001water for Sudan and for you um young people to make the world a better place because you really are. And the lives you're changing we're talking about little girls who never went to school because they carried water from the time they could hold it up. So you're changing the world. You really are and um God bless you for that. And then the whole village changed with schools, with hospitals all from that well. So um the effect it's had is just astronomical. So thank you so much for what you do. All right. Don't go anywhere yet, folks. We're going to move right into our board recognition. So I would like to uh read a statement here. So this is recognition of Vicki Richardson and the Athena Middle School. All right. The Board of Education proudly recognizes
002Vicki Richardson for her extraordinary dedication to improving the lives of others through her service as vice president of Water for Sudan and has been a part of the organization located in Rochester, New York since 2016. Water for Sudan is committed to delivering sustainable quality of life services to and with the people of South Sudan by providing access to clean, safe water and improving hygiene and sanitation practices in areas of great need. The organization's work is grounded in its core values, being committed to continuous progress, collaborative in its partnerships passionate in its service, inspiring in its impact, and resourceful in maximizing opportunities to serve communities. Vicki Richardson exemplifies each of these values through her leadership, advocacy, unwavering commitment to humanitarian work. She is a powerful example of how one individual, along with a dedicated group can
003make meaningful and lasting global impact. The Board of Education also proudly recognizes Athena Middle School for its meaningful partnership with Water for Sudan and its commitment to service learning and global citizenship. Through the collective efforts of students and staff Athena Middle School has played a vital role in fundraising to support the construction of clean water wells and is currently helping to fund a sixth well to expand access to safe water for communities in need. Most recently, Vicki Richardson traveled to South Sudan as we saw here. Um to visit the wells made possible in part by Athena's contributions and returned to share her experiences with photos with the Athena Middle School community. Her work, combined with the efforts of Athena Middle School, continues to inspire students to understand the power of compassion, service, and making a
004difference beyond their immediate community. The Board of Education extends its deepest appreciation to Vicki Richardson and Athena Middle School for their outstanding commitment, leadership, and impact. Together they exemplify how partnership and purpose can create meaningful change in the world and inspire others to do the same. With that I would like to give this award out to Vicki Richardson and the Athena Middle School group for their excellent service. Um if we could have folks come up for a picture with Vicki Richardson first and then with all the students. Um that's what we would like to do. So board members? >> [applause] [laughter] [applause] >> Amazing work, Athena. All right. Moving on to staffing. Can I have somebody bring staffing to the table, please? First by Mr. Maloney, second by Mr. Buonagurio. Any questions, comments, concerns on
005staffing? With none, all those in favor? Mary and Chrissy? All those >> [laughter] >> That passes eight to zero. Uh Assistant Superintendent Larson. Thank you so much. This evening, I am excited to introduce our new principal of Olympia, Chuck LaRue. >> [applause] [applause] >> Returning to Greece Olympia in 2022 as an assistant principal was more than just a career move for Chuck. It was a homecoming. As a proud Spartan graduate, this school is a fundamental part of who he is. Chuck's mission every day is to foster the same sense of Spartan pride that shaped his own life. Chuck holds degrees from SUNY Geneseo, Nazareth College, and SUNY Oswego. While teaching in Fairport and Victor formed his educational philosophy, his time as assistant principal at Newark High School solidified his calling to leadership. The best part
006of Chuck's day is the energy students bring to the building. He finds fulfillment in seeing students as individuals and collaborating with colleagues to facilitate personal breakthroughs. For Chuck, graduation handshakes and hugs are the ultimate reward, fueling his mission to ensure every student and staff member is proud to be a Spartan. To keep pace with school life, Chuck stays active with early morning runs and workouts. Outside of work, Chuck loves to be with his family, his wife Kim and their children, George and Rose. Whether they are simply running errands or enjoying a family dinner, they enjoy being together. On weekends, he is a proud father in the stands cheering on Georgia baseball and basketball games or rooting for Rose at her cheerleading competitions. Their love is what is most important to him. Chuck is also grateful
007for the support of his parents, Chuck and Sherry LaRue, who still live within walking distance of Olympia. Along with his siblings, Nikki, Lisa, and JJ, all fellow Spartan alumni, they taught him the value of loyalty, discipline, and grit, encouraging him to pursue his passion for education. He's incredibly fortunate to work alongside an administrative team whose loyalty and commitment to the students are unmatched. The team shows up every day, not because it is their job, but because they care deeply about the success of their students. They are more than just outstanding educators and strategic thinkers. They are genuinely good people who lead with integrity and heart. He is honored to continue the legacy of the great Olympia principals who preceded him, including Mr. Mark Fleming, who continues to serve Greece proudly. He also wants to thank
