001Thank you. Good evening. Tonight is August 28th, 2026. We're excited for the beginning of the school year. Can I have a motion to return to public session? Sure. Barber, seconded by Bill. All those in favor? 5. [Music] Uh we would I'd like take an opportunity to uh welcome you Hudson to our board table. We're looking forward to a great year with you. We really want to hear from you. Um so we we do welcome you to join our dialogues, share the student perspective and um really make this a great year. Um, so I don't know if you want to take a minute, if it's appropriate, you can just share some information about yourself so we can get to know you a little, not to put you on the spot, but maybe at least like you
002know what year you're in, whatever you like to share with us. >> Um, hi everyone. I'm Hudson. Uh, I'm really excited to be here. I'll be a junior this year. Uh, I've gone through I've been here since kindergarten. Um, and I'm really excited for the year. Uh, sorry, I don't really know what else to say. >> That was perfect. Thank you. And now we're going to stand for the pledge of allegiance if that's okay. But welcome. Thank you. >> I pledge algiance 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. >> Moving on to 6.0. Are there any board announcements? I'd like to take a minute to thank our administration for such a fantastic, heartwarming, energyfilled
003start to the year yesterday. It was amazing to be in our new facilities. Want to take a moment to thank our facilities team who worked tirelessly over the summer from Mike jumping in hands-on work to every single custodian and groundskeeper, all of even our all of our 12year staff. a 12 month staff that's here over the summer just to get us ready for yesterday. It was really heartwarming. Um, and just the buzz in the room was electric, I think. And the district office may have won the ice cream social this year. So, it's um and you know, I was really shocked. And those of you um who may be watching that were in that room yesterday, those of you who got the Buffalo question wrong, shame on you. [Music] There was a question in our
004trivia contest. Um, what is the first city that had electric street lights? And Buffalo was one of the answers. And those who didn't see that little gem, hanging there for them, >> very disappointing. >> Uh, but it's been exciting to drive around um the campus these last couple days and see all the students out on the fields and this and the school coming alive. Um, welcome to our new staff members. We're really excited to have you with us and we're looking just forward to a fantastic year and empowering all with belonging and mattering was I think a strong part of your message yesterday. Um, joining adding that mattering piece um I think is just bringing us to the next level. So, thank you. >> I think empowering all was also a trivia question. >> Yes,
005it was. >> I think almost everybody got that right. I don't think there was one wrong on on that. If I could just add a thank you to our community and we're going to have ample time in the near future to hear a detailed update on the capital construction that's been ongoing, but thank you again for supporting the work of the bond and thank you to everyone at this table for the unbelievable work that has occurred over the summer and we appreciate the opportunity to get a preview of that tonight and cannot wait for our students to see the changes to our buildings and just, you know, thank you. It's it's amazing progress in a short period of time and we're super excited about the work and I think our community is going to be
006so proud and and and really happy to come back to KLSD in every building. So, thank you. >> Also, thank you to Marjorie because you were instrumental in a lot of that work bringing it through to fruition, but you definitely were. So, thank you also for that. >> It was exciting. Um, I guess moving on, nobody else. 7.01 01 update on our enrollment and class size for September 2025. >> So Neil's gonna walk us through this again as as usual. So thank you very much Neil. Just a couple of little adjustments from the past. So thank you. >> Yeah, very uh some you know significant adjustments just and we'll take a look at those I think on the last page. Um and thanks to the board for uh giving some feedback and I think it's
007just enhancing uh that last page there. Uh first I want to thank uh Victoria Freriedman and the hardworking clerical at all of our buildings who just really helped uh with the registration enrollment of all our students and taking good care of our families. And just remind the board and community the class size enrollment presentation is a snapshot of where we are in August from about a few days ago. Right. So the numbers can fluctuate a little bit between now and late October. and late October um is the day that we report to the state uh our final numbers for uh the district as do all districts in New York State do. Uh just to remind everyone about our class size parameters. Uh they are contractually obligated numbers. Our obviously our goal is to always stay
008within the range. Uh but you'll see that there's a lot of our classes at goal or below goal, especially in elementary school, which you'll see momentarily. uh and uh all of our classes um K uh to 12 um are at range or below the range. Okay, the f we'll we'll uh review the three elementary schools first, look at some subtotals from elementary and then we'll uh skip to the middle school and high school. Um if you look kind of from the left to the right there, we started in October of 2024 and that's significant because that's the date uh in the month that we report numbers to the state as total numbers for in for all of our schools. And if you look kind of uh slide on over to the right hand side, the
