001Mhm. >> I think we're ready to get started. Good evening. I think we're ready to get started. Everybody please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. The first part of our meeting tonight is going to be our budget hearing. So, I need a motion to open the budget hearings. >> I wish. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> So, I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Hastings. >> Yes. >> So, the student presentations will be immediately after the budget the budget hearing. Okay, good evening. So, we're excited to present the budget hearing for
002the 2026-2027 school year. I'm presenting with Ms. Mezrouh, who's done a tremendous job assembling all of the revenues and expenditures that put together our budget for today. So, thank you, Ms. Mezrouh. So, this budget really focuses on strengthening achievement through our secret scholar work, as well as instilling program innovation throughout all of our courses and all of our schools. These are just the icons that represent some of the work that we're doing in some of the schools, but you can see a vast array of Some of it focuses on college, some early literacy, making sure that we're current with exposing our students to coding. So, what you'll see across the next couple of slides is the vastness and the comprehensiveness of our budget. So, behind the why of what we do is looking to inspire
003our students so that they're successful in life and they become the leaders of tomorrow. So, with this in mind, some of the things that we cultivate, and while we're doing that, we are satisfying the work for the New York State portrait of a graduate, is secret scholars is embedded in almost everything that we do. In addition to that, we've increased project learning, we've expanded the college level course offerings. We've also focused on wellness and social emotional development, not only through Seekonk Scholars, but through the Ruler program, Habits of Mind, Work Mindset, and also the Lion's Quest program. We've also provided robust professional development because it's really important to remain current in our practices within the classroom, so we're providing our students with state-of-the-art education. And in addition to that, we promote inquiry and problem-solving across
004the board K-12. This is all so that we are developing the future global citizens through our Seal of Biliteracy and Seal of Civic Readiness. You will see the tremendous tremendous efforts of our students and how many students have earned this designation, which is a very prestigious designation tonight, so it's part of our celebration tonight. So, we say, "Well, how do we know that we're doing really well and we want to maintain these programs?" And you look at the exit criteria. So, exit criteria in a public school system is what happens at the end of 13 years of a Seekonk education. And there are some external validations and internal validations that our students are doing a great job, and as an educational system, we're providing our students with many opportunities. So, one of them is that
005we've been designated in U.S. News & World Report as the best high school for 2019 through 2025. In addition, we've received the Gold Award for College Board for being an AP school on the honor roll, the AP schools. Our graduation rate is 99.4% in 2025. In addition, our Not only do we have amazing athletic teams, but we have athletic scholars, which is a very different distinction, and that's designated by New York State. We also have 72% of our students that earn advanced Regents diplomas. And really impressively, in the class of 2025, 93% of the students who graduated took at least one college level or AP course. So, college is not for everybody. People may choose other things in life, but the goal is to provide everybody with the opportunity to at least be exposed to
006it. And I think we do a really nice job doing that. And again, tonight you'll see some of the offerings that we've had through our AP Capstone program, AP Art, and again, the seal of civic readiness and the seal of biliteracy. And lastly, we are one of the few schools that really celebrates vocational education and we have the electrical training center here and the EMT program here. So, with this, I'm not going to read everything to you because we do want to get to the student celebrations, but the clipboards that are in white are things that we have done historically for a while. Those that are in green are things that either we've put in place recently or are brand new. And if they were put in place recently, they're going to be enhanced next
007year. So, at the elementary level, some of the things we're focusing on this year is the third grade laptops are going to be replaced. This is going to be our second year of full ICT program at the elementary level. Our libraries is the hub of inquiry and continuing with our lift program. We have 3D printers in there. We have green screens in there. They're hubs of innovation for the for our youngest scholars. And in addition to that, the Universal Pre-K, we've expanded that. Universal Pre-K is largely paid for by grant, but well, the administrative costs are not. So, um the district does contribute to the establishment and expansion of the Pre-K program. And again, um Illustrative Math was added this year and next year we're going to be adding it This is elementary, but we're
008going to add it to sixth grade, so you'll see it again here on the middle school slides. And again, there's a constant focus on taking a look at our programs, seeing what we can enhance, and seeing what we can do better. And you'll see some of the same things. We're starting a Seattle Civic Readiness projects at the middle school level. We're expanding our libraries as hubs of innovation at the middle school, and we focus on data-driven instruction through our data wise process at the middle school. Uh Mr. Paletti, Dr. Mori, and the entire middle school team have done a wonderful job really focusing on how to add a good driving instruction. At the high school level, there are so many people here tonight that are living proof of what a nice job um the teachers
009and the students doing together to expand opportunities for all of our our students here at at the high school. And when we take a look at again the clipboards, everything like we've been doing it for a while, but if you just take a look at the secret scholar recognition that we're going to be beginning this year, expansion of the college boot camp, taking a look at expanding project lead the way offerings, and something that we're really excited about is we have an addition to our business school program, and we're going to be uh offering a course in virtual enterprise this year, and then we're also going to be offering forensics two this coming school year. And with that, I will let Ms. Mazur explain how we afford all of this. >> Thank you, Dr. Pecora.