008Dr. Michael Zaffuts for his tremendous support of Olympia and the Board of Education for their dedication to the Greece community. Chuck is especially grateful for the mentorship of Principal Brandon Jones, who has spent countless hours helping him develop into a more reflective and well-rounded leader. Mr. Jones helped breathe new life into Olympia at a crucial time and Chuck is grateful for his leadership. He often tells his team, "Jones is going to give you feedback whether you want it or not." >> [laughter] >> And that honest guidance is something he deeply appreciates and respects. Chuck LaRue is honored to lead Olympia and looks and looks forward to building the future together. They are many, they are one, they are Olympia. Congratulations, [applause] Chuck. >> [applause] >> All right, if I could have Superintendent Smalley, Deputy Fleming,
009and Dr. Zaffuts up for a picture. You want a photo with family? family family >> You want a photo with family? >> [laughter] [applause] >> Oh, okay. >> [laughter] [laughter] [applause] >> Go Spartans. All right, moving on to the Gus MOA new title assistant director of community schools. Can I have someone bring that to the table, please? First by Miss Falzarano, second by Miss Seaman. Any comments, questions, concerns on this? None. Seeing all those in favor? That passes 8 to 0. All right, moving on to special presentations, the 2026-2027 budget adoption presentation. Superintendent Smalley. I'll get there. Oh, here we go. Need my assistant to help with the clicking. >> [laughter] >> All right. Well, good evening. Um Well, tonight represents uh an important step in our budget development process as we ask the Board
010of Education uh to consider adoption for the proposed 2026-2027 budget. Uh this proposal reflects months of work, collaboration, and thoughtful decision-making focused on our students and our community. As a reminder, this budget is grounded in our strategic plan and our district and school improvement efforts. This framework ensures that our investments are intentional and aligned. This budget is not is not about adding programs, it's about advancing our priorities with purpose and coherence. This proposal reflects input from more than 3,000 stakeholders. We've engaged in in We've engaged our community throughout this year. And that feedback has directly shaped this plan. Tonight's proposal represents both our professional responsibility and our community's voice. The message from our community was very clear. Students' needs are increasing in complexity. Early learning requires stronger supports. Communication must continue to improve. And families
011value real-world learning opportunities. This budget is responsive to those priorities. This proposal also balances two competing realities. Significant and ongoing financial pressures. And increasing academic, social, and emotional needs of our students. We have been thoughtful and disciplined in building a plan that address both without overextending the district financially. At its core, this budget delivers strong instruction in every classroom, safe [snorts] and well-supported schools, expanded opportunities for engagement and growth, targeted supports for students who need them most, meaningful college and career pathways, and a continued investment in early learning. This is balanced and student-centered proposal. We are maintaining our focus on high-quality instruction and continuous improvement. We are investing in professional learning and collaboration to strengthen outcomes for all of our students. Expanding community school strategies reflects our commitment to supporting the whole child. Early learning
012is one of our most important investments. We are expanding pre-K access to reduce wait lists and and maintaining small kindergarten class sizes for more individualized attention. This budget proposes additional staff at the kindergarten level and refining our kindergarten curriculum to strengthen early foundations. These are proactive decisions that position students for long-term success. Students need Students' needs continue to evolve and our systems must evolve with them. This proposal increases access to specialized programming and behavioral supports. These investments allow us to better serve students within our schools and respond early and more effectively. Preparing students for life after graduation remains a central focus. We are expanding access to college credit, career pathways, and real-world experiences. Investments in digital innovation ensure our classrooms remain relevant and future-focused. Student engagement remains a priority. Athletics, arts, and clubs are essential
013to creating a sense of belonging. This budget sustains and strengthens those opportunities for all of our students. We continue to invest in the systems that keep our schools safe and operational. This includes facilities, transportation, technology, and essential services. These are These are foundations of everything we do as a district. And finally, transportation remains a complex challenge. This proposal focuses on reliability, efficiency, and responsible responsible planning for future mandates. We are taking a measured approach that prioritizes both service and fiscal responsibility. So finally, this proposed budget reflects our values and reflects our priorities and our responsibility to this community. It is a It's a plan that is responsive. It is balanced and focused on student success. I personally want to thank the Board of Education for your partnership throughout this process, as well as our staff