009August of 2025 column, that's where we are K to 5 at Increased Elementary and the number of sections to the right and the average class size there also to the right of that in that far right column. And as you can see that average class size uh all all those uh class size numbers are below uh the range and at goal. Um you have the number there. I'm sorry I don't have my great glasses. I have another pair of glasses. 493 I think is I just have a new prescription and this one is like just a little off. Uh so thank you. Yeah, 493 there. Sorry about that. For Katona Elementary, uh the slide is organized in the same way as increase Miller. You can see where we were in October of 24 and where
010we are now at at Katona Elementary with uh the number of students by grade uh totaling 399 and the 21 sections there. And again the average class side uh the class size uh everything there at goal for me pond again same format uh the difference here it's our special class uh there you can see uh toward the bottom of the matrix there with the 31 students and the four sections totaling 367 students and a total of 22 sections again class size all within the golden range. Thank you. Yeah, that'd be great. Yeah, thank you. Our subtotals for elementary, you can see projected where we were for 2024. Um, and then where we actually were in uh last October and projected for 2025 back in the spring when we had that number and where we are
011uh as of uh just a couple days ago. As I said, this snapshot moving to the middle school. Uh we have uh the column there from October 2024 or where we were uh where we were projected in the middle and then where we are now. You can see there's a reduction there of 14 students. Uh that little asterk there in uh 629 the 629 number was in the budget book. Um you can see that 205 plus 200 plus 220 doesn't add up to um 629 adds up to 625 but that includes for ungraded students. We just wanted to make sure uh the board and community was aware of that. Uh you can see that fluctuation in the difference between where we were in October of 2024 and where we are now. The difference of students
012there. Um you can see that that eighth grade class of 211 moving out right uh from last year and then uh being uh kind of as if you will replaced by um a a class of sixth graders coming in now. Uh that that's about 11 kids less. Uh so right there that that accounts for a lot of that difference between the 6:30 in October and where we are now at 616 for the high school. Again, same format as the middle school where we were in October, where we are uh now and then the projection there in the middle. Uh the difference between that 912 and 8.85. Again, if you could look at where we were in the column, October 2024 for the seniors there um at 2 uh 34. Yeah, thank you very much. And
013then now the incoming freshman class coming in at 210. You know, that's a difference of uh 24 students there. And so that makes up a lot of the difference between that 912 and that 8.85. And uh thank you Ray. In the beginning you you said we made some changes and I think the board for suggestion this is really um really good. You can see in that uh actual October 2024 column we added um and also as well in the August uh column as well. We added the outofd district CSC uh placement of students and uh we did that just to make sure uh we were showing all the numbers and those uh students there have f have taxpayer dollars. So we just wanted to make sure that that was up there for people to see.
014So where we were last year at uh uh 2797 and then where we are today at 2777. That is the last slide. and we're all happy to try to answer any questions. >> Thank you, Neil. I appreciate it very much. >> And I think just as we close off of this one on to the next, um you'll see in these numbers and when we look at our our projections, uh our live birth rates right now would see there's no major swing up and down, we do have a class at the high school about 241. You'll see I think that's a sophomore class. So when that comes out, I I would anticipate that we'll be staying around that 870 for the foreseeable future at the high school. So just let you know, we're not seeing any
015live birth rate changes, >> right? >> Yeah. >> And just and then looking also at the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade that's coming, you know, coming into the high school next, you know, one to three years. Yeah. >> So thank you, Neil. >> Yep. My pleasure. >> Then I think uh we're going to keep Neil going if that's all right. just go ahead and shift right to the 25-y year recognition. And so, um, just as this comes up on board as we do this PowerPoint change, if that's all right and behind the scenes there. So, as we get that new one coming up, um, Neil went through this yesterday with our welcome back that you had mentioned. So, we gave a chance to do this. Neil and his team goes ahead and coordinates the bowls
016of 25 years of service engraved and everything like that that go ahead and uh, get awarded, not awarded, but presented to our faculty and thanks for doing that yesterday. >> Oh, yeah. Our pleasure. Thanks to your team for getting all the bowls up. >> Yeah. Yeah. Sylvia Rivero, Lorie Allen, and Gail Weiss, who also works in the business department. Um, they were instrumental in the wrapping of the bowls. I of course could do it, but much much better. Yeah. Much better. Much prettier, much better for for them to help coordinate it. So, um, as in uh all the things we do, it takes a it takes a team. Um, and so I just really proud of them and and great to have a lot of gratitude for them to be in in our in our