010So, the 2026-2027 proposed budget is stands at 86,302,965. That equates to a 1.42% budget-to-budget increase over our current 2025-2026 budget. And that is a one a 2.26% tax levy increase, and that is 1,390,943. So, as I've been sharing, we have been subject to a 2% tax cap since 2011 when that became part of how budgets needed to be prepared. And our goal is always to preserve and enhance our programs, but to also remain sensitive to our taxpayers on what that tax levy increase is. So, we weigh the balance and needs of the district with the financial capacity. And uh the 2.26% is the lowest tax cap levy increase in the last 5 years. Um and that is the levy increase, not the tax rate increase, which is subject to each resident's assessed value. So, the
011revenue budget is comprised of these various categories. Um at the top is our state aid. That's the second largest revenue source. Um the 18,948,324 is uh in essence what the executive budget presented with a minor um reduction for information received from the state education department. I think this is the absolute longest we've gone without a legislative budget um with the extenders. Uh but there are other pieces of revenue sources. It takes each one of these are important um to compile a the revenue side of the budget. Uh we have um various others as well as appropriations of our reserves. Those are specific to the type of reserve and they are um used very strategically. So, we monitor our reserves and what uh we we like to put forth for the balancing of the budget as
012well. The property taxes at the bottom is our largest revenue source and that again is at the 2.26% tax levy increase. This is the expenditure side of the budget. It balances. The 86,302,965 is made up of These are the major component parts of the expenditure budget. Within the general support, that's all of our central office, all of our insurances, all of our auditors, our legal expenses, our professional development. So, it encompasses a lot. But, the largest piece of the expenditure side is our instruction for obvious reasons. This is all of the educating that takes place in our schools. Next, we have transportation. That's the regular transportation to and from school. It's inclusive of our athletic transportation, field trips, and then also our special education costs, parochial schools. So, that's part of the transportation. Community services
013just a very small piece, but it's our book room for our parochial schools and the textbooks that we purchase for those. Employee benefits are all of the benefits inclusive of the two major retirement systems, our employees retirement system, as well as our teachers retirement system. So, all costs and benefits related to our staff is part of that total. The debt service, we do utilize here in Seaford a debt service fund. So, we make a transfer from our general operating budget to a debt service fund. That's for our long-term liabilities, our principal and interest on that. The debt service here reflects our short-term borrowings. So, each year every school district on Long Island goes out for a tax anticipation note until all of the tax revenues come in for the year, so we can continue with
014operations. And that is just the interest component to that short-term borrowing. Again, in the interfund transfers, that's largely our transfer for our long-term principal and interest, but there's also a capital project component, which I will go on and share with you. So, of that total, 920,000 is being proposed for three separate projects. The first is a middle school set of middle school bathrooms next to our cafeteria across from the gym there. So, that is part of the 920 as well as completing all the renovations that have taken place in our middle school gym with the windows. So, that will be a completion of the improvements there. And then last but not least, which we're excited about as well, is a high school exterior classroom access. So, as part of the 25-26 budget, we did budget
015for excavation and drainage. So, we saw an opportunity to then expand on that project while that was being done and utilize space that hasn't been used between the two wings of the high school. So, the access is so that we can use that as classroom space. So, that is also part of the interfund transfer from our budget to our capital fund. And just here are some pictures. Our middle school bathroom, these are the ones in question slated for renovation, and they will look very similar to the ones that were done in the harbor this past summer um with our seafoam green and epoxy floors. These are the windows of the middle school gym that are being replaced. And this is a an architect rendering of what we hope the outdoor space will look like. And
016again, that encompasses an egress to that so that we can access that outside space. We are required to also show the budget in a three-part component budget broken down by administrative, program, and capital. This is not really how we manage the budget throughout the year, but it still includes all of the same costs just allocated differently. So again, administrative has a lot of those expenses that I had shared within the general support piece. And the program again is everything to do including benefits for our the instructional piece of our budget at 79.7% and then lastly is the capital. That includes our debt service as well as the operation of our plant and our grants here. So in order to vote for the statewide budget vote on May 19th, you must be a resident. Also 18
017years of age and be registered to vote and a resident of Seaford. So our district clerk is available, Ms. Carmen Wuest, for anyone that needs to register. They can see her between the hours of Monday 9:00 and 3:00 Monday through Friday. She will be here also this coming Saturday between the hours of 9:00 and 12:00. We just recommend just giving a call prior and if you need any more information, please contact at the um >> district >> Yes. And that um So, what uh Ms. Carmen Mulette has is the applications for absentee ballots as well with her this evening. So, if you need to pick up one of those, please see her here at the end of the table. Um And the budget vote is May 19th. It's also a trustee election uh for two
018seats. Um And that will be taking place at the manner and the harbor between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. And uh if anyone is interested in perhaps becoming an election worker, um please see Ms. Carmen Mulette. We always could use uh you know, new new participants. So, um that is a need in the last few years. Um and I did want to share that there is a lot of information on our website. Each of the budget presentations, as well as some formal filings that are required as part of the budget process. The budget books that are disseminated to our school buildings, as well as the library, uh have been assembled. That will be uh going out shortly. Uh I'm not sure, but the Spotlight newsletter, the budget newsletter, should have been received
