GCSD Board of Education Meeting - June 2nd, 2026

001followed by a moment of silent reflection for those that have passed in recent weeks. Thank you. >> I aliance 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. >> [snorts] >> Thank you. All right. If I could have somebody move the agenda to the table, please. Moved by Mr. Butler, seconded by Vice President Stencil. Any additions, corrections to the agenda? Seeing none, all those in favor of the agenda that passes nine to zero. All right. >> You know you're getting old when you got to wear these. Each year we're celebrating this 2526 power of partnership award. this evening. Each year, the Gree Central School District and Community Schools team take a moment to honor a partner

002that truly embodies the spirit of collaboration. We look for those who go above and beyond to support our students, our schools, and the community at large. It is with great pride that we present this year's power of partnership award to the Ridge Road Fire District. You guys like to come up? [applause] Each year, as the inaugural partner in the district's responding to emergencies career pathway program, the Ridgewood Fire District helped transform an ambitious vision into a life-changing reality by equipping our students with lifesaving skills and providing a direct window into the world of emergency services. They have helped build what is now one of the district's most popular and impactful offerings. Working handinhand with educator Moras, Chris Moras, the firefighters of the Ridge Fire District have shaped a dynamic learning environment where the classroom meets

003the real world. Active firefighters lead lessons on everything from hose handling to complex ladder operations. Students graduate with professional certifications including CPR, AED, basic exterior firefighting, BEO, and the culminating emergency medical technician EMT certification at the state level. This incredible program would not be where it is today without visionary leadership. I want to extend a special thank you to Chief McGary, Shawn McGary, Deputy Chief Joe Munz, and Battalian Chief Brian Jibo for their continuous leadership, fierce advocacy, and unwavering support. Under their guidance, the program has grown exponentially, bringing in other community partners, and vastly expanding the unique real world experiences our students access, ultimately inspiring the next generation of first responders. This year, the Rididge Road Fire District further cemented its commitment to our students by donating a 2006 American Lefrance Fire Engine. This incredible

004contribution provides an unparalleled onampus resource that allows students to train on the very equipment they will use in the field. The Ridge Fire District exemplifies the true meaning of the power of partnership, their dedication and generosity, and a hands-on involvement have not only enriched student learning, but have strengthened the very fabric of the Greece community. Please join me in congratulating the Ridge Road Fire District as this year's recipient of the Power of Partnership Award [applause] [applause] come up and I'll have the whole board come up and Flaggler and um Deputy Superintendent Dan, we can come up to a picture. Who else did I miss? >> Oh, Kylie. I didn't see you, Kie. Kylie can come up. >> Yeah, we'll do it. >> [laughter] >> Thank you so much. [applause] All right. Next up, we have

005student board member recognition and introduction. Superintendent Small. >> All right, my shoes untied. Sean just told me. All right, so I This is very exciting for me. um especially since a few of the people that we're going to recognize started at Longidge um when I began as a principal. Um but before we recognize our outgoing student board representative Bailey, um I realized that there was something important we needed to address. So last year we didn't have the opportunity to formally uh present a board of education recognition plaque to Silas for his service and I could not let that go without correction. In fact I I don't think his mother would let me do it without correcting. Um so s would you mind standing up? [applause] >> [applause] >> So tonight we want to formally recognize

006Silas for his outstanding work as our very first student board representative during the 202425 school year. Being the first in any role comes with unique challenges and responsibilities, and Silus embraced them with professionalism, maturity, and a deep commitment to representing the voices of students across our district. He helped establish the foundation upon which all future board representatives will build. On a personal note, I first met Silas when I was a principal at Longidge. Actually, I might have been an assistant principal dealt with a lot of discipline in that role uh when I was an administrator at Long Reach and he was still a baby. And when I say baby, like he was in a stroller. Over the years though, I've had the privilege of watching him learn, grow, and develop into an exceptional young man

007who uses his voice, his talents, and influence to lead and make a difference in the lives of others. It has been incredibly rewarding to witness his journey. Now, as Silas prepares to graduate from Odyssey and continue his education at Howard University, I have every confidence that he will continue to grow as a leader and make a positive impact on those around him. Just as he helped shape and strengthen our school community here in Greece, I know he will bring that same passion, intelligence, and commitment to service to the Howard community. Silus, thank you for your leadership, your advocacy, and for helping launch a tradition that will benefit students for years to come. We are proud of all you have accomplished and excited to see all that lives live lies ahead. Congratulations and best wishes as

008you begin the next chapter. [applause] [applause] >> Now you got to stand. Yeah. Yep. [laughter] >> It's Gina's rule. >> Yeah. We enjoy watching the discomfort. [laughter] Bailey, will you join [applause] Bailey? For the past year, our board meetings have been enriched by the insight, enthusiasm, and dedication you brought to your role as our student board representative. Month after month, you provided an authentic student perspective on important discussions, helping ensure that the voices of our students remained at the center of our work. Whether you were sharing updates on student life, advocating for student well-being, telling a joke, or highlighting the many accompl accomplishments taking place across our schools, you consistently demonstrated thoughtful leadership and a genuine commitment to making our district stronger. You served as an important bridge between our board of education and the

009students of Greece, helping us better understand both the opportunities and the challenges facing our students today. At Athena High School, you have been an outstanding role model, exemplifying academic excellence, service, leadership, and school pride. Your ability to engage in meaningful dialogue, ask thoughtful questions, and represent your peers with integrity has left have has left a lasting impact on our district and and help strengthen the connection between students and district leadership. Bailey, as you graduate and begin your next chapter at Villanova University, we know you will continue to make a difference wherever your journey takes you. You leave behind a legacy of leadership, compassion, advocacy, and service that will be remembered long after your time at this board table. We are incredibly proud of all you have accomplished and deeply grateful for the contributions you have

010made to our school community. Thank you for your leadership, your voice, and your commitment to making Greece Central a better place for all students. Congratulations, Bailey. We will miss you and wish you every bit of success and happiness in the years ahead. [applause] And as we say goodbye to one outstanding representative, we have the privilege of welcoming another. Jimmy, want to come on up? Yes, that's your cue. Jimmy. [applause] So, it is my pleasure to introduce Jimmy Dong from the from Olympia as our 202627 student board representative. Jimmy represents the best of our district. He is a high achieving student, a member of the pre-engineering pathway, and a proven leader on the superintendent's advisory council. What truly sets him apart, however, is his character. Jimmy has earned the respect of students and staff alike and

011is known as someone who brings energy and genuine enthusiasm to connect with everyone he meets. Jimmy, your reput your reputation for hard work and positivity precedes you. We are honored to have your perspective on the board for the 202627 school year. Welcome aboard, Jimmy. [applause] >> [applause] >> All right, we're going to do some pictures now because it's picture time. So, if you want to Laura will get a picture to three of them. Then each of the respective families can come up and get a picture and then the board will come up. Yeah. Come on. Come on, Louva. You got to get up there. >> I'm going to have all cabinet on a board. All >> [laughter] >> right. >> This is sign up for dinner. I'm so sad. family. >> She is. >> I

012know. [applause] >> [applause] [applause] >> the whole boarding cabinet with Silus Bailey and Jimmy. >> Congratulations. Thank you. Congratulate you. >> [applause] >> Next up is the board of education award. So, the I'm going to probably cry in this one. Um, [snorts] >> so the board award was created um several years ago by the board of education to recognize outstanding individuals or organizations that have made a significant impact in the Greece Central School District and our Greece school community. And uh tonight's recipient and award is my longtime colleague and friend, Mr. Bill Maloney. [applause] You can sit [applause] for a minute because I got a long talk. I got a lot to say. So, um and for those of you that don't know Bill, I'm going to give you a little bit of his history

013and talk about how I got to know Bill and what he's meant to this board of education and to this community as a whole. Bill served our country in Vietnam at a time when military service wasn't recognized like it is today. Our soldiers that fought in Vietnam weren't celebrated. They were cursed. They were spit on. They were treated horribly when they returned from Vietnam. Bill Maloney was one of those guys that went to Vietnam and fought in the jungles for what this country believes in. For that, we owe him a debt of gratitude. But it's not only that. Bill, shortly after returning from Vietnam, started with Greece Central in 1974. I mean, that's almost as old as I am. [laughter] But Bill came, he started at Brookside and his journey through Greece took him to

014Brookside. He was at Britain Road, he was at Barnard, he was at Patty Hill, he was at Hoover Drive, which became Apollo, which became Odyssey, up until the time he retired in 2014. um in 2014 before he retired and I'd known Bill, he was president of the GUS Greece uniform support services. He was their president and leader in facility operations at the time and Bill I got to know Bill when I ran for the board of education and his union endorsed me and Bill became a friend, a true friend. Um there's not many people you can say are true friends. Bill Maloney is a true friend. He always has your back. He believes in you. He supports you. He slaps you when you need to be slapped. He's one of those people that you can

015rely on day in and day out. [snorts] And so he had a conversation with me right before he retired and said, "Sean, I want to run for the school board." I'm like, "Bill, seriously, you've been here forever. You want to keep doing this?" He goes, "Sean, I love it. It's time for me to retire, but I want to continue to give degree central." Most people, they hit the retirement date, you see their brake lights as they're whipping out of the parking lot at 100 miles an hour. Not this guy. This guy came back and did 12 more years on this board of education devoting countless hours. And for those of you in the room or at home listening or going to watch this later on YouTube, being a board member is a volunteer position, 100%

016volunteer, and you dedicate a tremendous amount of time, effort, and energy. And Bill was in the district when there were a lot of struggles both as an employee and as a board member, you know, hiring superintendent, changing the culture in Greece Central, Bill Maloney was an instrumental person in all of that happening in this school district, making us what this district is today. So for 14 years or 12 years, excuse me, he served this community and he's done an amazing job. And for that reason, for all he's given to this community, our country, our students, and to each of us as a person, I'm going to take things to my grave that Bill Maloney taught me. He made me a better person, a better individual, and I appreciate all the lessons he taught me over

017the years. And I want to thank him. And on behalf of the Greece community, I want to congratulate him on getting the board award. Bill [applause] >> [applause] [applause] >> I want I I want to thank Sean and the board of education and everyone here for the this award. It means a lot to me. And um yes, some people are born to serve and I guess I was one of those. And uh every day has been a pleasure here with all you people. And when I came home from Vietnam, I was kind of broken in a way and teachers and principles and kind of put me back together again. And uh I learned a lot through the uh 50some years that I've been here. And thank you very much. [applause] You guys Jesus. Jesus. Be

018okay. Hold on. Hold on. >> [laughter] >> The board cabinet Bailey. >> I know, right? Get around my ass. [laughter] >> [applause] >> All right. Next up, President Eberts, it's your turn to shine. >> I don't think there'll be any shining following any of that today. I feel like every time I'm up here, I'm falling like the worst scenario possible. [laughter] Um, especially when I have such a terrible message to deliver. Just joking. Um, so good evening. Um, as we enter the final weeks of the school year, it's always a time to reflect on what we have accomplished together. Throughout this year, Greece educators have continued to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of our students, colleagues, and community. Every day, our members have demonstrated professionalism, compassion, and dedication, and we would not be

