving on to the capital facilities project update. >> Um, yeah, there's not much

132new to share. Um we're making just some final decisions around like colors and coordination. Uh the progress in both the um the media center and in the fax classroom are moving along very nicely. Um pretty much right on schedule. So we're hoping that that will all fall into place over the summer and we'll be ready to start September with those two new spaces open. Um the one thing that is um we're waiting on until school ends is the uh the HVAC and um the hallway work. So that will start as soon as kids are out of here. Uh they'll get started on that right away. We're very hopeful that too will be done uh and completed prior to school opening. So it's coming to a nice conclusion. Things have run shouldn't say it pretty smoothly.

133And so uh just grateful for all their work. They've been very attentive. our person that's overseeing has done an excellent job keeping us informed uh both that things are going well and also when things are you know kind of falling off track a little bit. So uh just in general very positive and if uh if the board ever wants to go take a look at the spaces we can arrange that for you to to begin now or over the summer. >> Thank you >> Mr. Russ. >> Yes question. Um, as we all know, the the uh middle school librarian and the library aid both retired last year, and we had a temporary library set up in the room above us here. Uh, what are our plans for staffing the new library when it opens in

134September? >> Um, Mr. Brown, you want to talk a little bit about that? As of right now, we will be staffing the same way we did this current year, which was there's a shared librarian between the middle school and the high school. So, we'll have uh library media specialists here every other day on full. So, then in regard to aid, what we were able to do this year is provide a couple of periods um where aid support was there for for shelving. We have a plan to increase that a little bit next year. And we also had some some teachers learn and take advantage of how to do book swaps. Um, for example, in sixth grade, all of the students were able to come down on days that our librarian was not here and the

135reading teacher brought them down. She still utilized the library um with her instruction and did book swaps. So, it it will continue unfortunately without the addition of the full-time library media specialist, which we hope to get to as soon as possible. Um, it'll it'll continue to be a little bit of that. Um, so will the library be open for students to drop in early in the morning when they arrive at at the school or after school uh for uh to uh return a book or to pick up a book. Uh I know when we had a reduction in library services at Parkdale that there was uh a limitation on the number of hours that students could access the library. Uh are we going to have enough aid time there so that they can actually use

136this brand new library? >> Honestly, uh I don't know the exact answer to that question at this point, but we're working on that right now and we'll have a plan and and definitely share it with you. Um, but our our goal is to maximize the amount of time that that students can come into the library even without the the full-time library media specialists. And we have some ideas on how to use uh teacher aids who are skilled in that areas and teach them more about the check-in, you know, the the whole process. Um, then we also have we've been having con conversations with our librarian and some helpers on how to catalog all the books, get them in new space. I took her for a tour up there with one of the project managers to

137identify where all the bookshelves are. So, she's already putting together her map of, you know, different areas genres within the library. So, all those conversations are happening. We just don't really know how it's all going to turn out at this point. >> So, do you have the resources in your budget or through through summer work uh for uh to to have the people necessary to move the the the temporary library to the new location and to set it up and have it ready so that when school starts the the library can be off and running immediately. That's that's the plan for sure. Um so that a lot of it and Mr. Merchoff and I have already had this conversations cuz his team is going to have a lot to do once we get the code

138of occupancy. So, a lot of it will be that timing, but we have a few people that we've already spoken to who are willing to come in over the summer um at the end of the summer to help assuming that that that it does. I know that the project is going well um on time, assuming it finishes that way, I can pretty confidently say that it'll be open day one of it. Well, you can't control the completion of the construction, but I appreciate the fact that you're planning ahead. So, thank you so much. >> Any other questions? >> We're going to move on to item 16, consensus items. Does anyone wish to withdraw a specific item from the consensus agenda? Does anyone uh wish to add a specific item to the consessant consensus agenda? We

139have a motion to approve the consensus agenda. So moved by Mrs. Witel. Second. >> Second by Mr. Blowers. Discussion. All those in favor? I >> opposed. abstained. Passed 6. We're going to jump ahead to page 14, which is 21 discussion financial. Um, a the superintendent recommends that the board of education accept the official results of the Tuesday, May 19th, 2026 annual election proposition number one budget proposition number two expended groups from the technology reserve fund and election of board members as detailed in the agenda. May I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Moved by Mrs. Whitel. Second. Second by Dr. Proa. Discussion. All those in favor? >> Opposed? Pass. 6. Sorry, I'm too fast. Okay, moving on to uh >> I'm still trying to find page. >> I'm moving this a lot. All right,

140moving to 21B. Uh the superintendent recommends that the board of education approve the following resolution whereas Gatsby 54 required classification of fund balance as detailed in your agenda. Uh may I have a motion? >> So move to Croat second. >> Mrs. Malice discussion. >> Yeah. We're on 21B correctly. >> Yes. >> Yeah. I was I was worried about my last vote. Okay. The uh the ELAR reserve is that is that an arbitrary amount or is that something that's been calculated that that that's a number we need in there? >> Um actually our ELAR reserve is underfunded based on the new Gazsby rules. It could be funded up to millions of dollars 5 million 6 million because of the way they do compensated absences new calculation. >> That's unreasonable. Well, I just wonder about the >>