019in the homes of our residents. That too has information. And then you will be uh expecting the sixth day budget notice. That will go out to all of our residents, as well. And uh we do place all of the information on our website and within these documents, both in English and Spanish, as required. So, any additional questions? That is the Board of Ed's email address. Uh you may also reach out to my office. Um I'm happy to answer any questions. And uh I thank you. It's wonderful to be back in Seaford and it's such a supportive community and I really thank our Board of Education who works really hard. So, thank you. >> So, we're really excited to recognize the talents and the efforts of so many of our students at the high school. So,
020the master of ceremonies tonight is going to be our one and only principal, Ms. Nicole Stengel. >> Um I think before we move to the student presentations, I just need to know are there any questions from the board about the budget? And are there any questions from the community about the budget? We have microphones in the middle if you have any questions. No? Okay. Well, then I just want to Yeah. I need a motion to close the >> Move to >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> And I just want to thank Ms. Mezzarob and Dr. Picora and the administrative team for all of your work in this budget cycle. You created a very robust budget aligned with our Board of Ed goals and even within the tax cap despite it
021being the lowest in the last 5 years. So, we're very fortunate to have such a conscientious and strategic team. We appreciate your efforts and know that there's a lot of revisions and work that goes into it. You put in a lot of late nights, so thank you. Yes. And We need a motion to open public hearing. >> The public meeting. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> And now Ms. Stengel. >> Thank you. Thank you to our students and family and community members for being here this evening and thank you so much to the Board of Education and our central office team because obviously without your support you would not be able to take advantage of any of these opportunities and programs that our students are about to present and that
022we're about to celebrate this evening. So first, before we begin with any student presentations, we did want to take a moment to recognize an initiative that began this year at Seaford High School. It's been something that has been in the works for a couple years and our student council worked very hard to put together an amazing event with the support of the classes and also the shared decision-making committee this year and we were able to support a donation to a local organization by the name of Angela's House. We do have some members of our student council here. Also Mrs. Traina and Mrs. Wyler are here and they would like to uh basically present a check from the from the entire Seaford schools based on the work of those organizations that we will be presenting to
023Angela's House. So Angela's House, there are ties within our community. Some of our students and and families are familiar with this organization. They do support the needs of medically fragile children and we are excited to support them and if we could have our student council students that participated and helped along with Mrs. Traina and Mrs. Wyler, Mrs. Johnston and Mr. Mantay, would you like to bring up the large check because who doesn't love a large check? And it is a large amount that is being presented. So of course we'd like to thank all the hard work of these students and these advisors. We were able to raise as a result of putting together the first annual Battle of the Classes well it was called Battle for a Cause event. The student council raised $1,720 to
024be donated to Angela's House. So, it was an incredible event. Would anyone in the audience at the event? Raise your hands. It was good. We had about 280 students join us a couple Friday nights ago and it was just amazing to know that everyone goes home on Friday afternoon, but they still want to come hang out with Ms. Nabel. So, thank you so much and thank you so much to student council for all your hard work and for being a part of Sequoyah High School. So, do you get pictures with Ms. Nabel? We are also here to celebrate the hard work of so many of our students. There's of course this is just a fraction of our programs and we'll be celebrating so many more programs and a lot of hard work over the next
025couple months. So, in the interest of time because all the students have been begging us. They all want to go home and study so hard for their AP exams and their Regents. So, we're going to keep our presentations flowing. We're first going to ask Ms. Foley to come up and speak about the Seal of Biliteracy for a couple moments and then she will introduce some students who will um be giving presentations. We do have many students here from each program that we will also be honoring. We will read their names and we'll take a nice photo with the Board of Education and our central office. And then as the students are leaving, we will have um members of the team help by giving out the certificates as everyone's leaving the presentations, okay? So, Ms. Foley,
026please take it away. >> Good evening. Um so, I want to echo the sentiments of of Ms. Nabel. Um we wouldn't be standing up here if it wasn't for the support of the Board of Education, central administration, building administration, um our directors, and even the teachers that that do this tirelessly every single day. So, I have to give kudos to Miss Imescu and also Miss Arechavala as well. So, Seal of Biliteracy, we're actually in our fifth year. We've actually grown, we've doubled in size from the past couple of years. I'm happy to report that. The Seal of Biliteracy is a very prestigious award. It takes a lot of dedication for those that that love language. Just so that you guys know, they they have to do a research project in a target language. So, the