019more proud of the the impact they have made on the children and families we serve. The Greece Teacher Association is equally proud of the many ways our members have supported the broader community. Through food drives, school food pantries, providing winter coats for children in need, supplying hooded sweatshirts for older students, and countless other community engagement efforts, our members have demonstrated that education extends far beyond the classroom. These efforts continue to make our association a recognized leader among unions both locally and across New York State. We are also encouraged by the strong collaborative relationships that continue to grow throughout our districts. We look forward to continuing our work through district leadership and the board of education because we believe the best days are still ahead. Together, we have built a strong foundation and through continued partnership,

020we can accomplish even more for our students and staff. One of the most encouraging developments this year has been the unprecedented level of member involvement in community committee work, shared decision-making, and building leadership opportunities. Never before have so many educators stepped forward to help shape the future of our district, and we believe this engagement is essential to our continued success. This evening, we'd also like to recognize and thank our board of education members. Board service is voluntary, often challenging, and requires an extraordinary commitment of time and energy. We sincerely appreciate all that each board member does on behalf of our student, staff, and community. In particular, we wanted to recognize longtime board members Bill Maloney and Shawn McCabe tonight. Together, they represent decades of experience and service in the Greece community. Their dedication to students,

021staff, administration, and families has helped shape our district in meaningful ways, and we wish them both the very best as they conclude their service on the board. We would also like to extend a special thank you to the board to our board president, Shawn McCabe. During his 12 years as board president along with his many additional years of board service, Shawn has been instrumental in advancing a collaborative model of leadership throughout the district. His commitment to supporting students, staff, and productive labor management relationships has helped move our district forward in positive and meaningful ways. We are grateful for his leadership and service. Thank you, President McCabe. >> Thank you, board member Maloney, and thank you all to our board of education members for your dedication and service. Finally, not done yet. Finally, we would like

022to thank our superintendent and his cabinet for their continued commitment to collaboration and partnership. The positive relationships that have been built throughout the district are making a difference, and we look forward to continuing this work together in the years ahead. On behalf of the Greece Teachers Association, thank you to all of our educators, support staff, administrators, board members, parents, and community members for making another successful year for Greece students. Have a wonderful summer, and we look forward to the great work that lies ahead. Thank you, President. [applause] >> President Lum, >> good evening. Um, for our guest updates tonight, we want to just take a moment to recognize on behalf of the administrators. I would like to recognize dedicated service requires an incredible commitment of time and heart. Much of the work happens behind the

023scenes often without recognition and the impact of that service is felt every day and families. Thank you both for your leadership and commitment to public education. During my time school, I have been fortunate to work both as board education leaison for our middle school. Those relationships have given me the opportunity to not only appreciate your service as a board member but also get to know you as a person. It has been a pleasure working with you over the years. One of the things that has made our connection especially meaningful to me was having the opportunity to work with your grand um during her three years. Watching her grow and succeed while getting to know your family brought personal connection to our professional relationship. Your pride in your family was always evident and it was a

024privilege to share such a small truly enjoy getting to know you over the years. While we certainly spent time discussing school matters, some of my favorite conversations We had nothing to do with school at all. I can vividly remember talking about our camps and the importance of having those special places where we could escape, recharge, and spend time with family and friends. Those conversations reminded me that beyond the titles and responsibilities, we are all people trying to find balance and enjoy the things that matter most. I do have to apologize. I did block you on Twitter. [laughter] >> I can imagine why. [laughter] >> [laughter] >> I mean, if that's it, that's not too bad. [laughter] >> I'll take that as a win. [laughter] >> What I will remember most, however, is your deep love

025for this community and this school district. You assumed leadership during a time when Greece was still working to rebuild and trust confidence through your grit, determination, unwavering belie. You helped lead that transformation. You understood that meaningful change does not happen overnight and that success requires a long-term vision, patience, and the courage to stay the course. Your ability to listen, bring people together, keep the focus on what was best for students, helped create a culture of pride and optimism throughout this district. You recognize the importance of investing in strong leadership and attracting talented educators who shared that vision for excellence. The positive momentum we see across Greece today did not happen by accident. It was built for years of thoughtful leadership, steady guidance, and commit to making the district stronger than the that has been restored

026in these schools and the foundation has been laid for future generations of students and staff will be a lasting part of both your legacies. For that, the sister owes you both a tremendous debt of gratitude. Thank you both for your partnership, your support of our schools and your unwavering commitment to the students and staff of Greece. Your service has left a district and we are grateful for all that you have done. Thank you. Congratulations and best wishes to come next. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Good evening everyone. Tonight we have the distinct honor of celebrating two men whose devotion to Gree school district almost every corner of I'm here to say a heartfelt thank you to Mr. for his incredible years of dedicated service on our over 40 years here in Greece as an

027employee as mentioned earlier veteran grandfather father the whole family world traveler so you serve our country our staff our integrity and wisdom truly left this district better thank you for your decades of hard work perspectives and unwavering dedication to this And finally, I want to thank for his leadership while serving on this board for as long as I have been in this district. You were the president for over 10 years, firefighter for 28 years, continent huge bills. >> Yep. and a devoted father. You have brought strong leadership, vision, collaboration, and civility in an era when this district needed it most. Now, it isn't every day that a registered Democrat St. University [laughter] congratulates a registered Republican from [laughter] today, it is absolutely in order. I checked with the parliamentary. Congratulations. >> Thank you. [applause] Thank

028you for the kind words. Go on. You [laughter] >> Thank you both. Uh we have nobody else. Karen, would you Oh, >> do you would you like to speak? >> Would you like to speak? >> All right. I wasn't sure. You weren't on my list, so I just wanted to double check. Yeah, we'll blame Gina. [laughter] Thank you for all the roles that you play whether while your room early on in your career or advocating for your staff and carrying that onto your dedicated years on the board. The team serves and I wish you and wish you well as you embark on a wonderful journey. She already told me [laughter] [clears throat] on behalf of teams local 118 executive board staff and members. We are here tonight to celebrate celebrate a truly special leader John.

029You have given your heart and soul to the central school district. You did not just hold a title. You showed up for us every single day. You put our community first and looked out for every student in our classroom. Tonight, the teachers want to give you a very special thank you. You've understood that the school district runs on teamwork. You know that our bus drivers get our kids safely to school. Our cleaners and grounds keepers keep our buildings beautiful. You know that our food service workers feed our children. and you never overlook the dedicated central office support staff and the people who keep the gears turning in the bus garage. You treated the teachers with respect, fairness, and dignity they earn every day. For that, we are incredibly grateful. Because of your leadership, our district

030is stronger, better, and the kinder place to work and learn. You leave with your ears open and your heart first. You made tough decisions with grace. As you step into your next chapter, we will miss your guidance and wisdom at the table. Thank you for your endless hours of hard work and dedication to every student, staff member, and team central. We wish you the very best of health and happiness as you write the next chapters on your journey. Enjoy the ride next year. >> There you go. >> Thank you very much, Karen. [applause] Eggs up. Welcome >> speech for you, but congratulations. [laughter] Good evening everyone. Is [snorts] it a true honor to be here tonight to the remarkable career and dedication of I [snorts] have to say >> hi hi Lisa it's a pleasure

031[laughter] >> I have heard so many stories from employees about his profound imped requ stamina, passion and deep has been a steady for all of it. But what makes truly extraordinary is his unique perspective. Having served 12 years as a union president himself. He deeply knows the challenges our educators and staff carried that invaluable insight with him directly on the board. That background incredible sense of empathy and patience which has full display. We all know those meetings can get intense when parents come to the podium issues in our schools. He listened for our students to address everything else. While it is sweet to see him retire, behind a lasting legacy of collaboration respect on behalf of thank you for 18 years of childless service we would like to wish you a happy healthy and welldeserved

032retirement >> thank you [applause] >> and now we're going to go into residence forum and I have nobody here for residents forum. I just want to take my moment to thank you guys for all the kind words from Brian, from Brian, Jeff, Karen, Lisa. It truly heartfelt and I thank you very much for taking the time and coming and saying the nice words you said about myself and Bill Maloney. So, I appreciate that. Thank you guys. [snorts] And guess what time it is? All right, I got a little bit of a summer joke going because I know we're we're edging close. Okay. Where do sheep go on vacation? The Bahamas. [laughter] [applause] >> I am truly going to miss this. [laughter] [snorts] >> All right, Vice President Stencil, you're up. Thank you, Mr. President. All

033right, moving on to personnel in action 2.01 1 staffing. Can I have someone bring staffing to the table, please? First by Miss Seaman, second by Miss Felzerano. Any comments, questions, concerns on staffing? Seeing none, all those in favor? That passes 9 to zero. Moving on to tenure. Can I ask someone bring tenure to the table? First by Mr. Butler, second by Miss Farmer. Any comments, questions, concerns on tenure? Seeing none, all those in favor? That passes 9 to zero. Moving on to uh 2.03, 03. I'd like to make a motion to consolidate 2.03 all the way through 2.12 into one um single vote. Can I have someone bring that to the table, please? First by Miss Seaman, second by Mr. Bonagorio. Comments, questions, concerns on consolidating all of those. Seeing none, all those in favor?