014and community for their input. At this point, I'll let Romeo talk about the details. Thank you, Jeremy. Good evening, everyone. Uh before we start, just an update on where we are or are not on the state budget. Uh as of today, it is still not has uh not passed. Um they passed a fifth extender, I believe, this past week. Uh from my understanding, they will pass another extender uh soon, possibly as early as this week. And that we're anticipating somewhere around mid-May um should that we should possibly see a final budget from the state. The issues that remain um at odds at the state level include the same few that we talked about earlier uh in the meeting last time, car insurance rates, climate law climate laws, school aid, and tier six pension reform. So,
015with that, not spending a ton of time because we've reviewed most of this. Looking at our state aid here in the second to last column uh on the right, um you can see our foundation aid uh went up a little bit. Um That is a 1% increase under uh the do minimum for us. We are anticipating possibly 2%, but at this point, we have not seen it, so we have not included it. In the green highlights, you'll see a couple of adjustments we've made to building aid and BOCES aid to better reflect where we believe our aid will come in for 26-27. So, our total um state aid revenue that we will be utilizing is 171.4 million dollars going forward at this point. Taking a look at revenues um on a highlighted uh portion, the
016171.4 in state aid uh comes from the previous slide that makes up about almost just over half of our revenues uh for the 26-27 school year. The tax levy is in compliance with the tax tax cap calculations. We remained at the maximum allowable levy at million dollars. That levy represents about 39 or 40% of our revenues for the year. Our total revenues anticipated are 335.4 million dollars as you see on the bottom for an increase of just under 17% or about 5.31% increase in revenues from 26-27 over 25-26. On the expense side, we've broken this down by object and then by function. Here you can see it by object where we detail out salaries, um equipment, contracts, and the different types of break break breakdowns there. Salaries are up almost 5% at about 4.9%. And
017you can see some of the other increases there. The next highest increase was contract services and supplies. Again, those are all our utility bills, our transportation contracts, and all the other services and supplies that we purchase throughout the year. When we look at it on a functional basis, general support versus um instruction and the other categories there. Um the largest portion of the budget is obviously instruction with over 50% um of the total budget being focused on instruction followed by undistributed which is at the bottom. That represents all the benefits and retirement costs, social security, debt service, workers comp, all those other things that again are related to our staff and our contracts. Again, budget's at 335.4 million with a 17 million dollar increase. Just to summarize again, you can see the same information here.
018The budget the budget increases 5.3% 5.31. The levy is [snorts] up 2.27% and is in compliance with the tax cap calculation. So, in order for the budget to pass, we need 50% plus one vote or a majority vote and the budget will be accepted. The second item that is on the ballot for May 19th is bus replacement purchase. There are no electric buses being proposed for purchase in 26-27. This proposition seeks to replace 35 buses. You can see the breakdown in the first bullet. They will be all gas or diesel buses. Um The aggregated cost is 5.9 million dollars. We're going to use 2.7 million dollars from our bus reserve. And then we'll finance the rest of the purchase through debt service and then that will be offset by state aid that we receive um
019on the buses after the five-year period and that cost to residents and to the levy will be zero. Okay, so um we encourage all of our residents to come and vote um on May 19th. Um really for convenience and to avoid confusion, we have gone to one centralized um location which is right here um at the transportation center. Polls open at 6:00 um close at 9:00 and just a reminder that to be eligible um voters must be registered with Monroe County Board of Elections. Um early voting by mail. All registered voters are eligible to vote by mail, but those that wish to vote by mail must complete an application. Applications will be available on the district website beginning April 23rd. And once that application is verified, the voter will be mailed an official ballot. Um
020or they can pick one up in in person at district office. So, what's next? So, as you all know as I mentioned earlier today, the board will have an opportunity to support and and approve our proposed budget. Friday, April 24th, the budget book is available to the public. On May 5th, there will be an official budget public hearing prior to our board meeting. On May 11th, we will have board candidates night. Um there's four candidates this year and that will be held right here in the transportation center. More information will be out on on the specific time for that. And again, May 19th, we'll have our budget vote and our board elections. Thank you. All right. That was our presentation. Now, we're going to move on to adopting the budget. Can I have someone bring