017district office. Um, so as Ray said, um, Ray, did you want to make any other remarks? Yeah. Uh, so each September for I think a very long time, we've honored our staff members who have been with the district for 25 years. Um, and we just made note yesterday morning uh just how important they are to the fabric of the community and to their dedication to their commitment and and in and not only uh impacting their colleagues but of course the hundreds if not thousands of students that they and families that they've impacted over the years and just how uh full of uh gratitude we are for each and every one of them and they range in in department as you saw uh from from all over. So it's very exciting. Uh, June Bourne, a bus
018attendant in the transportation department. Jennifer Cuzo, a world language teacher at John J High School. Susan Fowler, secretary of school administrator and special education services. Denise Freley, a special education teacher here at the high school. David Frick, a math and science teacher in John J. Middle School. Jod Jiren, an English teacher at John J Middle School. Craig Jettson at Katana Elementary. Rol Lond, a custodian in operations maintenance. He's here in the high school. Yeah. Yeah. Lovely man. >> Uh Israel Marcos, bus driver. Tracy Merritt, elementary teacher at Meadow Pond. Trisha Murphy, social studies teacher here at the high school. Renee Saiuntus, math teacher at John J. High School. Martin Rojos, bus driver. Colleen Walsh, elementary teacher, Jill Walsh, elementary teacher, as well as uh finally uh Lisa Wilin, an elementary teacher at Katon Elementary. And
019again, we thank each and every one of them for their 25 years of really special service to a really special district. So, can't thank them enough. A >> lot of gratitude for them. And >> it's amazing how many of them have touched our lives personally with having at least one, if not some of them, three of my children. So, Yeah. >> Uh they just it's a really special team we have here. >> Yeah. >> Agreed. >> Yeah. >> Would it be okay to pull item 10.04 out of the consent agenda and we can vote on it separately and then have a round of applause for them? >> Absolutely. >> I would love to do that. Okay. >> Is that next? No, we have public comment next to get ahead. >> Uh as there is no
020one here for public comment, I'm going to close public comment 8.01 at this time. >> I would love to move resolution 10.04. 4. >> Perfect. >> Second. All those in favor. >> Congratulations. [Applause] >> And I do want to add one thing that was really just lovely yesterday is the hugs. They all work in different schools, but just the hugs that they gave each other and congratulation. >> Um, it's just it's really there's they're like they're a team. It's great. No matter where they are in the district. >> It's so true. >> Yeah, it's so true. Yeah. >> Um I think we also have to pull item 12.21 from the consent agenda. >> Just move the rest of 10 without 10.04 which we just >> um >> so we're going to move the the entire
021consent agenda at one time. So we are going to pull 121. >> Y >> um so can I have a motion to move the rest of the consent agenda except for 12.2 21 Marjorie second. I'll I'll second. All those in favor and then I'll move um for 12.21. Can I have a second on that? Carolyn, all those in favor? We just uh coach Fagger, we are very fortunate to be joining us. She is the most wins in volleyball in New York State. She has over 600 wins. she is joining us as a volunteer coach. >> So, um she's going to be assisting her daughter is who be the head coach and um just unbelievable luck that we have to have her with us. So, we're very excited for for uh >> I always say she
022was born to coach. >> Yes. >> Uh she's pretty amazing. >> That's really cool. >> And so talented and I've seen the two of them coach together when they were at Gley. So, we're really in for a special treat there. Uh, moving on to uh 14.01. Anything for board dialogue or discussion? >> I was wondering what the feedback has been on the cell phone policy. >> What policy? >> Some clarity messaging went out, I think, today and some of your phones may have rang and things like that. So I I think it really is as much of uh if anything it's been mo it's been pretty much supportive and just and wondering like how you going to make it happen >> and then so folks are just and oh it's a state law and so
023all of those mixes and things and so we've got four days next week we'll work it through and again one of the pieces that as we all know that you know our teachers are there to teach our ministers to help coordinate and orchestrate we don't have you know enough people to go out and check with these things like you have it put it away, keep it away, backpack, locker, just and that's it. And so that's a piece what would be there. And uh the reality of when I think we shared last year at the end of the year when we spoke and shared out with our children said that, you know, we think we would have been better off not having these devices in school here. And so it'll be some growing challenges and stuff,
024but I think not being alone on that space is certainly very helpful. And then we'll be able to walk it through. So, but it's been it's been pretty straight. And and you made the teachers practice yesterday. >> I did. >> The teachers had to put their cell phones away at the beginning >> and then had to put them back. >> Yes. We pulled them out for an educational purpose of the trivia contest and then they put them back in. >> Thank you. >> Um I have one other topic for um dialogue if anybody doesn't have anything else. So we received an invitation. I believe it went out to the entire board from a community um program called Thrive. uh they are the group that brought us a amazing presentation for students and adults two years