034The consolidation passes 9 to zero? All right. Now, now that it's consolidated, I need a motion to bring all of that to the table. First by Miss Lake, second by Mr. Butler. So now we're vote basically voting on all of this in one. Any comments, questions, concerns on this? Seeing none, all those in favor? That passes 9 to zero. Thank you so much for that. Moving on to special presentations 4.01 optimization. Superintendent Smalline, you're up. >> All right. Well, I'm excited to introduce uh Dr. Zaffitz and um Matt Cole and Scott Bishoping, both members of the uh leadership solutions advisors that are going to share um an overview on um the first phase of our optimization assessment. Thank you. >> All right. Um, just before we jump in, just want to echo u the comments

035that were made from everybody and just offer my um appreciation for the support uh not only for cabinet for for me personally from from Sean and Bill. I'm going to miss you guys and thanks for everything. I appreciate it. So, we're here tonight to give the board uh and the community an update on a project that we've been working on for quite some time. Um it's an optimization assessment and we'll get into the meaning of that uh throughout the presentation. But before we get into the actual process, um we're going to kind of start this presentation where we started the conversation that led to this this project. And we've been working on this um with our partners here who I'll introduce in just a second for for almost a year. And the reason why uh

036we started to look a little more deeply was because uh we had been having as a cabinet, as a school district, um several long-standing conversations around really complex challenges that had no easy solution. And these still exist uh in the school district today and um really serve as the foundations for this project. So, I'm going to talk about these for just a little bit and then I'll turn it over to our our partners Matt Cole and Scott Bishoping to talk a little bit about the process um that we've been engaged in over the past several months. So, we have um we have been navigating enrollment challenges uh in the school district across our attendance boundaries. Um specifically when it comes to the attendance boundaries of Olympia and Odyssey um there's a discrepancy between those two

037attendance boundaries as time goes on that's continuing to grow um and is becoming unsustainable for the district to um to manage the populations within those boundaries at the schools that they're currently assigned to. And the this original conversation, we started by looking at just maybe changing some of those boundary lines. But we quickly realized that by changing a boundary line, you lead to x number of different implications that ripple across the system. And without addressing the system as a whole, you're just going to lead to more problems by trying to patchwork solutions to each of these individual problems. So that case for um the attendance boundaries is really true for all of these different um examples I'm going to give you. There's just implications that go well above and beyond that specific challenge. We also

038heard uh at our partners in progress meetings through the superintendent's entry a desire from the community to take a look um at grade level configurations across our schools. start and end times. In addition to the attendance boundaries that I already mentioned, these were identified as areas for growth or continued exploration in those conversations. We'd also been having parallel conversations around the Alcott Road facility. So, we currently use that facility for several different programs, including Phoenix Academy. We have our tutoring programs over there. We have our transition program over there for our special education students that are um in in transition to post-secary life. We have our tutoring programs over there. We have several offices over there as well. So, these are crucial programs for the school district, but that building is unique in that it's

039not a school and doesn't have um we're not able to get aid on any any capital work over there. So there's no long-term plan to maintain that building. And as such, you know, the programs there could potentially be in jeopardy. But we're also in the midst of, as you know, a severe space squeeze crisis in the district. We have um a growing number of special education students coming into the district that have different programming needs that call for increased physical space with their related services um and their special programming classes. We don't have the current space to accommodate those let alone the programming at Alcott. So all these conversations are are ongoing at once. Just to visualize a little bit of these uh challenges. If you take a look at the uh these are the

040attendances, excuse me, the enrollments by attendance zone for our uh our secondary schools. If you look at uh the graph on the left, that's the current enrollment across grade levels for 6 through 12 for those attendance zones. You'll notice particularly with um Olympia and Odyssey, if you look on the far left in grade 12, 161 and 150, those are relatively similar numbers. But as you move across these graphs from left to right down to the kindergarten level, you'll notice that as time goes on, the discrepancy grows exponentially. So by the time um that the the kindergarteners right now, there's only 67 students that would be attending Odyssey that are currently in kindergarten, whereas 236 students are currently living in the Olympia zone at the kindergarten grade level. So that gap will continue to grow and

041we don't have the capacity in those buildings to accommodate that at this time the way we're currently structured. Just another way of visualizing those um same data points here. Um they're relatively even right now. If you look at Olympia and Odyssey in particular, 150 and 161 enrollment, but by the time that the kindergarten class arrives, um Odyssey is down roughly 83 students for that grade level while Olympia is up 75. Again, this is an unsustainable pace for the school district. I mentioned Alcott Road. A part of the the work that our partners did was to do a space analysis of what's currently going on, the current state of Alcott Road. And if you look uh at the pie chart in front of you there, you'll see that the great majority of the space, 90%ish, is

042allocated to general instruction, special education, special areas, or student services. So, these are these are critical programs for our students. They're valuable programs for our students, and we need to take a look at how we can accommodate those programs with a long-term and sustainable plan. I'm going to go through some uh special education numbers relatively quickly because you've seen these most of them in the um school budget presentations over the past couple years. But we've had a a sizable increase in our special enrollment or excuse me our special education population uh in the last five years. So we've gone from 1300 students uh to 1500 total students. Along with that increased enrollment comes an increase for related services which was uh 42% over the past five years. We also have um students awaiting placement. So

043students that we um cannot program for here in the district. In 2021 we had five of those students um identified through cse. We currently have 28 of those students. Preschoolers that are coming into kindergarten that we know already are need services. Over the past five years that number's almost doubled. and the trend is continuing to grow. Students with autism, there's been a significant increase in the special class enrollment. Um the ones those classrooms environments that require the most uh staffing and space considerations, those have gone up dramatically as well. So all that is to just kind of paint the picture of the long-standing and complex nature of these challenges that uh we're having these conversations. Um, and we've been working both internally and with some uh consultants to really try to address some of these,

044but as I said, every move that we talked about had 10 additional implications that came along with it. So, we really started to explore looking outside of the district at um a partner that could come in and that could look at these issues in a comprehensive manner um and really kind of fold all of these implications into one larger project um that met the needs and and aligned with our values. So, we were first connected with um leadership solutions advisors actually through the PLC work that we did with um with Jason Andrews. Um he connected us originally. I believe the first conversation was with Dr. Baker over a year ago and we had a few meetings kind of felt each other out a little bit. We explained some of the complex nature of these problems

045um to the team and the team came back to us with uh an approach to this um to these problems that we really felt was appropriate and was um was thorough enough to really take everything into consideration that needed to be at the time. So really three things that we thought about this approach which they will explain to you in just a second that that gave us confidence where there was a focus on coherence and around taking the implications from one move and really thinking those out thoughtfully across the system about how one move would affect different stakeholders and different uh other aspects. It involved really copious amounts of both stakeholder voice and data analysis whether that be um looking at the facility maps or our student data, transportation routes, attendance boundaries, etc. And then

046probably most of all that the real recommendations and anything that is going to be uh an implication of this study is grounded in um their knowledge of um our educational experiences and what's going to be best for our students. They really kept coming back to that as the foundation of the process which over time gave us confidence in this model. So we solidified a partnership um over the past year or so. I can say with confidence that um we have really grown uh as a team together. We've adjusted our our our views on things and we've gotten to a point where um we have a lot of trust and commitment to work together for the long haul to see this project through. Um, the final thing I'll say before I turn it over to them

047is that there is a good chance that you and anybody watching is going to leave this presentation with more questions than answers at this point, but that is really part of the process. We're here to give you an update on phase one of several phases, phase 1 a of several phases of the project. and we're going to start to turn from questions to more solutions and answers as the process moves forward. All right. So, the first part of this process they're going to um explain to you as I as I mentioned um is probably going to leave you wondering a lot of things, but that's completely appropriate at this point because we're not entering into this project with any pre-ordained solutions or goals or anywhere that we're trying to get. We're really just looking to

048learn, listen from um the community and then at the end of that put together uh the best options possible to address some of those challenges and some other things that have come up through the process. So, thanks for bearing with me through that intro. Um but that context I think was important. Um and without further ado, I'm going to turn it over to Matt Cole who's the project leader for um leadership solutions on our work together. >> Thanks. So, we usually open up all of our statements by saying we're all retired superintendent, principles, and we only do the things that we want to do, but I know that might fall flat when you just describe all those complex changes and say that begs the question, right? Like, well, why did you say yes? Like, what

049really this is what you want to do? Um, so Leadership Solution Adviserss again is a a group of uh experienced veteran educators from across the state. We'll be in four different districts just this week. um doing very different things from big districts to small districts all all sorts of kinds of things. So we share that just to give you a little bit of context. You know, I I think what's most important, what we try to bring, where that relationship gets developed is, again, we've all been principles, we've all been teachers, we've all been um curriculum directors, we've all been superintendent, we we've all we've all done the work. And so, we understand that no one answer is clear in any public endeavor. And that when you have thousands of kids, they have thousands of family

050members who have thousands of extended family members, all of which have a pretty good idea in their minds of how schools should work. And so the wonderful, brilliant, beautiful thing of public education, right? Because you experienced this as board members and as administrators is we they all come to us. They all come right there and we have to navigate through all of that voice, all of those thoughts and try to make the best decisions moving forward. And so tonight is a great example. Um how you give your time signals to us as outsiders what matters. And it was absolutely beautiful to sit there and watch honoring board members, honoring community members, how much the kids are involved um and honoring them. I mean those those things that you take time for are are really important

051and uh we have not experienced anything different than that in our in our school tours in our conversations of focus groups or stakeholder work groups. I mean you have a really wonderful community. Doesn't mean everything's perfect. Doesn't mean everything works exactly how you want it. However, you're working the work and doing it together. And that's really that's the real answer of why we're here and why we stayed and why we're happy to be here and help out. um because in retirement uh we do have those choices of just going to those places that you can make a difference and that you can move things forward. We certainly have seen that here. So, as Mike um suggested, we frame this stage of inquiry and learning up through questions. And so, that very first figuring out what

052this project is about was narrowing it into this strategic intent question, which is all right. Well, how do you optimally configure facilities to in this order provide the best educational experiences? That that's central. That's your mission. That's your purpose. That's what we're here for, right? by organizing I think that's the next slide right Mike by organizing everything that you have and then finally how do you pay for that over time we all serve during like the GA and other times where unfortunately political decisions um I see some twitches there from Mr. McCabe, right? You were serving during that time. Um, so sorry to trigger those. Um, but right where kind of the the tail was wagging the dog. Um, and certain political decisions forced on all of us some reorganization of those priorities, right? And

053that the financial crunch back in, you know, 2010ish time frame and that time frame, right, really did cause some cause some harm and reorganize that. Our process kind of learns from that. We have those twitches too from serving during that era to say it's always got to be education first. Educational experiences not just in the classroom but across the board right like how do kids come to schools feeling safe feeling welcome feeling that voice moving forward each and every day right to the best of their abilities um throughout the system. And so that is where our where our focus is. We though because we ran schools worked with boards know that you also have to have then how is it organized? How how do those resources that you do have how are they purposed? How

054are they allocated? How are they moved around? That's organizational capacity. And then financially over time making sure that you're signing on for something that's financially sustainable because otherwise you could have a great thing but it only lasts a year. Some of us have been there through some of those initiatives too. Um, and so that's that's the biggest framework of where we work and where all of our uh process comes. As Mike mentioned, we also then lay out the reality that we've all lived. Um, that things do take time. I heard that was one of the celebrations there for you, right? That this honest understanding that change takes time, right? And so we lay that out. We engage uh with folks around that to say really just sizing things up is phase one. We've done the

055inquiry learning part. We'll share a little bit more about that and we'll give you a little preview of what the assessment phase will start to shift into um as we move into next year. Finally, as we get that closer to what potential pathways may come out in phase two, we then dig in and say, "All right, now let's get really real about what those catchment areas might look like, what they might not look like, what school this might have, like how many classrooms, all those kinds of things." And we also suggest you prototype before you make a move, especially in a district this size, right? Where you're you're moving a cruise ship, you're not moving a speedboat, right? And so to prototype the design that you that you come out with, the pathway you come

056out with before actually doing it and then work on transition planning will give you the greatest success. And so it's a multi-year plan that we work together with the district to to phase things in, to look through it. Why do we signal that upfront? Well, one is like so all these conversations that we have, nothing's changing tomorrow. I think it's right. You've all heard this, but certainly important in a public session to just be direct and out there like this is not happening tomorrow. Like there's no all of a sudden come to school and oh, everything changed, right? Um it will happen over time. There'll be plenty of time for input, plenty of time for sharing as we move uh with the district leadership and the board um through that process. So what do we