141It is unreasonable. >> What about this 100,000? Is that >> Oh, yes. So, um not to exceed 100,000. It's just >> arbitrary, >> right? Because I don't know yet. So, we need to have a not to exceed number if you want to change that. >> I don't know. We just as we as we make settlements, contract settlements and stuff, we the obligation increases. Just wondering if 100,000 is enough, but I'm assuming it is. But we'll find out as we get closer if it's enough. But that's the maximum we can put in based on this resolution though. >> Correct. >> So if you want to change that to not to exceed 200,000 300,000 that's your prerogative. >> My pritive I'm good. >> Yeah. >> Anyone else? >> Yeah. just briefly uh the the uh I'll just

142reiterate my concern that I've expressed a number of times that uh in difficult budget times if we do have a surplus uh at the end of the year as we apparently are thinking we will uh with this resolution uh it it's uh in my view prudent to place that surplus in reserves that are more readily accessible >> right >> and I I don't believe the capital reserve is the best use of those funds in the current circumstances. I I understand that we are going to have to do another capital project down the road a bit. Uh but I I would like some of that money to be available if we need it for for current needs without having to go back to the community and ask for a vote on on as the Capital Reserve

143requires. And even if you do go and ask for a vote, you can only spend it on on bricks and mortar. You can't spend it on people. You can't spend it on supplies or equipment or making the library work. Uh, you know, so I so I I not to exceed 300 is okay, but when it gets down to the nitty-gritty, I want very little in that capital reserve. >> And as you said, Mr. Brunson, it's not to exceed 300,000. It's not saying that we're putting 300,000 in there. You're just making the point that you feel that this capital reserve the money shouldn't be going in. >> But suppose suppose we have an excess at the end of the year more than 3 4 5 600,000. >> Mhm. >> You know, we can only place it

144in these in these choices. Uh so the the and and if you have not to exceed 100,000 and you have you you can only if you only use up 300,000 on the three last choices, you have no place else to put the money except the capital reserve. So it it constrains your flexibility. Uh and uh that's my concern about this resolution. >> Anyone else? Yes. >> What? So where I Mr. Reds, I hear what you're saying, but and I wonder where you would suggest that money goes. Well, I I mean there are certain reserves that that uh uh that our um the board has the authority to utilize as needed and the and the um uh the the uh the ELAR, the uh TRS and ERS are are three of those reserves. So, you don't

145need a vote of the communities to uh use those funds. You just have to use them for those purposes. But but but think about it. If we get a bunch of retirements, the tier six is going to allow people to retire 5 years earlier than they would otherwise. You might have a group of people who want to retire, in which case we might need to boost that uh reserve and rather than taking those uh termination payments from the from the mainline budget that we that we know is in short supply. Uh we would be able to take it from the reserves. Uh so so that's that's my concern. I I'm not opposed to this resolution. I'll vote for it, but I I think uh uh in the future we need to be a little we

146need to provide as much flexibility as possible when we get down to difficult uh budget times. >> Exactly. >> Any other comments, discussion on this? >> All right. All those in favor? I >> opposed. Abstained. Passed. 6. Moving on to 21C. The superintendent recommends that the board of education approve a resolution to approve the unanimous joint agreement capital project as detailed in your agenda. May I have a motion? >> So move. Moved by Mr. Blowers. Second. >> Second by Mrs. Whitel. Discussion. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed abstained. 6. Moving on to 21D, the capital outlay project architect contract. The superintendent recommends that the board of education approve the $100,000 capital outlay 2026 2027 contract between the district and young and rate architectur as detailed in your agenda. May I have a motion?

147>> So moved. >> Moved by Dr. Proa. Second >> Second by Mr. Blowers. Discussion. >> All those in favor? >> Opposed? abstained. Passed 6. Um, moving on to E. Accept the donation valued over $75. The superintendent recommends that the board of education accept the donation from the Parkdale PTO for the Parkdale playground totaling over $75 as detailed in your agenda. May I have a motion? So move. >> Um, Mrs. Whitel and then Mrs. Malice. Second, Mrs. Malice. Uh, discussion. >> All those in favor? >> I opposed abstain. >> We're losing it over there. >> Pass 6. We're almost there. >> Um, do we have any new business to come before the board tonight? >> Okay. And the items of information are listed in uh 23. And now may I have a motion to adjurnn? >>

148Move. >> Mr. Blowers. Second. Dr. Proa. Discussion. >> All in favor? Hang on a second. Oh, sorry. Sorry. >> Who is the first? Mr. Blau. Thank you. And Dr. Proa. >> And then is there any discussion? >> All in favor? >> Opposed? Abstain. Passed. >> Thank you very much. Thank you guys.