021that to the table, please? First by Miss Seaman, second by Mr. Maloney. There are no questions on this. Um I'm requesting a roll call vote. And Mr. Parliamentarian, I just are we able to give a statement before the roll call vote or for each vote? Uh before the vote, uh no, you'd probably want to do it during the discussion before the vote. Okay. >> Right now. Okay. So, with that said, I'm No, I don't have any questions. I just wanted to vote. >> Oh, okay. All right. Do you have a question, Mr. Bonfiglio? >> want to make a comment. Do that. We get some This is why I'm confused cuz usually we're allowed to make a comment before a roll call vote. So, I just wanted to clarify. Technically, there isn't supposed to be discussion
022during a roll call, but um right now when the questions on the on the floor, it would be an appropriate time to discuss it. Okay. So, we've we've already brought the It's on the floor. It's on the floor. Okay. So, we should have done it beforehand. Is what you're saying? Right now. No, the the question >> Oh, so now they can So, now is the Got you. Okay. Sorry about that. I just want to make sure we're following the right protocol. All right. Mr. Bonfiglio. I just want to acknowledge the the very hard work that's gone into this process. Um the very um deliberate efforts um to maintain a a sound budget in the face of some challenges that um that have been brought before us. We know the state has has every year has
023issues getting a budget and the the state aid is is is below where it should be. Uh I just want to emphasize to our community um the the tax levy is at the maximum that is permitted. It's actually below the rate of inflation over the past year. So, we're not even keeping up real spending. We're just about there. Um it's a very it's a very prudent plan and um and given the challenges, I just yeah, I I think the team has put a lot has has just been very um has put a really good plan in place in a very challenging time. Um there will always be struggles with the composition of the budget. Um but we work through that process. So, uh I'm looking forward to supporting it. And good work to all our
024team and all the staff out in the community our our school community. Miss Like. Um I would like to also thank Romeo and his whole um department. Um it's been a real education um learning the kinds of things that are done with the money. Um how fiscally responsible we are, the different reserves, and how they're maintained for just such a time as this because if we did not have those, it would be a disaster this year. And um already the um the superintendent is looking ahead at what's coming next year and then how we'll respond to that in as um fiscally responsible manner as we can. So, thanks Romeo and for everyone who works on that end. Anyone? No. I do want to just um give a shout-out again to the um finance team for
025everything you guys are doing. It's fantastic work. I feel, you know, very reassured with everything that's here. Um and also to the entire cabinet and our our Greece family here. I mean, without all of you working together night and day to make all of this happen, we wouldn't be here right now. And you know, let's be real. We are going to make some hard choices moving forward into the future, but we have to as a community um because we were doing it for the best of our our staff, but also our students. And we want to make sure that they all have a bright, equitable future where they can achieve the best possible. So, I I want to congratulate Superintendent Smalley and all of his team here and for for everything that you guys have
026done. I know it it's hard work. I can't imagine the sleepless nights you guys have had over it. So, we as a board do support you. What's that? Oh, well, yeah, I guess we'll find out, but All right. Um, President McCabe, I don't know, did you want to say anything? Oh, you're on mute. No, he's talking, but it's not coming through our end. Oh. Okay. I'm sorry, Shawn. >> [laughter] >> We tried. All right. Move moving on with the um that I guess we're going to start with our roll call vote. So, Mr. Maloney. Yes. Mr. Bonagurio. Yes. Ms. Seaman. Yes. Ms. Felzerano. Yes. Ms. Like. Yes. Ms. Farmer. Well done. Yes. Mr. McCabe, President McCabe, I should say. I'm assuming that's a yes. All right. And myself is a yes. So, that passes eight
027to zero. >> [applause] [applause] >> All right, moving on to property tax report card adoption. Can I have someone bring that to the table, please? First by Ms. Seaman, second by Ms. Farmer. Any questions, comments, concerns on that? No? All those in favor? That passes eight to zero. All right, moving on to the tax certiorari settlement. Can I have someone bring that to the table, please? First by Mr. Bonagurio, second by Ms. Farmer. Questions, comments, concerns on that? Oh. Oh, Ms. Farmer? Oh. That's okay. Any uh um Okay, so no one has questions. All those in favor? All right, that passes eight to zero. Moving on to quarterly reporting of professional service contracts greater than 50,000. Can I have someone bring that to the table, please? First by Ms. Seaman, second by Mr. Maloney. Comments,
028questions, concerns on that? No? All those in favor? That passes eight to zero. The updated yearly appointment district treasurer um Can I have a first on that? First by Ms. Felzerano, second by Ms. Farmer. Any comments, questions, concerns on that? Seeing none, all those in favor? That passes eight to zero. And superintendent opening day t-shirt resolution approval. Can I have someone bring that to the table, please? First by Ms. Seaman, second by Mr. Maloney. Comments, questions, concerns on that? Nothing? Oh, okay. All right, with that, all those in favor? That passes eight to zero. All right, moving on to business information. So, quarterly reporting of professional service contracts greater than 20,000 and up to 50,000. This is written information only. Are there any comments? I'm like, did I did I do that? >> [laughter] >>