057do in inquiry learning in the last number of months? [snorts] We're driven also by this that we've learned through our uh leadership that when you just keep bringing voices to the table, things get clearer. If you're open to listening, you're open to just seeing it. The more people talk, the more people that are involved, the more that like, oh, all right. Um, as a former superintendent, you know, uh, we know very well that the final decision will likely, if we do it right, disappoint everybody at least a little bit. Just a little bit, not not a lot. You don't want to disappoint everybody by a lot, right? But if you really are bringing all the voices to the table who have multiple and differing perspectives and you're finding the the best pathway through that, it

058probably is going to not be the perfect plan for every individual, right? But you're going to get close. You're going to get close by listening to people um as you move forward. And so that's what we continuously do throughout all of our work. We run all of our thoughts, all of our observations, all of our data through multiple channels, uh, community engagement, whether that be thought exchanges, whether that be other means of just getting information. At some point, there'll be surveys, those type of things. Focus groups, right? Inviting participants in to work through that. Stakeholder workg groups, those are internal capacities, especially for an organization this size, right? Getting people that are actually doing the work to be involved to share their perspectives. And then elevating student voices, listening to students as they move through

059it. We cycle that through an advisory committee that met um about once a month um to say, "All right, here's what we're hearing. Here's what we're thinking. Here's what information we're bringing together. What does that mean to you? Is that are we on track?" So they can help steer it so that as you see the report come to you, um you know, it's been through a lot of people that are here. And so in our workshop last week, we asked for a little bit more numbers. And so I made sure I went back to the the data piece and gave those numbers to you, right, to say we had 78 participants in the stakeholder work groups. We had 43 different participants in the focus groups, 78 students were involved, um, grades 5 through 12 with

060all buildings that had five um, through 12 involved. And the advisory committee was a group of 34 um, that that we brought together. So, lots and lots of different people were involved. We'll continue that as we move into the other phases, re-engage these same people and keep building uh to build out more people to be involved in the process. Some of those key themes that came up through all that work were that there were a lot of evolving student needs. Now, sometimes with listening tours and sometimes with educational research. Um, I have a good colleague and friend whose dad often uh he dedicated his life to educational research and his dad would give him a hard time because he was a farmer. He said, "Just sounds like you're just doing a whole bunch of confirming

061the duh, right?" And so some of these statements, yeah, are like going through a process that confirms maybe what you actually already know or hear or think. And that's a good thing. That means we're in alignment, right? We're finding those things. So, yeah, evolving student needs, right? kids and lives and what they need and how we need to serve them is drastically changing consistency of access to programs and supports. There's differences in different buildings. So they may have the same program as title but how they get implemented, how they how what facilities and resources they have may be different in different buildings. And so that came up in this consistency of access to programs and supports. uh alignment of learning environments and space utilization. As we said, right, there's there's um space crunches in particular

062in a number of your elementary schools because of the evolving student needs and you're doing the right things of providing positive supports for kids. As those expand, there's people involved and then those people have stuff and that stuff has to engage with kids and so space right becomes more and more uh at a premium. uh your folks are uh creatively, innovatively um using every square inch of space that they possibly can in any of those buildings. I will say that like we saw some really really creative professional problem solving that happens. Um that's not saying, hey, they got it fixed and that's not saying that they reported to us that, hey, we love it. This is great. It is reporting to you though that you've got really dedicated good people that are problem solving and

063doing the very best for kids with what they do have and that's a commendable um aspect uh transitions and system coherence right so as they move through a large system you have different models out there let's say at the elementary right there's some that are K5 there's some then that split up the the elementarymentaries and so bringing some coherence to that is what you'll see in our in our initial report here in phase of saying educational research doesn't suggest that one is better than the other. Educational research does suggest though that having one model and not multiple models is helpful for organizational capacity. It's helpful for professional development that comes along with that. It's helpful for disseminating resources. It's helpful for leadership coherence. All those things are if you're on the same page at each

064level and you you'll see a little bit more of where we were that uh enrollment trends. Um and then daily student experiences. Lots of especially from uh the students lots and lots of conversations about hey the world is changing how we learn is changing we need to keep changing along with that. So we in this first stage um again we went through this in your workshop for the board but for the public we worked with staff to say all right um what are those design principles? So at each of the major levels what kinds of things are we looking at? We took each group through a SWAT analysis to give us feedback from your local perspective about each one of these. But at preK, uh you have an expanded uh early learning center, right? And

065so how do we how how does that play in? Do you integrate prek at each elementary? And so we got feedback um from each one of those. The elementary, again, as I mentioned, there's the K2 and 35 match schools, and then there's also the K5 and that continuum. So, we got feedback on uh the the strengths and weaknesses and opportunities of threats of each ones of those. Middle school, [snorts] again, we looked a little bit different at grade seven and eight. You have some 68s that are um in their own space as 68s, some 68s that are connected as 612s, right? Right. And so we started pulling at some threads to get some feedback of design principle-wise, what where do you want to go in the future and which one u looks more uh appealing

066um to people. And then finally, the high schools. We looked at specialized high schools um which is a model that's not here but is out in the world, right? To say do you highly specialize um in certain programs or do you go with comprehensive high schools? And so we looked at all those four overarching design considerations. The report will show lots of feedback from stakeholders, focus groups, all those things we mentioned um around again strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. That then takes us to where we're transitioning to the assessment piece where what [snorts] we'll do is we'll take all that information on the design principles. So, one of the analogies I've always made, right, is like the design principles are saying, do you want to live in a ranch or twotory, right? Do you want

067to have like marble countertops or do you want to have different ones, right? just kind of getting that general feedback around how you want to design your house. We take that and then we lay it down into these options and pathways. And so what will happen next as we move into this next phase in July through next year will be to say all right based on all of that here are some different pathways of what you could do elementary, middle, high, right? And here here's how it could look. We then evaluate those at a very high level of how will they meet the educational experiences, the organizational capacity and the financial sustainability. How probable or improbable are they in meeting those objectives? And that's where the ratings then come out. Um and then we move

068through that process into the uh further further down the pike there and get into a spot of like well here's the pathway we're going to start to prototype and start moving. So, um, we're going from very wide is the process, right, down to a little bit more narrow by the end of next year to maybe two, look at two more closely, get to one, and then prototype that one and move forward questions. Right? >> I just want to add just a couple things before we jump into questions. Um, so just to re-emphasize the last point that Matt made, this is a a a slow and thoughtful process that we want to make sure that we're doing right. So we have long-standing complex problems that we know we need to solve. We want to make sure

069that we arrive at the solution that is the best for our students and staff and that is the most responsible when it comes to what we can handle organizationally and what we can handle financially. So that's why right here this this this road map here is a four-year road map of of sketched out. It's not set in stone. Neither are the um any of the the options that Matt just went through with you. Nothing's carved in stone. And that's on purpose because right now we're just taking the data that we got from listening to the stakeholders and they are packaging together different pathway options for um for you all for us to consider. So if we go by year this year um or next year I should say starting in July we're going to go

070from several different options down to a few different options. the following year we're going to go down to one option of that we really want to dig in and prototype and look at what that would actually mean for us as a recommended option before we even talk about implementation. Um so I think it's important to just reiterate uh that piece and then um also Matt and Scott are only half the team. There's two other team members that aren't here with them tonight. So Jeff Ziggler and also Cosmo Tangora, both other former superintendents that participated in this process as facilitators. They were here for four full days to do um those all day sessions with focus groups, stakeholder work groups, advisory committee. They also did a building tour of all of our schools and Phoenix Academy

071and district office and transportation um and talked with the staff here and they meet monthly with our executive cabinet to um get our feedback on their thoughts for next steps. So really all of this is coming from and running through district stakeholders whether that be the voice they get from the community or the decisions that um they recommend that get run through um through our leadership team before consideration. So, last thing I'll say before um we open it up for questions is that this project we realize is a very large scope and we're committed to uh keeping the board and the community updated throughout and also for involving stakeholders uh in the in the school district every step of the way um from here forward as we have been. So, with that said uh we'll

072open it up to questions. >> All right, questions. Bailey, >> I actually just have a comment. I wanted to say that I had a chance to be part of one of the stakeholder groups of students. um you guys came into our superintendent advisory council group and I just want to thank you for your transparency on that day kind of explaining your whole process, why you were asking these questions and your transparency today, kind of telling the community um what your final goal is really with this and just how you're just narrowing it down every year. Um it felt like more of a discussion that day. I never felt like I was being pressured and asked these questions. It was a really great group and I really appreciate all the work that you guys are doing

073and I look forward to seeing how all of this will work in our community. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Bailey. >> Miss Farmer. >> So, to the three of you and Mike especially, I I love how you laid this out for us. the details, the comprehensiveness, everything has made it. Even though we heard this some of this last time we met and Mary just said, I'm so glad that we had heard this before, tonight just gave us that little bit of extra. So, it was great to hear. Thank you. I appreciate you and you guys as always, you continue to uh speak clearly, at least in my mind, what we're hoping to accomplish in the next few years. But again, Mike, nice work. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Farmer. Any other questions, comments?

074Mr. Bonagorio, >> I I'd just like to u also uh compliment uh Dr. Zafitz and uh the advisory team um because we have had at least two uh sessions uh with with the board u and it's it's been really good to just have a lot of this information along the way. and my compliments to the superintendent on that as well. So, thank you and I look forward to, you know, the entire community hearing more and having opportunity to uh provide input. Thanks. >> Any other comments or questions? >> No. Oh, Mr. Butler. So, I I know this is far down the road, but there's uh preferences and choices and decisions that we're having to make and their financial implications to those decisions. And I wonder if you can talk at all about how those financial

075implications are going to be considered as part of this process. >> Yeah, I'll speak um just for a second based on what's what I know has already happened and then I'll turn it over to the team to fill in the future. I know that as part of um the initial process of data gathering, they had some in-depth meetings with uh Romeo and his team and then also with Dave Phelps and the um the architects and the facilities team just to get an idea of the current state and then um I know that for future planning there's going to be some considerations but the details I guess u probably depend on what pathways are out there. But if you maybe could speak in general terms about process there. >> Yeah, as you well know, every decision

076we make in schools has a financial impact, right? And so we we're cognizant of that and we we build that in. We make sure we use your numbers. Um your, you know, your budgets, your what you're looking at with that. Um we also know that there's headwinds out there, right? Like you went through that budget process this year. Talking about some of those headwinds for every school in New York State, there's headwinds. And so um that is part of our thought process. It's part of where if if you can free up some resources maybe by redesigning in different places, right? And we'll present that to you when we go through those ratings of educational experiences. We look at it just as as the educational experience. Then we downshift to your organizational capacity. So staffing, some