027languages that we actually have representing or represented this year are Spanish, French. We also have two students that have pursued it in their home language. One is Russian and the other is Turkish. And I have to give him a little bit of a shout-out, Quinn Gokai Sencer. Stand up. He's actually our only recipient for the Seal of Biliteracy. So, he actually accomplished the Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish and he's also doing it for for Turkish. So, without further ado, I'm going to kind of pass the mic on to to them. You're going to see a a very short excerpt or snippet of their of their work. They will speak obviously in their target language and they had to research a project about a global issue or something that actually interested them. And they had to
028compare and contrast it to our culture here in the United States and then compare it to the culture of some language. The themes went from artificial intelligence to issues in health care, how AI is actually used in health care, to the lack of clean water. Some people did it on sports comparisons and salaries, sports betting. A wide variety of topics. So, I'm actually very wowed by uh by the work of every single student that that did this and they should be very proud of this cuz this is a a very difficult thing to do in another language and then have to defend it in the language as well. So, um so, my first presenter tonight is Brian Carman. So, he's going to give you um a little bit of what he did for his French
029presentation. Actually, we're going to ask the audience to be quiet, okay? >> The system educative on France and in the United States are very different. These differences provoke an grand impact to the mental health of the students. Specifically, the differences on the system that mention the university in the United States and France are associated with the consequences different negative to the mental health of the students. On my presentation, I will discuss the system of France and then I will compare it with the United States. I will examine how these systems impact the mental health of young people in the country. Some examples of the impact negative to the mental health are elevation of fatigue, anxiety, social social isolation, and depression. 40% or excuse me, for example, the socioeconomic status of the students are factors that
030influence the admission to the university. >> In English, my presentation was about how college admissions in France and the US can affect people's mental health and how it can be a little bit stressful for people our age. So, thank you. >> So, the next person that we have presenting is Samantha Sinclair and she's going to represent Spanish. >> Hola, mi nombre es Samantha Sinclair y hoy hablaré sobre el problema del proceso de aborto en dos países, los Estados Unidos y Argentina. El problema es que el proceso ilegal de aborto es una conversación complicada en muchos >> For example, Come again? Lo siento. Los dos países Los dos países Come again? Mientras no hay muchas diferencias on the two countries, the applications of the process are different. For example, the process in the states of Texas,
031Florida, and Argentina have a conservative government and are approving the laws that the abortion process The obstacles that the women have in Argentina are in the medical field, not with the law. >> So, in English, my presentation was about the differences between the United States and Argentina in their processes of abortion and some new laws that are being put into place in the two countries and how they kind of differ in what they're from passing and what they're not. >> Okay, our last student for tonight is Gokai Seltzer. So, like I said, he he already did the seal of biliteracy in Spanish, but he's also doing the seal of biliteracy in Turkish, which makes him the recipient of the seal of biliteracy in Turkish. >> Hello. >> Thank you. >> Bravo. >> And I'll briefly
032explain what my partner is comparing inflation in Turkey and the US. Mainly about how also they combat and lowering inflation and how it's a lot worse in Turkey and it's more stable in the US due to the Federal Reserve. And yeah, mainly mainly. Thank you. >> Bravo. >> Yeah. I just want to add, I know I said we doubled our numbers. So, we have 39 recipients for >> I know I said we doubled our numbers. So, we have 39 recipients for the Seal of Biliteracy this year. So, it's our largest number ever in the in the five years. And they all deserve a round of applause because every single one of them was absolutely >> Thank you, Miss Foley. Miss Agnes Hughes is also here supporting the students. Thank you so much. We are so
033impressed. I'm going to ask all of the students and the teachers and central office and board of education, would you like to do a photo now? I'll read all the student names and then we'll we'll distribute certificates after. Does that sound good? Okay, great. So, if everyone wants to come up while I read the names, entire Seal of Biliteracy / Triliteracy crew. And here are all the recipients, which by the way, as Miss Foley mentioned, the list could continue to grow and more students will be honored at a later time. Emma Edzards, Brian Caraman, Valerie Martin, Rihanna Mia, Jessica Ryder, Cassandra Swanberg, Alexa Centore, Michelle DeJesus, Daniel Fraioli, Brian Flaherty, Kate Gadon, Laura Goldberg, Amir Habib-Bols, Nick Canaropoulos, Sophia Laura, Andy Gwen, Isabella Rizzuto, Sammy Sinclair, Victoria Stedner, Vivian Stovall, Olivia Antolone, Emily Bauman, Natalie
034Boyan, Jordan Chen, Katie Franklin, Allison Collingford, Linda Diamond, Autumn Feistner, Jessica Freeman, Matthew Klein, Maria Caneda, Lauren LaFace, Arlene Marinelli, Anthony Vitale, Cole Feistner, Nicholas Panella, and Dennis Segretti. Congratulations, everyone. >> Is it weird like switching it up like the narrative like having it loud? >> I have a poll for the audience. We also give out certificates to the students at academic awards. Would you like us to package them with those so that the students don't have to wait out 5 for their certificates and get home the same night? Would that be a better plan so to be a little bit more efficient? >> Yes. >> Go Vikings. Okay. Great job. That's okay. Excellent. Congratulations to everyone. We would love for our students to watch their classmates' presentations. So please stay if you can, but
035if you do have an exam tomorrow, we do we do understand. Next up is the Seal of Civic Readiness and we do have Mr. Greenberg and Mr. Feeney who will be sharing a couple words about that program. We do have a our greatest number yet of certificates. So we're very excited about that. >> Hi everybody. >> Hello all. I'm Mr. Feeney. >> I'm Ms. Greenberg. >> Uh so we're going to present a little bit and then turn it over to the students to allow them to talk about the Seal of Civic Readiness and the work that they did to get this this honor. So the Seal of Civic Readiness it's it's not a graduation requirement. This is something that a lot of these students have went out of their way to be able to acquire.