025ago um on addiction um and it was very powerful and they have reached out we've partnered with Bedford um central school district on different projects before and they are looking to have a board member liaison um and I don't know if with not having John and Arwin here if it's appropriate to play somebody but I thought for tonight's meeting, maybe we could um talk about it and see if there's interest and then um everybody could think about it and since we're back together next week, maybe it might be appropriate at that point and I'll reach out to John and Arwin um separately just to let them know about that and they'll be we'll be deciding next week if we um who we want to appoint to it. But if I don't know if there's any
026interest in um discussion of the Thrive program, >> I think it'd be helpful to know um any other you know like the Bedford board or do they have a leazison on as well? I don't think I I got that in the message from them if they already have one. And then just un understand a little bit more um you know how can we be helpful? what is the nature of the the the coordination so that we can just be thoughtful and thinking about how we're going to engage, but sounds like it's a fantastic um group. I don't know if maybe we know a little bit more about them from before um I was here, but I'm generally in favor. I think is just helpful to understand a little bit more about, you know, are the
027other districts also sending um someone Exactly. >> Okay. So I >> Well, I'm sorry. I would just add in terms of I I support partnering with this organization. Absolutely. And it does sound as if they're inviting us and um Bedford Central, but you know, they refer to both local school boards. >> And I'm I'm just wondering whether we schoolboard volunteers are actually the best exeicio members for this partnership. So I I really support partnering. I believe you can't imagine Bedford Central wouldn't also want to partner, but if we're going to be in the position of having an exeicio board member, are we in the best position to articulate what's being asked here, which is like, you know, the the needs of certain populations? I had the same thought, >> but I I I I think
028it's a great invitation and a great opportunity to strengthen our connection, but I want to make sure we are able to put the right person in contact with that organization. >> And are you saying board versus administration, Marjorie? I'm not >> maybe so board versus administration versus even PTO, parent council. I'm really not 100% sure. I haven't solved it for myself, but it was just a question that I had when thinking about wanting this to be an effective exeicio member. >> So maybe as >> those are all great points. Yeah, I will email them back um ask these questions and then I'll bring it to our board and I don't there's there's no deadline that they provided us. So I think we have enough time that even if so next meeting we can probably have
029another discussion on the topic. Um, I'll hopefully have re hopefully I'll have received, you know, we're right in the holiday time, but I will send an email tonight when I get home and see if we can get some more information and try to get some guidance from them of what they're looking >> Yeah. What kind of things are they wanting to coordinate or picturing be helpful to know >> and and so with that, one of the things that and I know this group has been kind of been renamed in in that regard. And so, um, I would anticipate that they've been awarded, uh, probably fairly recently a federal grant to make this project go. >> And then, um, I was used to a similar piece like this and and where that group had used that,
030we were able to as a district kind of, um, get some part of that grant to help fund and the district had already put into our student assistance counselor we have here. So, you have a student assistance counselor here before I got here. So the board committed to that and so that was a part that frankly I was used to that was how we were involved in that version five and then we kind of came on board with that group and we worked as a larger community parents and kids and educational experiences what could be provided and and those grant dollars were again a 5-year grant so it does run out but that helped get that district started on the path and ultimately year-over-year you just kind of replace grant funds with general funds. the
031district has already committed to that with our full-time student assistant counselor. That's who I was used to going to such an event to represent because they know where it is and where the needs are. So reaching out and saying, "Hey, what makes me be helpful is a good idea, I think." And then the reality of here is that, you know, we don't we won't have access to those grants. Those grant dollars have already been identified and allocated that Thrive is determined to do. we will be the benefactor of some of those uh experiences that maybe come to kids and programming and things like that. So, it's there and I like like we were saying like yeah, we absolutely want to stay connected because it's for the larger community and it's just um each one of
032those grants can go so many different ways and so we're fortunate the board had already determined let's put a student assistant counselor in place so that we'll see what might be most helpful so they can understand what our needs are as a school community and large community. So, I think that works very well. >> Okay. So I will thank you >> with the Bedford's a member um what are they looking for and kind of a feeling of you know what's their purpose and is there any other people that they think might be a better fit and how can we help maybe coordinate with them for that. So I'll ask those questions and I'll come back to the board next meeting and we can have a further discussion. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> Um anything