077of those things, then the financial piece. So you'll get elements of that at different levels of specificity. The closer we get to a final one, that's where prototyping comes, it'll be, you know, it'll be right down to what the actual budget will be. Um, some of these higher level pieces here, right? It's kind of a back of the envelope type like in a construction kind of thought process of I can give you ballparks, right, as we move through those. So that's how we'll handle it. >> Thank you, Mr. Butler. Any other questions or comments? Thank you so much. Appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, guys. >> All right, moving on to 4.02 strategic plan development update. Superintendent Smolen. >> So, I'm going to call up Dave Blowitz and myself. still got to get used

078to wearing these glasses. Um, so I'm excited to share an update on the start of our strategic uh planning process. But before I begin tonight's presentation, I just wanted to take a minute um to introduce to all of you um Dave Blowitz, who will be joining me this evening for the presentation. So, if you haven't met Dave, Dave serves as a teacher on special assignment and Dave has a unique talent for engaging stakeholders, um, building meaningful connections and ensuring that every voice is heard. Um some of you may not know this but Dave has u he took on the lead role in the development of our reach 2027 strategic plan which obviously by title expires at the end of next year. Uh during that PLA process, Dave facilitated uh deep conversations um spent time gathering

079feedback and really helped our community shape a shared vision for the future which is laid out in our current strategic plan. So, as we begin working on the creation of our Greece 2032 strategic plan, Dave has once again been instrumental in leading the initial phases of stakeholder engagement and helping us build a process that reflects the voices of our students, our staff, our families, board members, and community partners. His ability to bring people together and foster authentic dialogue has been invaluable to this work. So, I'm grateful for Dave's leadership and partnership, and I'm excited for him to share an update on where we are in the process and how we will continue building Greece 2032 together. >> Dave, appreciate. >> Thank you for those really kind words. I was not expecting that. So, uh, good

080to see everybody. Uh, thanks for having me back again. Uh, actually come up here with a little bit of a grin today. So, I just got done with a year-long process in the Kendall Central School District up on uh working on their strategic plan. And uh last night, we had our final board meeting with them for for approval of their strategic plan. So, when I started with them back in I believe it was June of 2025, you know, I told them your plan is the next one and I think I told people stories for it's going to be the best one. Um, so they were very excited about what we came up with, but literally they know that I was coming here to our board of education tonight to talk about our strategic plan, which

081is the next one. So, it's going to be the best one. So, let's go kids. Um, so when I spoke here a couple a few months ago, I talked to you this about this idea of a strategic plan and what is a a strategic plan. I offered you this idea of a just cause, right? So, something more than just strategy, something more than just metrics, right? the idea of something that could be meaningful, inspirational people, something powerful to people that will allow others to unite with us along our way, join with us along our journey, help us pursue our mission, and ultimately, right, achieve the outcomes that we're trying to achieve. So, that's what we're really trying to do with our strategic plan. I just wanted to ground you back into uh what we talked

082about a little bit the last time. And to do that, I also introduced to you this idea around the power of story and how we can use storytelling and story writing to help bring that just cause into realization. So we actually started our our storytelling this year a little bit our storytelling journey um by through a couple of different events. One you heard the optimization work. So uh Jeremy's been very very considerate around making sure there's coherence in our system. So they're doing a lot of work with focus groups uh creating a lot of executive summaries. So we want to make sure that we're including that work within our process as well. But we also had some other events within our system. So we hosted two partners in progress sessions around the strategic plan. Um,

083we had our first strategic plan advisory committee meeting which I'll talk to you a little bit about. We just had our student summit uh last Friday uh which was a great experience and uh the three people young people that you had up here today, Bailey, uh Jimmy and Silus were huge huge uh helps and supporters of that work. And then to continue our work, I just want to give you a little preview of what we're going to be talking about in August at our summer leadership academy around our strategic plan work and also what our first September meeting will look like with our strategic plan advisory committee. Uh so our first session with was with our with our partners in progress uh we had a great number of people I believe there was over 70

084people there that day um community members parents staff admin etc coming together to kind of learn a little bit about the strategic planning process. We focus greatly on the idea of a portrait of a graduate. So what are the skills, attributes, talents, mindsets that we want every student to have when we leave our system. So we asked the people in that room that question and also overlap that with the New York State portrait of the graduate to kind of find commonalities and similar similarities there. Uh so there's great dialogue between them. We came up with a great extensive list and as you can see from this visual here uh the portrait on the left side of New York State and some of the uh skills identified by the partners on the right there's a huge

085overlap and connection between that work which is great to see. So, not only is New York State pushing down some guidance, which you know is not always easily accepted, it's really speaking to what our stakeholders want from our system anyway. So, there's great connection there, which was exciting to see. For our second partners in progress session, um, which was done in April, we took the idea of, right, all right, so now we name those skills, we name those attributes what we want. What does it look like if we actually realize that for our students, right? So what are some great things some great outcomes that they'd be they'd be achieving because of the skills that they have. So we spent a little time doing a visioning article. So vision for the future thinking about um

086uh you know our graduates right now the world's taking notice what's something extra extraordinary that they've done within our system. So again uh community members, parents uh staff members, admin came together to kind of talk about some of those things to identify some vision for for what we're trying to accomplish within the Greece central school district. The great thing about this activity is what it does. It will give us some data as we look at our current vision statement and look to revise or rework any language within that. So we will bring that information synthesized to our strategic plan advisory committee to help process through that and look look at our our vision statement for the future. After that we did have our first strategic plan advisory committee meeting um which was great to see.

087We have a representative group which I'll show you on the next slide of every stakeholder within our system. Um this session, this first session were really around the idea of just kind of building the team, right? So this work is really important. Um you know, everybody's coming at different things with different lenses. So to know where everybody's coming from is is the most important thing at first. So we ground it into individual values. So what what are my values? How are they then connected into other people's values? So to try to find similarities there, at least to know where each other is coming from. And then to build upon that work, we actually grounded within the reach uh values from the strategic plan to give people a little perspective around how do your values match

088up with the values that our stakeholders came up with um five years ago to see if there's any connection there. And we'll continue to build off that work as we move forward. Uh here are the representative members from the it's a little small on the screen here uh from our from our strategic plan advisory team. There are over 30 members on this team. We have staff uh teachers uh we have three students uh Riley Riley and Taylor are um also part of they're our T-AC chairs and then Jimmy obviously as a as a board president. We have some people serving dual roles. So there are community members on on the committee as well as parents um some admin. We also had our um town clerk there join us. Not our town clerk, our town supervisor,

089sorry, and his chief of staff join us at our first meeting as well. Um as you see there it says TBD for the board meeting. And I I know Jeremy can answer a little bit more, but I know you go through a process and determine what committees that you're going to be on. So, we're looking for two representatives for the board of uh board of education to join us on that work as well. Um and even though we had our kickoff meeting, it was just kind of informal to get to know each other. So, we'll be able to pick up right where that work um left off when you come on that committee. But I want to honor and recognize this because this these are going to be the most important people. um they're going

090to take all the information that we get from all these stakeholders, thought exchanges, the optimization to kind of consolidate information to create one coherent uh document for us. I also want to just highlight the student summit. So, not only did we um answer that question around port graduate with our partners in progress, we also uh posed this question to our students. So, we had over a hundred students from our four high schools including Phoenix Academy join us at our student summit last month uh over at Boseies. The first part of the day dealt with answering the question, what skills, attributes, talents, and mindsets would you like from your peers as you leave this system within the Gree Central School District. So, as you can see in the picture here, they kind of dialogue and debated

091that. They identified some of those key skills and had some great conversations around that work. And uh I don't have any final products here because I'm still working on consolidating all the posters, but looking at the terms as I put them in a list, everything is lined with our partners and progress words as long as well as the New York State. So again, great coherence between all those things, which is what we want to see, which is awesome. Um, one highlight from that day too, I think is probably the probably the coolest thing, probably created the the the best vibe out of the whole day was just 100 kids coming together and, you know, you see all these stories on on, you know, social media around what kids are doing like this. This day was

092100% about joy. Um, kids interacting for full day, full um, you know, just great interactions, interacting with the adults there. They also set up um the students actually led this too. They set up a session where they had businesses come in. So there was trades, there was STEM, there was um healthc care that came in to kind of talk with kids. So kids were able to pick up sessions, network with uh some local community members to try to, you know, think about their workforce moving on. Uh Corey Skinner was a great help on that. So I just want to recognize him for help setting that up. And then Gina Larson and Jen Hendrickson also uh set up some opportunities for our students to learn about resume writing and how to sell themselves. Again, that was

093all directed by the student that TEAC group that came up with like these are things that we want for the summit. So, uh just a proud moment to to be a part of that and just to see how well our kids represent themselves. Just a short little video here too. Uh just wanted to show you Jimmy interviewed a couple kids and just to highlight that video. >> Joe back there. >> What we want to do for the future and >> so just talking favorite thing that you've done so far at the summit. >> At the summit? >> Yeah. Um, we have been talking about um, what we want to do for the future and it's >> so just talking to peers about your future. Okay. >> Yeah. >> I really like the breakout groups. I

094got to talk to seniors about their future plans and helping me feel more secure about my future plans. >> Okay. >> Um, I also like like seeing everybody get to meet new people. Um, the experiences with the graduates and everybody else here. This is amazing experience. I love everything about it. I >> appreciate it. Thank you guys. >> Of course. So, great great to see that hear that from our students and again the this the the theme of the summit was around joy and it brought that out in everybody. So, we we are really grateful for all the work that they put into it. Uh just a quick peak into the future. So, we have we'll be having our summer leadership academy again this year. Um so, we will be hosting that August 3rd through

095August 7th. So, the first week of August. Right now, we have currently over 250 staff members that will be joining us for those sessions. So we're really excited about that be around the art and science of teaching. So not only around the what we are teaching but how to uh be craftful within your artistry of teaching and education to pick the right instructional practices at the right time to help increase achievement which we're trying to do. Um but within that we also identified that it was a great opportunity to um get in front of staff around some of the strategic planning work because we do have 250 members there. So we'll be using some activities around values, vision, and mission to help get some voice in that process. again from there and that data will

096be taken back to the strategic plan advisory committee to kind of look at it how it fits into our plan. So again, this plan is around voice. So we're trying to find as much voice as possible like I said the partners in progress session, thought exchanges, student summits, um summer leadership academy. So we'll continue that work throughout the next school year as well. And then lastly, just for our first meeting September, um I spoke to you about what we came with uh back in uh May around starting with our values. We'll continue that value work, deepen that a little bit and again try to come up with a final list of values that are representative all the stakeholder voice within our system. So that will be our first meeting within September. >> Any questions? Comments?