036Almost as like a little stamp on their high school diploma showing like they took the next step to demonstrate really that they are civically prepared to go out into the world and engage with things like their local government or even state, maybe federal government to engage with their citizens and in the civic process of voting and and looking out for fellow citizen. Um so goes a long way in their local communities in in their whatever their job path is, but it also something that looks really great for them as they move on to college as well. It demonstrates to colleges or future careers that they have critical thinking skills and they are going to be actively engaged in their community whatever career path they choose to take and it really shows that especially the fact
037that this is not a graduation requirement. This is something that they're going out of their way to do shows really their leadership skills. communication skills that they wanted to showcase. >> Hello. Uh we are very proud. We have over 80 seniors earning the seal this year and they did this like Mr. Gidi said by going above and beyond. Uh not only in greater community, but also within the school, which is really great to see. So congratulation congratulations to all of you on your hard work. Uh we're going to hear from two of our seal recipients, Robert Daranak and Michaela Greenhouse. What's really great about this is they get to showcase something that they're extremely passionate about, which makes this even more special. Uh we're so proud of them all and all of our 2026 seal
038civic civic readiness recipients. All right, take it >> All right, guys. Today we're talk Tonight we're talking about processed foods and sugar. All right, so a little bit of background. Processed foods have been around for decades and have has cheaper and more, you know, competitive as years have gone on with dyes and sugar in almost every mainstream snack. There's correlation between these kinds of foods and diseases, and this is only worsening as decades continue. Um all right, so current solution we're seeing in our government nowadays is the FDA back in April 2025, funny enough after I did this project in class, updated their standards to begin discouraging the use of artificial food dyes. So, they're not banning them outright, they're simply making a transition to get rid of them as an approved food dye. And
039so, that means it's going to take more time. Essentially, it's doing the same thing, but it's very different legal process. It's being done on a company-to-company basis, and by 2027, we expect it'll be phased out. So, I also propose three other potential solutions I think would better resolve this issue that we're seeing. Um number one, change in the food pyramid and how it promotes dietary guidelines. You know, food pyramid has been changed this year by the Trump administration, and uh recently, you know, well, I think it's been updated in the right direction, I also feel like it's not discreet enough, and it's a little hard to describe to someone just trying to figure out what they should eat on a daily basis. So, I think we could, you know, move away from that system to
040do something else. Talk about budgeting reform on corn subsidies. Corn subsidies paid by taxpayers. Just so you guys know, corn is an overplanted crop as is, and 3 billion of your general tax dollars goes to corn farms. Um overall, corn is used obviously to make high fructose corn syrup, and I think we could do better at eliminating this, or at least avoiding the subsidies. Finally, ban on hidden carbs or required to be specified. When I first started eating lower carb, I didn't know many of the ingredients that were listed personally, and I feel like it's kind of hard to understand. So, I feel like there should be some specifications on what is a carb or what isn't, because many people don't understand. So, my number one recommended solution that I think would really fix this
041whole issue is, you know, like piggybacking on what I said, specify on all labels any ingredients that substantially impact blood sugar. Um specify items, you know, like things starches. And requiring vending machines and snack concessions, which can be done here at school cafeterias, to include one low-carb clear option in lieu of the least currently sold item in the cafeteria. I think that'd be a really good change because a lot of times we're seeing like you go to a lot of places there's not options available for people trying to, you know, eat healthier. And I think if we educate instead of ban things right away, that'll lead to people having a better relationship with food, but also people wanting to eat healthier instead of being forced to by the government. All right. And now we're going
042to pass this off to Mikayla of Universal Daycare. Thank you again for your time. >> Hi, my name is Mikayla Greenblatt. And for my Seal Civic Readiness project, I did Universal Daycare. Universal Daycare is affordable daycare available to all families that's publicly funded and efficient. And me and my group decided to do this as Universal Daycare is a very common issue in the US due to how unaffordable it is. So, background of this is that many families cannot afford child based care due to how unaffordable it is because prices have gone up in more recent years. For example, around 80% of American families cannot afford the annual $26,000 it can cost to send just one child to daycare. And there's been a rise in the price of daycare of 263%, which is a bigger rise
043than inflation overall. And due to this, a lot of children are not being sent to daycare at a critical critical young ages and are not getting the knowledge that they need and building the skills that they need to develop. And this can be detrimental. There have been some policies put in place that are solutions to this problem, such as the New York Child Care Assistant Program and the Assembly Bill A5899. The New York Child Care Assistant Program directly puts money into the pocket of these families so that they can pay for daycare. So, it can give up to $90,000 a year to struggling families depending on how many children they have or how much financial need that they need um and the Assembly Bill instead of directly giving money to people, instead uh provides financial
044aid by lowering the cost of daycare directly so that people can afford to pay it. And while both of these solutions are very effective and positive overall from me and my group's research, we found that the New York Child Care Assistant Program was overall a better solution because it uses federal funding to make um child care more affordable by directly giving money to struggling families and allowing them to pay for daycare by giving them money instead of just lowering the cost. And therefore, a lot of children will be able to be enrolled in daycare and will get and will develop the skills they need to get and have the knowledge that they need at these young critical ages. And through the Seal of Civic Readiness, I was able to develop my understanding of many issues
045that affect my community and New York as a whole. And by me and my group choosing to do this, we became more informed on a very prominent issue. Thank you. >> Excellent job. That is very impressive. loves to eat. I appreciate your attention, hobby. Mr. Mante loves to have children and I'm sure he does not want to pay those high daycare bills, so he loves yours, Michaela. So, great job, everyone, and thank you to our teachers for your dedication to this program. So, let's congratulate all of our students who have participated. And again, the Seal of Civic Readiness, the list is growing. We did have an additional recipient just I believe today. So, we'll be visiting with everyone can start making their way up to the stage and we will get you your certificates. Anthony