033else for board dialogue discussion? Hudson, your head is spinning yet. >> Uh just listening right now. Yeah, just take take it all in. >> You excited for your the block scheduling? >> Uh I actually am. Uh I think like even most students like I think everyone is pretty excited for it. It'll be different. Um definitely. But the sk the way that it worked before didn't work for people. So I think this change will be good and we'll see how it goes next week. >> Okay. >> Maybe you can uh let us know how it goes next Thursday. That would be I'm sure the first couple of days uh it'll be interesting, but it's going to be fantastic. There's lots of room for the kids to sit around your students and your fellow students to sit
034around campus. Um >> Lisa's team and Mike's team did a fantastic job setting up some fun spaces and there's going to be some outdoor spaces and I think it's going to be great. So, thank you. >> Awesome. Yeah. And especially like the conjoined uh lunch period at the high school. I think everyone's very happy about that. um just having that one period that you can see and everyone I think that's going to be very like welll liked by everyone. >> That's great. Thank you. >> With that I we can turn to uh superintendent's comments. >> Thanks. >> Um the one that I had I think would be uh SATs. I know Hudson's going to be familiar with those. This is a different one. No. >> So Hudson and I talked in the spring a little
035bit about superintendent advisory team. And so we're going to warm up here in the next few, you know, weeks and get school started. But the idea is that we'll we'll identify some student representation that can come and and Hudson I'll host during the community lunch and we'll see where we go with that. The idea is to just kind of have a direct com uh contact with myself and then as Hudson made. So hopefully as the board does their reports out on the different committees that your liaison and stuff and so later hopefully into the early winter mid winter we'll get ourselves set situated and then you know can ask custom to share out what he and the team were able to talk about it you know our superintendent advisory teams. >> So we're going to
036be working on that. So I want to you know thanks Hudson for kind of meeting we meet early in spring before even officially you know kind of started. So, thank you. And then we'll be following up, you know, after you get school start a little bit to coordinate a time for us to start getting together and starting to think about recruiting and all of that stuff. So, so thank you. >> Yeah, of course. Looking forward to that. >> Yeah. >> Thank you, board. >> Thank you. >> Oh, uh, may I just wanted to say I had the great fortune of working with all of the new teachers that are coming on board this year and all of the mentors and the curriculum leaders and I couldn't be more pleased. I can't underscore enough how impressive
037this cohort of new teachers is. And um not only are they highly qualified, but when we asked them to share like what motivated them to get into teaching or why why Katona Lewis bro, all of their answers were so uh heartfelt and meaningful and it was just the kind of people you would want in front of your own children. Um so they're a really dynamo group. I'm excited to see what they could do this year. and um uh Maggie Conrad, my new director of learning, and Jessica Kingsbury helped welcome them as well, and Neil helped as well. So, we have a nice group. Uh >> that's awesome. >> And and I appreciate you sharing that, Julie, because also I know um that either the three or two or three of us get to meet with
038those candidate finalists at the end. >> And to a te the ones that we are forward and teaching our classrooms, they knew well the 2030 plan, they were to speak to that conversation. And the reality is that folks are using words like resonated with who they are and see themselves as educators seeing the progressive thinking of the organization and things. So it definitely is a clear message that the district is sending out and attracting to the district and that's from an administrative level we're hearing this of new administrators as as well as our teachers coming forward. So >> yeah, not to mention four of them are John J. Grass. >> Yes. Yeah. Exactly. So, and one may be a child of someone and another's another daughter of a teacher and they're going to work across
039the hall from each other. And when she talked about what motivated her to become a teacher, she talked about being a little kid in the back of her mom's elementary classroom and now >> it's really it's a nice testament to the district. I think >> next year you need to have I thought about this too late. you need to have all of the John J grads that are teachers currently stand up >> at the because we talk about who's the new ones, but it would be amazing, I think, to see >> how many people come back to our community because it's such a great place. >> We also have subs and TAs and aids who also had one here, too. So, it's it goes beyond the teaching. Sorry. >> No, it's okay. And final story,
040um, one of the new teachers who's a John J grad, they were all all talking about teachers, some of whom are still here that influenced them and there there were actual tears when the mentors met the new teachers cuz some of those connections came back together. Really nice. >> So I'm finished now. >> Yes. >> Thank you for sharing that. It's a special place here and >> very much so. >> Yeah. >> Well, thank you board. >> Thank you. Um, that point we can have a motion to adjourn. >> Oh, future meetings. Oh, sorry. I had turned my page over. I'm sorry. Thank you for keeping me honest. >> Uh, we will be meeting here September 4th, 7 p.m. Please community note our new time. We're no longer at 7:30, but at 700 p.m. for
041board of ed meeting here in the library. And our meeting after that is Thursday, September 18th, also here at 7 p.m. in the high school library. Now, now Bill Motion to adjurnn. Uh, second, Carolyn. All those in favor? >> 5-0. Thank you. And, uh, good luck on the school year. >> Thank you. Thank you.