097Bailey, >> I just had a comment. I wanted to thank uh Mr. Blowitz and Mrs. Tana for all of your guidance and leadership with the TEAC group this year and helping us plan the student summit. It was a blast to work with this group. Seriously, uh, Mr. Smolen has talked all year about how much of a a dynamic group we had and I cannot agree more. Um, our big kind of focus along with the portrait of the graduate was um, inside out emotions to kind of make it interactive for our students. So, like you were saying, the whole day was kind of focused around joy. And each of the breakout rooms that students in the TEAC group organized and led were based on different emotions and how we handle those emotions as high schoolers and

098how we're going to handle them as graduates. So, it was just I unfortunately wasn't able to attend the day, but working through with this year with this group was just incredible and I'm so grateful for everything all the adults did to help us plan that event and all of the students in the TEAC group. Just appreciate them. So, thank you so much. Oh, thank you, Bailey. We appreciate you more than you know. You uh you were a great help, great leader within that room and uh you made everything come to realization for the student summit. So, we really appreciate that. >> Thank you, Bailey. Miss Farmer >> comment. So, I was lucky to see our student voice shine at the students summit. >> Um I miss J Bailey, but uh was I was in a

099a focus or a breakout group with um Jimmy and Silas. They facilitated and led the the uh conversation and the discussion. It was a true joy and and this certainly exemplified the true meaning of student voice. We have Bailey with us on the on our uh school board. We we had Silus and next year we're going to have Jimmy. So, um, you all have served and all of you, you know, you three are here, but all the kids that were there were incredible and you all the grown-ups who supported and and and worked alongside of the kids. It was a wonderful event. I was I was grateful to be there. >> Appreciate that. Thank you for joining us that day, too. It was great to have you there. >> Thank you, Miss Farmer. Miss Felerano.

100>> Yes. Um, I just wanted to publicly thank you Dave and your team and um, and again Dr. Baker and Abby Toronto for organizing, but the voices that shined. It was our students that really um, brought it home. And to see the representation from all of our buildings and giving the kids opportunity to share what's most important to them, I think speaks volumes to what we're about here in Greece Central. And I just wanted to thank you for that because it was my honor and privilege to be a part of that um, that event. >> Appreciate you joining us as well. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Fzerano. Any other questions, comments? >> All right. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Appreciate your time. >> All right. Moving on to uh section five, business action.

101Um Mr. Butler, I'm going to surprise you a little bit. We're going to move the audit committee report up so you can give that first before we do our vote. I thought you might do that. So, uh, we just had our meeting yesterday and I'm giving this report on behalf of, uh, committee chair Tammy Flores, um, who, uh, ran the meeting and, uh, we had a great conversation, uh, and I'll talk about the totality of it, which includes the, uh, the the community schools audit. Um and uh we the first uh item that uh of substance on the agenda was um uh our uh external audit planning with our audit partners from MMB and uh uh Tom Zuber, a partner in the firm, uh has come uh before that group a number of times and

102and shared with us what the scope of services would be for our audit and uh as well as the audit approach. We um had selected uh um the uh the community schools program as an audit area as part of our risk assessment. The the one of the roles of the audit committee is to perform a risk assessment and then utilizing the information that comes back to us from that risk assessment to select those areas that are going to be audited. Uh and and the special area that we selected this year was community schools. It's a growing program. It wasn't selected because there was any concern about anything that was going on, but just that it is a growing program that is really becoming integral to everything that we do in the district. And so we

103saw it as a continuous improvement uh opportunity. And uh um we heard some really nice things from our from our auditors uh from uh our auditor from the Bonado group, which is the external partner that we brought in for that. He shared how uh Greece is way ahead of other districts in the community schools work and uh um and really uh stands head and shoulders above and there really it's very difficult to find somebody who is a true comparison to us just because of how much further developed our our work is. Um they there were some continuous improvement recommendations uh that uh that we'll be able to uh consider in order to really strengthen the program even further so that it can become an even more successful part of what we're doing. Uh it's the

104natural step of of development to ensure our continued success. But uh pleased to report that there were no uh items no recommendations that required a corrective action. So that's another thing that's another role that we have as a uh audit committee is those things that those audits that do result in corrective actions. It's our job as the audit committee to monitor those and ensure that the district is uh implementing them. And uh the good news is we didn't add anything to our list uh from the community schools audit. Um there are um uh uh a couple things that are still on that corrective action uh list and we heard some good news in that department as well. week uh heard about the completion of the corrective actions related to our purchasing procedures. So uh bringing

105things more in line there and uh there is still a uh corrective action uh some corrective action steps related to uh time and attendance and our extra classroom fund accounting and uh we are we will be monitoring that and uh on the audit committee. >> Thank you Mr. Butler. All right, with that report there, uh, we're going to move on to 5.01, which is the acceptance of the 2025 2026 internal audit report. Can I have someone bring that to the table, please? First by Mr. Maloney, second by Miss Seaman. Any comments, questions, concerns? As it is, all those in favor? That passes nine to zero. Thank you. All right. Moving on to anticipated bids. This is written information only. Are there any comments, questions, concerns on this? Okay, moving on to the consent agenda. Can

106I have someone bring the consent agenda to the table, please? First by Miss Seaman, second by Mr. Maloney. Any comments, questions, concerns on this? Seeing none, all those in favor? That passes 9 to zero. All right, moving on to board education action 10.01 May 2020, 2025 absentee ballot disposal. Can I have someone bring that to the table, please? First by Mr. Maloney, second by Mr. Butler. Any comments, questions, concerns on this? Seeing none, all those in favor? That passes nine to zero. All right, moving on to board of education information board committee reports 11.02 climate and excuse me, culture and climate committee elementary report. Miss like >> yes, that committee met and looked at the comments that were made. They have done a lot of work with very specific comments for teachers to make to

107parents about the um leader and me social emotional um condition of of students. And um they were given information from their school um with an analysis for each of the question or each of the comments and how it their school lined up with the district information. Um, and as I I I observed these teachers working on these, it struck me that I hope that this is all taken in perspective because it was they're based on one teacher's evaluation of a student at one moment in time and um and it's only one teacher. And so, you know, to to give a lot of weight to it and maybe compare schools, um, maybe not something we want to do with it. I think maybe it's just helpful. And the one teacher I was sitting next to. I

108I really had such respect for her. She she would look at it and go, "Oh, that's odd." Except that grades I I know two two of the teachers don't do leader and me stuff. And so, you know, there's just a lot of things that go into it, but it was it was helpful. And then the second part of the meeting was spent looking at portrait of a graduate attributes um and how they line align with leader and me attributes and there was just a really nice alignment and uh that was pretty obvious. So, that was it. They always have really good meetings. The teachers work very hard. >> Thank you, Miss. Moving on to comments. Superintendent comments. Superintendent Smolen, you're up. >> All right. So, it's not our last board meeting, but it's the my

109last opportunity to make comments before the end of the school year. So, get comfortable over there. No. Um, so tonight I I'm very proud to be here to recognize Bill Maloney as a recipient of the Board of Education award and to celebrate his 12 years of dedicated service on the board of education as well as a lifetime of service to the Grace community. And I I literally mean a lifetime. Um, Bill, as a proud United States Marine Corps veteran who served during the Vietnam War, you brought the values of duty, loyalty, and commitment to every role you held here in the district. As a board member, Bill, you offered a unique perspective rooted in your deep understanding of our schools, of our staff, and our students. and Bill, I am personally deeply grateful for your

110support, especially during my transition to superintendent. Your guidance and encouragement and unwavering commitment to this district have made a lasting impact on myself and on the entire community and we are all grateful for your extraordinary service. So, thank you, Bill. Um, I also wanted to take a moment um to highlight our student summit that took place on uh May 22nd. This summit was fully designed and led by the students of the superintendent's advisory council. Fully designed and led by them. We were just there to support. These students spent the entire year planning the event and creating opportunities for students from across the district to share their perspectives on the future of Greece Central School District. Their thoughtful insight, their leadership and willingness to engage in meaningful conversation will play an extremely important role in the

111development of our new strategic plan. It was an incredible day. I could not have been more proud as I walked out of that facility that day after experiencing uh that day um with the staff with the students and a few board members. Um it's extremely impactful. Um I also wanted to take a moment to thank uh the Greece residents who took the time on May 19th to participate in our school budget vote. Um, our 2026-27 budget was approved by a 2 to1 margin and affirmed that our community believes in our schools, believes in our staff, and the work that's happening across the district. And um, I'm truly grateful for that support. I also wanted to take a moment to um, welcome newly elected board members um, Jenny Llaca and Nicole Siki and congratulate uh, Todd

112Butler on his re-election. And again, I want to express my sincere gratitude to President Shawn McCabe and Bill Maloney for their combined 30 years of dedicated board service to our district. And I will have a lot more to say on June 16th. So, that's just a little preview of that. Um, and finally, just as we approach the end of another school year, um, and really my first full year, I'm reminded that the strength of this district is not found in a single, um, person, a program, or initiative, but it's in the relationships we build, and it's in the shared commitment we have to our students. I just want to say thank you to our board of education, our staff, families, students, and community members for the role each of you play in making Greece central

113such a spe special place for everybody. I'm grateful to be your superintendent, and I'm honored for the trust you all put me. Thank you. Have a great summer. >> Thank you, Superintendent Smolen. Moving on to student board comments. Bailey, you're up. >> All right. I just want to extend my gratitude again and um congratulate Mr. Maloney and Mr. McCabe. Uh Mr. Maloney, it's been great getting to know you, especially at the Bosey's meeting. I love chatting with you and hearing about your experience here in Greece and also talking about Notre Dame. Go Irish. Um I'm going to miss hearing you adjourn those meetings, but you're just a great human and thank you for your service. Um also, Mr. McCabe, thank you for your encouragement, for always telling me to give out those jokes and just

114for putting out a smile on my face and making me feel special and important on this board. So, I appreciate the work that both of you do. And thank you for everything. Um, last month I had the pleasure of attending All-Star Day, which is our version of Special Olympics here in Greece Central. It's an annual athletic inclusion event for our elementary school students with disabilities. Uh, students from all high schools volunteer to support our elementary school athletes. I woke up that day and I was like, "Oo, this is not looking good." It was pouring rain. It was freezing. But it didn't matter. Our athletes absolutely loved it. Um, the adults that worked on it just did a wonderful job. We had so many families and teachers there to support this day. So, it was just

115such a wonderful experience. I want to thank Mr. Leani and the All-Star Day Planning Committee for the work they did all year to make this possible. It just was an event that made me so proud to be a student in our district and proud of all the opportunities we have to give service back to our elementary school students and inspire them as high schoolers. Um, this being my last board meeting, I wanted to express my gratitude for all of your support this year. I want to thank the board members and the superintendent cabinet um just for laughing at my corny jokes, appreciating my perspective, um, for your guidance and advice, especially Mr. Smallen and Dr. Zafitz for meeting with me um once a month before these meetings just kind of chat about what to expect