046Alfieri, Dylan Alt, Logan Angelone, you can all start heading up to the stage with all of you. Olivia Angelone, um, Steve Bach, Emma Baumann, Madeline Boylan, Adam Bozan, Emily Brown, Cameron Caldararo, Alexa Candido, Andrew Ciaravolo, Jordan Chen, Ezra Choudry, Katie Conklin, Isabella Colucci, Allison Collumbar, Charles Diana, Audriana Diaz and Nina, and then Enzo Caitlin Elias, Taylor Elkin, Michelle Evangelista, Ryan Falco, Ryan Falco, Ali Farrokh, Autumn Fickinger, Jennifer Friedman, Emily Garay, Jackson Gardner, Taylor Goldberg, Michaela Greenhouse, Keith Combor, Amir Habib, Katie Knapton, Aidan Halpin, Kayla Holman, Robbie Jennings, Nicholas Giannakopoulos, Brian Kennedy, Matthew Klein, Sophia Lavalle, Emilia Leggio, Sabrina Lovaglio, Kira Lovaglio, Valerie Lovaglio, Caroline Lovaglio, Aidan McNamara, Brianna Miller, Matthew Monaco, Aidan Monaghan, Anna Murphy, Anthony Nunez, Riley O'Keefe, Katie Padavan, Gianna Pisano, Maria Pomilla, Jessica Rider, Isabella Rosella, Jack Rotondo, Julia Rotondo, Thomas Ryan,
047Gopal Sander, Teresa Samaroo, Anthony Shepherd, Brianna Sedotti, Samantha Sinclair, Michael Spinella, Victoria Stefani, Isabella Steppa, Megan Solow, Cassandra Swanberg, Alyssa Tihada, Yiannis Thomas, Michael Tedesco, Alex Torella, Mark Villani, Jimmy Wu, Dennis Zagreda, and Louise Cameron only were added to the list today. >> Oh, great photo. >> Good. >> Great job, everybody. You were rocking it. And now we would like to present some of the student representatives from our AP Research program. We'll begin with Mrs. Merino and Mr. Scheedy, our teachers. Thank you so much. Congratulations, everyone. The hard work you guys are doing is amazing. >> Hello, everybody. I am Mrs. Merino. I'm definitely proud mom right now cuz a lot of the kids that have been up on the stage are capstonians, as I like to call them, that got through AP Research last
048year. Um so, I'm going to tell you a little bit about AP Research. I'm here with my co-teacher, Mr. Scheedy. Uh this is This is in its eighth year. I can't believe we're doing this for a really long time. Uh it's my favorite class because we get to see students explore topics that, like you've seen with the SEALs, um that they have a passion about. They get to pursue them year-long. They do some deep dives into the academic research out there on these topics. They find a gap, an area that has yet to be studied, and then they get to design their own studies, whether it be um experiments or they send surveys, content analysis, all different types of studies Uh um and they they pursue these for a year, they gather data, they would
049then analyze the data, they would write a 4,000 to 5,000 word paper and then they deliver a 15 to 20 minute presentation. And tonight we have two here and they're going to give you a two minute version of that 15 to 20 minute presentation. >> Yeah, so what's super special about these two students in particular, right? All students choose something that they are are interested in, right? But with these two students, so Jackson Pignataro is going to be talking a little bit about political polarization, which is huge topic in in just today in general 2026, but it's something that he experienced like personally and saw personally. So it's interesting that his topic is coming from like a local level, but it's also something that like everyone from around the country can appreciate and sort of
050relate to. Same sort of thing with Gary Li's project too, who's going to be presenting about how AI can be used as a assistive technology. So it's something like AI that's so prevalent in everybody's lives, it she took a deep dive look at it here at Seaford High School, but it's something that that everyone around the country can still relate to. So we we chose these two students because we really liked how how local and and how close to home these topics fit, but also how like everyone, no matter where they're seeing this presentation from, could really relate to it. So we're going to start with Jackson Pignataro to talk about local polarization. >> Hello everyone. I'm Jackson and I will be telling you all about my research on the effects of social media on
051political affiliation and polarization in our high schoolers. The topic and significance of my research was due to political affiliation and polarization being facilitated by social media usage and how all three of these factors are present in our society. For my gap, many of my sources highlighted social media effects on adults for affiliation and polarization, but none of them focused on high schoolers, which led to my gap of how social media affected high schoolers affiliation and polarization. My research question for this process was, to what extent does an increase in social media usage and exposure increase political affiliation and polarization in local high schools? For my method, I landed on a case study to get an in-depth understanding of our students, which followed with a survey and data analysis to figure out all my data and
052find significance. In my research, I found significant results with links between the number of political posts you per day and perceived political knowledge, and also a link between perceived political knowledge and political affiliation in the respondents. In conclusion, I did find significance in some data, but it ultimately did not fit in with my original hypothesis. Thank you. >> And now, we have Gabby Lane. >> Hi everyone. My name is Gabby, and my study was done to discover the impact of artificial intelligence as assistive technology on children in elementary schools program. My inspiration for this study was the way I love those around me, and my inspiration to be involved and make a difference in the world. As spreading awareness regarding the disabled population is extremely important. Throughout my research, I discovered that there was a
053lack of study regarding the usage of AI as assistive technology on specifically children in a life skills program. This led me to my research question to be, "How does the daily usage of artificial intelligence as assistive technology affect the independence and vocational skills of a child in a life skills program?" In efforts to compose my research study, I decided to go for a mixed method experimental approach. This is done by the first step being a survey distributed to teachers of a life skills program to understand their opinions and perspectives of AI usage in the classroom. Following this was an initial observation to observe how students reacted in their job sites. After that was done, an individualized ChatGPT lesson and discussion was done to explain to the students how they can utilize ChatGPT to tell them
054what they do at their job sites. These are the checklists that ChatGPT generated based off of the steps that the students inputted. The last step in my study was an in- Sorry. Was a final observation with AI incorporation to see if this had any impact on students' independence. Overall, for my survey, my key findings are that teachers reported the daily implementation of assistive technology, student understanding and learning were identified as the primary challenge when utilizing assistive tools, and finally, educators support the integration of assistive technology in vocational and life skills. As for my observation, all students demonstrated a decrease in their job coach prompting once the AI was incorporated. This is one student's example, and in each test, you can see that the amount of prompting given decreased. Therefore, they completed their tasks more independently.