029I need to shut off my mic. Um Any comments, questions, concerns on that? No? Okay. Moving on to anticipated bids. This is also written information only. Any comments, questions, concerns on this? No? Okay. Moving on to the consent agenda. Oh. They're written information only. I think you're just trying to challenge me here and see if I know what I'm doing. All right, I get it. You're going to make Shawn sweat over here. All right, moving on to the consent agenda. Can I have someone bring the consent agenda to the table? First by Ms. Seaman, second by Ms. Farmer. Any comments, questions, concerns on the consent agenda? Seeing none, all those in favor? That passes eight to zero. All right, moving on to Board of Education action. The 2026-2027 reorganization meeting approval. Can I have someone
030bring that to the table, please? First by Mr. Maloney, second by Ms. Seaman. Any comments, questions, concerns on this? Seeing none, all those in favor? That passes eight to zero. Moving on to the 2026-2027 board meeting dates approval. Can I have someone bring that to the table, please? First by Ms. Farmer, second by Ms. Felzerano. Any questions, comments, concerns on that? Seeing none, all those in favor? That passes eight to zero. Moving on to the 2026-2027 Monroe 2 Orleans BOCES budget vote. Can I have someone bring that to the table, please? First by Ms. Like, second by Ms. Farmer. Comments, questions, concerns on this? Seeing none, all those in favor? That passes eight to zero. Moving on to the 2026-2027 Monroe 2 Orleans BOCES board candidates vote. Can I have someone bring that to the
031table, please? First by Ms. Seaman, second by Ms. Farmer. Comments, questions, concerns on this? Seeing none, all all those in favor? That passes eight to zero. All right, moving on to Board of Education information, board committee reports. The Monroe County School Board Association information exchange report, Ms. Felzerano. Thank you. On April 15th, I attended the information exchange from Monroe County School Board and the topic was mindful schools strategies for supporting students and staff well-being. Um it was presented by Rebecca Block from the University of Rochester and she's the manager of health promotion initiatives at the U of R. Um this is a very familiar topic to us in the sense of having mindfulness um interspersed within our schools um and it's something that we have are very aware of uh regionally. Um the Univer- uh
032University of Rochester project is an initiative that is offered and it's a portfolio of mindful and contemplative programs, but what's unique about it is what started as a program for their university students has um been extended to the faculty and staff um with the idea that that by strengthening the presence and skills of those who teach, mentor, and care for students, uh the project embeds mindfulness um into university classrooms, workplaces, and health care settings. And the goal is that through the various programs and classes that they drive change that shapes the university students' [clears throat] daily living and learning environments so that mindfulness truly is embedded throughout the uh the campus. And they've got a wide variety of programs that they offer um to their students and faculty. Thank you, Ms. Felzerano. All right, Monroe
033County School Board Association legislative report, Ms. Like. The curriculum committee met at the same time, so I went to that meeting and Mr. Bonagurio will give a report. Mr. Bonagurio. Thank you. Um yeah, I did uh attend um Regent Hill uh was the speaker. Uh his focus was on the um the redesign of of uh what he called an overhaul of the way we do school in New York beyond the four walls of a classroom. The focus was on uh a portrait of a graduate. Um he acknowledged uh that districts are looking for more information. He largely said it's it's going to be pushed back to us to develop a lot of the uh the redesign. Uh he said districts will need to rethink instruction, assessment, curriculum, and learning experiences. Uh he said that um
034we will be getting uh guidance, rubrics, and standards revisions uh rolled out through through 2026 and 2027. Uh and expected that funding for implementation will be in the upcoming state budget. I guess we'll we'll find out. Um He also noted that uh teacher education programs are being updated to align with the new model and that a future portrait of an educator is anticipated uh to define define expectations for teacher competencies. Um there were uh several questions regarding uh special education and and uh underserved communities. And uh and then he just noted this is uh this is part of the larger New York Inspire transformation portfolio. And if I could add a little bit, Mark. Thank you. Um he also talked a lot about CTE and what that might look like in the um future in
035terms of people, work, and how that might look for the kids as As continue to graduate and we have our CTE man here, Corey. So, you got a lot coming cutting out for you. >> [laughter] >> Thank you. All right, with that all said, Mr. Maloney, you're up. I'd like to make a motion to adjourn this meeting. Do I have a second? Ms. Farmer, all those in favor? All right, that passes eight to zero. Good night, everybody. Thank you.