116and helping me prepare for these meetings. Um I'm honored to sit alongside all of you every month and this has been such a wonderful opportunity. So thank you. Also I would like to thank my family, friends and teachers. My parents for coming to every single board meeting and supporting me through every journey of my life. I would love to thank my friends, especially the ones in the superintendent advisory council, specifically Silus from Odyssey, Jimmy from Olympia, and Dearis from Arcadia. Every month I'd reach out to them and be like, "Okay, what happened at your school so I can report it to the board." They were just such an instrumental um part of my process. Silus being such a great leader to me and Jimmy inspiring me every day. So, I am so excited for Jimmy

117and so grateful for their support. I also just want to thank our my our community um students, families, Greece residents, um those who are t tuning in at home. I appreciate your um support of our schools. Uh thank you for participating in our district, whether that be participating or coming to school events, um voting on our budget. Uh your voice truly matters and Greece is just such a great place for such a great community of people who really care about our our students. So, thank you for that. Um, and finally, I just want to share my favorite piece of advice that I've ever received in high school. Um, it's from my music teacher, Miss Dyer. She told me that being nervous isn't always a bad thing. It just means that you care. I've carried this

118with me throughout my four years, and it helps me take risks and be grateful for every opportunity and every challenge that makes me feel nervous. Um, as a graduating senior, I want to just give my best wishes to the class of 2026 on your next adventures. just want to remind you to keep dreaming and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Um, and to our underassmen, I just want to tell you to enjoy everything that Greece schools has to offer. Um, take advantage of our clubs, sports, and the opportunities to find out what you're passionate about. These are such amazing years to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. So, just to finish, I want to say most importantly, just remember to always lead with kindness. Remember that simple

119acts of kindness go a long way. and never forget the power of your words and your actions. So, thank you so much. >> Thank you, Bailey. All right, moving on to board member comments. Mr. Butler, >> thank you. Um, one of the things that I uh always think is that everything is more complex upon closer inspection. And that's nowhere been more true than my time on the school board. And so every month we get this uh memo from uh Superintendent Smolen that tells us about some of the amazing things that are going on in the district that we never would have known. And and so I just thought I'd share a couple of really quick things uh that I noticed in there. Um our Titan TV students uh at uh at Arcadia are putting together

120a video, anformational video um that's for internal use around portrait of a graduate. And I I just think that's a really cool experience for those students. And how great is it that we're taking advantage of their interest, their talent, and uh and to produce a video, much like they might produce someday if they uh were to u get into that into that line of work. Um I also appreciate how this district is one that is willing to look at what's not working, acknowledge it, and find ways to make it better. And uh we received some really positive indications from New York State around our um correct our our uh um compliance uh corrective action report around suspensions and uh and so that's a really tough thing to make progress on. It's not a fun thing

121to talk about, but it is uh our district is working really hard, our PPS department uh working every day and and getting some really positive uh acknowledgement of that hard work from New York State is something that's uh I think uh deserves to be celebrated. um our HR team uh offering a stipen to teachers who host student teachers and that's resulting in more student teachers applying and becoming teachers in our district which is a great uh strategy for uh addressing the teacher shortage. Um the uh um learned about a new uh high dosage high impact tutoring program that we're going to do that's really promising and we're doing that in partnership with the Rash Area Community Foundation. Uh, and so I'm really excited about that. And, uh, our community schools, uh, we heard a little

122bit about earlier and our director, Kelly Spurdo, is going to the national conference on that and presenting not one, not two, not three, but four different presentations at that national conference, really showing off uh, um, how we're leading the way in this in this district. So, um I I want to say thanks to the voters uh who uh um saw fit to have me represent them for another three years on this on this board. It's an honor and uh something that I certainly don't take lightly. And uh lastly, uh to Bailey, um we may ask you to tell a joke at the start of every meeting, but you're no joke. You uh you listen very well and you and you represent what you hear from your from your classmates. And that is uh um something

123uh that's really important to remember that uh we have two ears and and one mouth. So we should listen at least twice as much as we talk. I should take that advice myself. Um you always have good questions and that curiosity is something that will serve you well. It's something that I always look for when we're hiring people. So uh don't ever be afraid to ask a question that feels like a dumb question to you because it no doubt is not and other people have that same have that same question. Um, I think your service here and I believe that from your parents, uh, that what they've instilled in you and what we've seen from you, community service is something that's really important to you and, uh, um, and so I know you voted for

124the first time in this election. You got reg you hurried up to register so you could do that. And, uh, um, I won't be surprised to have the opportunity to vote for you one day. So, congratulations and uh, best of luck at Villanova. Oh, and just because she's going off the board doesn't mean you have to stop coming to board meetings. [laughter] >> Thank you, Mr. Butler. >> Mr. Maloney, you're up. >> Uh f first of all, I'd like to thank everyone for the the two 2026 Board of Education award. Um I I don't really believe I I I deserve it as much as Bailey does. I would have voted for her. But anyways, I'd like to thank all my colleagues and on the board of education. It's been a it's been wonderful. It's been

125a trip. Really, it has. And to the superintendent, I've known you for forever, it seems like. And um I I'm glad you're the superintendent. Deshawn McCay, president, for the last 12 years that I've been on the board. Uh you've done an amazing job. You're an amazing leader and this board will really uh be shocked that you are leaving and um I wish you all the best and thank you my friend for everything. >> Thank you Bill >> Tracy. >> Yes. Hey. So Bill, I wanted I will not be here the next meeting. I'll be out of the country in Italy. So, I just wanted to share with you some of the things. You're a true joy. Um, I feel this affinity with you through Gary Biker, who I know that you were close with. I

126remember telling you that friends of mine had taken their his class at MCC way back in the day. So, what you did a as far as he would I don't even know how to explain it. in order for him to get in order for you to get into the what the um the reg what is it called where you go to sign up to be uh to sign up to be a soldier? >> Oh, I went to New Haven, Connecticut. >> And what is that facility called? >> Recruiting. >> The recruiting office. He had to have people carry him up above the crowd because there was, you know, people who were and we know it was a turbulent time, but the fact that you did that just it's will stay with me forever. So, I

127wanted to say thank you for all that you've done and I appreciate getting to know you over the years. And to Sean, I won't be here next year. I I or next uh next meeting, I wish you a wonderful retirement. I I'm going to keep looking for that red mailbox as I drive down the street to my um to my um to my land to my little camp thing. And um it's been um it's been certainly a journey. And I guess I'll end it with go Bills, but I hear everybody talking about the Amir. So [laughter] here or not the Ammers, the uh the Buffalo team. The Savers. The Savers. Thank you, Todd. Thank you guys. >> Thank you, Miss Farmer. Miss Felzerano, >> are you skipping me for some? >> No, I just went

128with Okay. >> Yep. >> I I just wanted to um I did want to recognize the the Youth Hall of Fame students that were honored um a few weeks ago. These are students who have overcome disab um you know um consequences or have had an opportunity to excel in areas where there might have been a challenge. So again, I'd like to recognize those students. Um, also that we had the opportunity as a board to meet with the Greece town officials. That was wonderful. It was a great example of the whole community coming together in support of our schools. I thought that was uh wonderful. It hasn't happened in quite some time and it was very nice to have that opportunity with them. Um, recently um I I think with the uh with the graduation season

129upon us, I'm reminded by the wonderful presentation we had last week from our Odyssey students and the AP coursework, the research, because really what we're doing is preparing students for a lifetime. And with AP work, um that is a habit of mind and you will take that with you wherever you go. And as we're preparing our students for graduation, um I'm thinking we really cannot underestimate the power of a public school education. This is the dream that the world over aspires to is that piece of paper and that education that we've prepared our kids for the future. I read an article this morning and it just all came together. There was a young man in Ohio, high school student, developed a CAP, biomemed device, so that when you have an um an X-ray, you're able

130to get a clearer image because some people who have more hair on their heads were not getting an accurate picture. And so what what he [snorts] said was very compelling. He credits his experience in local public schools for fostering a sense of curiosity and learning outside of the classroom and for showing him the importance of diversity that helped him recognize the problem. Having students from all backgrounds and socioeconomic status and with that diversity there's just so many things you can learn and problems you can uncover, he said. But there are also beautiful things you can discover as well. He is going to attend Brown University where he's going to concentrate on neuroscience and engineering and he hopes to, you know, start his own biomed company someday. And reflecting on his time in high school, he

131said it was important to try new things. And I'm reminded what Bailey just shared. He said having that mindset set me up for having many different opportunities that I would have never expected. And some of those unexpected positions have been the most meaningful to me. And that what really means is putting yourself in uncomfortable situations because you never know what you could learn or end up loving. And I think if we can inspire students to love whatever it is that we've exposed them to, then I think it's a job, you know, well done. So, um, to all our future graduates, congrats. And for those prek going to kindergarten, we see you and we're ready for you. So, with that hopeful message, um, thank you to, uh, Bill and also to Sean for all of your

132years and years of dedicated service to our community. >> Thank you, Miss Fzerano. Miss Like, >> I'm sorry. Um, Bailey, it will be I'll be sad to see you go, but if there ever were a portrait of a graduate, that's you, as far as I'm concerned. Um, and they don't mention joy, but you carry joy and light wherever you go. So, um, you will have a wonderful future, I know, with those qualities. Um, Bill, I will miss you very much, but we always have New York City. [laughter] Um, Sean, Sean, we started a bit rough and I did not think I would shed a tear. parting with you, but I will very affectionately I will do that. Um, and on the personnel issue, um, I congratulate Jordan and Sarah, Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Stenzel. I'm

133sorry, Mrs. Sarah and Mr. Jordan Stenzel. Um, okay. [applause] um survey results. I know that the district is working with different survey questions to really give us information we need to make important decisions. I would like to um thank all the teachers and parents that complete these and um also the students. Um when you've got 10,000 students or 10,000 Yeah. 10,000 students and you have to make decisions um on the board. It really is helpful to know you hear individual stories but you that never tells the whole story. So please continue with these surveys. Please take them seriously. We do. Um I'm pleased that the um literacy you're continuing to tweak the ARC materials, not just accepting that program and then leaving at that, but how how does this align with the science of reading

134and to continue to develop programs um or change programs to u help that um the code of conduct Abby was so excited excited to hand these out today. Um, and I think it's just a great improvement and I would um ask parents to to look at it. I think it will be a lot more usable now. Um, it is to me anyway. Um, and I I'm pleased that the U of is doing an audit of our um current systems of behavioral support. That should help us. [clears throat] Congratulations to the Athena High School social worker Anthony Caleb who received an outstanding field instructor award from Nazareth College. He was nominated for his work by his intern. I thought that was great. The summit I agree with everything that's been said and and the thing that

135I left with one teacher had brought students in. She said the one one of her students who was there she had for math. The student never said a word in class and these students all participated joyfully and in leadership roles. So that was just amazing to see. And they weren't always the same students that you know get the awards and everything. I think that that it was really open to to many many students who would not have um been involved if it hadn't been for that. Um congratulations to GS90. They earned over $75,000 to pay for all of their expenses for the year, which is amazing to me. Um, and I'm happy to see the pilots that are coming out to like the the high impact um, tutoring and thank the Rochester Area Community Foundation.