055In conclusion, teachers confirmed assistive technology usage, AI usage decreased the amount of prompting the student needed, and finally, AI can be utilized as assistive technology for life skills students in their job sites. Thank you. >> Woo! >> So, that's 2 of 48 amazing projects that we had the privilege of seeing them from onset to completion. Many of them are here tonight, but they are AP students and they are all largely at home studying, but those that are here get to hopefully are donning their capstone shirts, so we appreciate the administration supporting us with. So, thank you. >> One last quick thing, when their shirts say that they survived AP Capstone at Suffern High School, they truly did survive such a difficult course that is a year-long study that something that not many high schoolers are
056doing and something that like a lot of people don't even approach when until they get to college. So, it's a it's a huge feat for them to to accomplish, so super proud. >> Awesome, Jen. >> Okay, so all of our AP research survivors, why don't you head up to the stage and get ready for your photo? Maybe we'll put up Gabby's video in the side background. And that would be Zoe Costanzo. Nathanael Dippolito, Angelina Dippolito, Annie Donahue, Olivia Ferrara, Grace Coleman, Isabella Corio, Sierra Quick. I think it's Sierra Quick. Adrienne Merritt Kohlberger, Kylie Heisler. Gabby Leeds, Serena Lofrumento, Susan Lowinger, Catherine Malone, Emily McGallon, Elena Minos, Caitlyn Novack, Madison O'Hagan, Jessica Policano, Damian Porretta, Jackson Pignataro, Riley Proctor, Zoe Chosa, Savannah Saletta, Sophia Samson, Vienna Webber, Jackson Christian Maria Harry Casserello, Josie Amelia Gabriella Sydney
057Julia DiPietro, Kelly Harrington, Robert Ryan Michael Angel Sydney Elio Emma Natasha Rosa Aquila Striker, Tyler Timo and Justine Yang. >> The research. >> Research. >> Okay, next up we have representatives from our science research program. That is Miss Alaimo and Miss Charles. We have an order? Who's on first? Okay. Go ahead and go first. Okay. >> Hi everyone. Um my name is Aliyah Alaimo. >> Um I'm Alexis Charles. >> And we teach science research at Zephyr High School. Um science research is truly an incredible program. It's student guided and it gives the students the opportunity to explore topics that they actually care about and that they're generally passionate about and they transform those interests into original research projects. >> And along the way, they learn how to design and carry out procedures, collaborate and network
058with experts in the field, and engage in meaningful hands-on scientific inquiry. >> Most importantly, they develop resilience, curiosity, and independence as they bring their ideas to life and compete with the work they've created. Tonight, we are excited to showcase two standout students whose projects reflect not only their hard work, but also their growth and dedication. >> First, I'd like to introduce Michelle Evangelista. She is a 3-year research student and a very truly exceptional scientist. This year, she has actually achieved something quite remarkable. She will be publishing her research in a scientific journal, which is an extraordinary accomplishment, especially at the high school level. Um and over the years, I've watched her grow into a confident, thoughtful, and highly skilled researcher and I could not be any more proud of everything she has achieved. Okay. >>
059While we are so excited for what lies ahead for her, we're certainly going to miss her next year. In addition to her own success, Michelle has also taken the initiative to mentor other students in research, too, including our second presenter, Mia. This is her first year in research and she's already demonstrated that she has all of the secret scholar traits. >> She is hardworking, driven, and she has embraced every challenge with determination. Her progress this year has been outstanding and I'm so excited to see where her research journey will take her next year. Um both Michelle and Mia have faced challenges and setbacks with perseverance and they consistently rise to meet every single challenge that's put in front of them. So, without further ado, uh we would love to invite Mia and Michelle to present
060their work. >> Hi everyone. My name is Mia Koinis and I'm researching the effects of UV radiation and coenzyme Q10 on cell proliferation in UV sensitive Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Now, my interest in this topic comes from both my passion for radiology and my goal of pursuing a career in radiation therapy, as well as a history of cancer in my family and the want to contribute to cancer research in any way that I can. This led me to my research question, which is does coenzyme Q10 supplementation improve the survival rate of UV sensitive yeast when exposed to UV radiation? Now, to conduct my experiment, I first cultured UV sensitive yeast on YPD agar plates and I incubated them at 30° C for 48 hours. I then performed a serial dilution and divided the samples into control and
061experimental groups. The plates were exposed to UV radiation at intervals of 15, 30, and 45 seconds and then incubated again for 48 hours to observe growth. My results supported my hypothesis due to coenzyme Q10's antioxidant properties, the treated cells were better able to withstand the exposure compared to the control groups. The experimental plates showed a more gradual decline in cell viability over time and I quantified this using a percentage decrease formula to compare colony growth before and after UV exposure. For future research, I plan to increase the sample size and number of trials to improve my consistency. I'm also planning to experiment with different concentrations and application methods of coenzyme Q10 to determine whether higher doses further and cell survival. And I'm extremely grateful for all of the knowledge and experiences I've gained through this