136Um, so the Odyssey presentation at the last meeting was beyond impressive and having the postgraduates come and reinforce what those courses have done for them. Um, I always talk about looking looking for gems in the district. I think that certainly is a gem that we can replicate and uh a lot more students can benefit from that. Um so I've talked about tenure statements a lot here. I think this was our last tenure packet. The good news and bad news. The bad news is I couldn't read them all or I wouldn't have been here tonight. But the good news is we have this many young people, new people coming to our district. You've done the first three years. That's the toughest. Thank you for hanging in there and um you you'll only get better. So that's

137it. Thanks. >> All right. >> Thank you, Miss Lake. Miss Seaman, >> I actually just wanted to say as a first year, first term board member, I thoroughly enjoyed you, Bailey. Your insight in your ability to articulate what is happening from a students point of view was very impressive to me and it made a difference because that's the whole reason why I sit here is for students, you know. So, I really value your um coming to the meetings and really participating. Um and I wanted to wish you the best of luck. Enjoy this last month as it flies by. It's a busy time. Um but enjoy your summer. >> Thank you, Miss Seaman. Mr. Bonagorio. Last but not least, >> I'm making the assumption that we will have an opportunity to say a little bit

138more, but uh just in case just in case, a thank you to Bill and to President McCabe, but I'm anticipating another opportunity. So um if you haven't listened to any other or been to any other board meetings uh you would think that this is the perfect place. There is not a challenge in the world. There are a few challenges and um but it's really nice that we have opportunities to to also celebrate and uh and kind of just reflect and and yeah there are a lot of bright spots too. Uh, one challenging area that uh I was planning to uh to bring up today, but I'm going to push it off just uh because that kind of feels right is is the area of technology that uh is kind of becoming a national conversation with

139regard to schools. Uh not just AI, but also the embedded technologies that are are that districts across the country are using and the challenges that come with them. But we'll set that aside for another day. Um, this the send a year thing really comes up quickly. It it was really neat to see Bailey, Silas, and and Jimmy uh together here at at the start of the meeting and to recognize them. Uh, we all got one of these. This this this is this for all of you in TV land, it's a smile on a cookie. That's that's Bailey's personality shining through there. Um, but there's there are other smiles that that come with uh the student board members, and that's the uh parents out in in the audience. And uh I noticed it on all of

140the parent all of the parents who were in attendance uh tonight of of the three. And uh it it's neat to see the the pride in and the uh the joy on their faces. So, congratulations Bailey and uh and Jimmy coming on. Uh and Silus, thanks again. Um I do I do want to also acknowledge um from last week's meeting the the Odyssey presentation on uh the AP research class. It was extremely inspiring. Um the it was really great to see not just current students but also a student who recently graduated and is in the workforce and doing great things and another student I think well and just finishing I think going on to a doctorate. I mean I think I got that right but talking about the the impact um of of that class

141and and the district as a whole. uh extremely inspiring uh a lot of great work. Something that they all said that I think education the the education world needs to keep in mind uh is and I know it's become a resurgent idea u lately as in the in the discussions of literacy is the critical importance of of background knowledge and accumulating knowledge. Knowledge sticks to knowledge. we build upon it. And all of them spoke to that idea. Don't know if they all knowingly did it, but they they really acknowledged that point. They couldn't have gotten to where they were going and where where they've gotten without building on that um throughout their their academic careers. And it continues, right? It it's lifelong learning. It really is. Uh so that's critical to the success of all

142that educators do and that we should be striving for. Um congratulations to Sarah and Jordan. Um very happy for you too. And uh I want to turn to uh my friend Bill. It's been a pleasure. Uh we started out I was on this side. Bill was way over there. I don't think we got to know each other for a little while on the board, but uh it's been it's been really nice having him as a as a neighbor to my right here. Uh I really appreciate him. He's on occasion whispered comments to me like maybe a I' I'd pull I'd pull that motion. [laughter] Thank you for the advice, Bill. Feel feel free to text me during meetings in the future. Uh but but thank you thank you for for many years of service and

143uh and your commitment uh to the district and and to students and families. Mr. McCabe, President McCabe, um we've had our moments >> and and that and that is perfectly fine. It's been it's been a pleasure to work with you. Um, I I I want it to be known in people who've watched know we've had our moments and yet through all of that you have been nothing but professional. I've had many conversations with you privately on the phone with a you know question about you've never been unwilling to meet to talk things talk about things you've always made time. That's one of the things that goes on behind the scenes that people don't see. So, [snorts] I really appreciate that. Um, you come from a family that has a legacy of service. Uh, I don't

144recall too much about your folks. I'm sure it starts there or or above. You and your wife, both uh public servants. Your wife is a teacher. you in in um uh firefighting, school board, county legislature. I'm sure there are others um kids uh continuing that that uh that legacy uh the son in the service and uh forgive me for not remembering more but uh but that's that's a great legacy. So, >> I'm sorry. >> His wife is a captain. >> Wife is a captain. How about that? So, that's that's really impressive. Uh, thank you for all of that to all of your family and uh and thanks for your your work here and uh the assistance and the occasional sparring. I've learned a lot. So, congratulations. >> Thank you, Mr. Bonagorio. I guess it's my

145turn. So I first want to start with the AP seminar, AP research and this is really for uh the superintendent in the cabinet. Amazing presentation. I was blown away by it. Um sitting back with my instructor cap from the college level thinking about in particular that AP research piece. I would love to see that. This is a recommendation to you. Take it or leave it. But I would love to see that implemented at all the high schools in some shape or form. Because let me tell you, the skills you learn in what I would call research methods, your AP research go a long way, not just in college, but in real life when you're able to sit there, dig through the data, um not just, you know, number numeric data, but also qualitative data and

146find reliable sources of information that you can then make a critically informed decision. um you know it goes a long way whether it's your politics on how you're voting you know which house you're going to decide to buy where you're going to put your money all of those things come down to proper research and the ability to vet data and information and I think that is one of the most valuable things I have seen I had no idea to steal Mary's coin term or what you know was one of the hidden gems within Greece had no idea that was there wish everybody had an opportunity to take that and um that's fantastic and I would love to give you more college perspectives on that if you are willing to listen. So, I'll get off my

147soap box for that. Uh Bailey, I was thinking about when I was writing up some comments for you because knowing this was coming, I I wanted to say a couple things for you. Um it's been an absolute privilege to have you here on this board. I'm not just saying that to say that. I actually I really mean that. I remember a few years ago when they said a student board member was going to be a part of our group. I was kind of skeptical initially because I was like, what does that look like? How does that, you know, fall together? And now seeing with Silus's model last year, you this year, and now anticipating and getting really excited about where where Jimmy's going, um I just want to let you know I really appreciate you

148being here as well as all of us. What really stands out to me about you as an individual is your level of preparation, thoughtfulness um and professionalism that you brought to being a student board member. Um it's it's a rarity cuz I try to think about like if I was in your shoes back when I was your age, what would I have done? It would have been a mess. I can just tell you right now, it would have been a mess. I couldn't have done it. So the fact that you are doing it and I'll say the same thing I said about Silus with you. It takes bravery and courage to do what you do. All right. Um, and especially at your age, and to echo what Mr. Butler had said, I have no doubt

149you have a bright future ahead of you. Um, just seeing the way you prepare yourself, the way you articulate yourself, and and everything you bring, your parents here clearly support you in all of your endeavors, and it's awesome that you have such a support system there. Not every student does. And so, I I really I see that that definitely played a role in that. think um I know you have a bright future ahead of you. I see leadership, powerful work ethic, and the ability to really engage in important conversations that I think are going to serve you no matter where you go. Um whether you end up in like a political role down the road or some type of leadership role, I just know that you're going to do well and I wish you the

150best of luck. our loss here as a board with you moving on to your next adventure is your next school and your next um endeavors gain. So with that, I I wish you all the best. I'm looking forward to shaking your hand on the graduation stage because I go to those as do many of our board colleagues here. So um with that, I wish you a really awesome summer and to the next thing. Mr. Maloney. You know, it it's funny. Everyone just backed up like, "Oh my god, what is he going to say?" No, seriously, I I truly value the friendship that we've built here. Um, you've been a colleague, a friend, uh, a mentor in many ways, especially with certain discussions we've had behind the scenes. A lot of people don't see that at

151home, but we really do get along outside of here in spite of all the differences we may have individualistically. Um, and I I really appreciate all that you bring here. If there's one theme I would say with the three of you tonight that comes up is just service in general, service to the community, to the greater good. You clearly between your military service, the service to the district, working here, and now volunteering your time as a board member. I mean, we don't get paid for this, right? All of the time and energy you put here. You're here before most of us are here on meeting days, and you're already ready to go with all the things you want to say and whatnot. You may be quiet where you are in in what you say, but

152what you say when you do say it matters and has a lot of value. So, I just want to say I respect you. I appreciate you and I wish you the best of luck on whatever your next endeavor is going to be. Truly, >> as for President McCabe, Sean, I also consider you a friend outside of here as well. I know that we had kind of a rocky road when we started. We kind of ran against each other three years ago, which is hard to believe. And here we are now um coming together in unity and good spirit. I'd like to thank I appreciate you for believing in me, trusting me with this role um and mentoring me, you know, to let me grow and and go places I never thought were possible. So I

153I truly do value that. And to to Mark's point, you know, service clearly runs in your blood as well. Being in in the fire department doing that, I mean, that's a thankless role and especially with how dangerous it is. Um, and then 18 years on the board of education completely for free. You know, uh, a lot of people I just don't think understand that this is essentially like a second job for a lot of people. I know for me it's like having another part-time job where you you have to put a lot of time and energy into it. So, the fact that you're always prepared for questions. I know you've taken late night calls from us in the past and whatnot. Like, you've given it your all. And I I just want people to understand

154how important and valuable that is that we are going to be losing out on really a gem here because you have so much wisdom and experience and I can only hope or whoever ends up becoming president in the next round next month. They've got, you know, big shoes to fill. Truly. Yeah. And and I wish you the best of luck on the legislature. I enjoy watching those meetings as well. Those are entertaining uh to say the least. >> A little bit. >> Yep. Yep. And I also want to thank you for bringing Alex on board with us because he's fantastic. He's going to make a great parliamentarian moving forward. And um with that said, I just wish you the best of luck. I know we're going to have probably more to say in the next

155meeting, but um thank you for everything. >> Thank you. >> And President McCabe, you're up. >> I'm going to reserve my time for the next meeting. I'm going to have some things to say at the end of the next meeting, so I'm going to reserve my time. >> All right. Fair enough. With that said, Mr. Mr. Maloney, you're up. >> I'd like to I'd like to make a motion to adjourn this meeting. >> Do I have a second? >> Mr. Butler, >> I don't know who's going to do this after I leave. >> I I don't know. We're going to have to find somebody to take that. >> All those in favor of adjourning that passes nine to zero. Thank you. Have a good night, every