062project and my research so far. Thank you. Hi, my name is Michelle Bay Galista, and in my research I tested the effect of two different treatments, nicotinamide mononucleotide or NMN, and caffeine or CAF, on cell proliferation in sirtuin mutated Saccharomyces cerevisiae. NMN is a direct precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, which plays a key role in repairing DNA in cells, while also promoting a healthy aging process. Caffeine, on the other hand, is a member of the methylxanthine family and is a central nervous system stimulant that boosts alertness by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain. It affects a diverse array of cellular processes related to cell growth, DNA metabolism, and cell cycle progression, similarly to NMN. Additionally, it's associated with a lower risk of certain cancers, possibly due to the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. The model organism
063I chose to use for my experiment was yeast cells, specifically Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a sirtuin gene deletion mutation that mimics cancer-like instability and have cells proliferate rapidly, unchecked, and evade aging. So, basically, my model organisms represented cancer cells in a loss-of-function mutation that can't repair DNA. The question that guided my research was, "How does NMN and caffeine affect cell proliferation in the yeast cells that represented cancer cells?" I hypothesized that if NMN and caffeine are administered separately and in combination, the rate of cell proliferation will decrease. My research was a continuation of last year's project that was expanded at Hofstra University with a mentor. I sterilized all my materials utilizing an autoclave and an open flame. I then streaked my agar plates and inoculated the yeast onto a YPD broth medium. Additionally, I created my
064NMN and caffeine stock solutions while also utilizing a syringe filter. I performed a pretest temperature sensitivity assay where I found 3° C had an optimal growth at the stationary phase. And my main experiment consisted of utilizing a 96-well plate where I was able to administer my concentrations of NMN and caffeine to different wells of yeast cells. My control group consisted of the wild-type strain receiving both the treatments with no treatments, and the sir2 mutant strain receiving no treatment, and only the treatment in YPD broth. My ex- My experimental group was the sir2 mutant strain receiving all the different concentrations of the treatments such as NMN, caffeine, and the combination. A 96-well plate was used to measure the absorbance of the cells at an optical density of 600 while analyzing the data throughout 24 hours, taking
065a reading every 30 minutes. This was used to estimate cell proliferation. My data was transferred from Excel into a GraphPad Prism where I was able to perform a two-way ANOVA test and a two-key's post hoc test. This is a visual representation of how I organized my 96-well plate with all different yeast treatments, concentrations, and just YPD broth. And these are the graphs that I created for my 96-well plate procedure comparing all different treatments and to the control and experimental groups. And this is my graph from my previous research to use as a comparison, which depicts how NMN was a potential treatment for cancer as it slowed the progression of the cells. In conclusion, my data from this year showed that the wild-type strain grown in YPD compared to the wild-type strain grown in 6 mM
066caffeine were significantly different from one another starting at around 16.5 hours. In addition, since the mutated sir2 yeast had damaged DNA repair machinery, they did not grow as slowly compared to the caffeine. Specifically, they were resistant to the effects of caffeine. NMN did not alter the effects caffeine had on the strains. However, in my previous research, NMN significantly declined the proliferation I think as a treatment for cancer, so more research must be done. Since caffeine has also shown to have a significant decline in yeast growth, additional experimentation is necessary with potentially higher concentrations or in a model organism like yeast cells that have a gain-of-function mutation rather than a loss-of-function. This is why I plan on continuing this research with different assays as well, such as the zone of inhibition assay. Thank you so much
067for your time. >> I was going to make a joke about how it's a real shame we just don't have smart kids around here because I don't even understand 98% of what they say when they're talking about all this advanced science research. But then I was afraid it was going to fall flat. But the the bottom line is it is so impressive. It's truly intimidating to be around this talent. So, thank you so much Ms. Alaimo and Ms. Charles for all of the hard work invested in this. As I'm sure you know, all of these programs, it's not just the the 7:00 to 2:00 time investment. There's so much time invested outside of the school day and emotional investment on the part of the teachers and the students and we could not be more proud.
068So, I want to recognize all of the students in science research. If you're still here, please join us on stage for a photo. So, we have Giuliana Cavatelli, Riley Semple Germano, Emma Steffa, Ryan Watson. Max Arnold, Henry Brock, Lauren Clancy, Margot Canchola, James Nicholas, Connor Solomon. Maria Barbieri, James Klein, Luna Krats, Jared Martin, Thomas Keller, Blanca Dennis, Dean Zang. Alexa Suarez, Angela Angel Colon. Caroline Marino, Caroline Canterbury, Kyle and Justine Zang. Congratulations and thank you. All right, and now we're going to ask Mr. Manthey and Dr. Kennedy to say a few words about our AP Art program and we'll be joined by some students sharing their artwork. >> Congratulations everybody so far. Um so last but not least, we are very fortunate to recognize some of the students in our AP Art class, which is
069the pinnacle of the visual arts trajectory here in Seaforth. Um the students in this class spend a lot of time uh conducting what's called a sustained investigation where they develop an inquiry or a topic that guides their portfolio development where they put together 15 works um that speak to their their topic or their guiding question. Um and something neat about this course is that you when you walk in you'll see them uh sitting in a circle critiquing each other uh in a really thoughtful, respectful way. So students are constantly giving each other feedback about, you know, whether or not their work is is speaking to the the question at hand or whether or not um you know, there needs to be adjustments that's made. And um we're really fortunate tonight to have two of our
070AP Art students, Autumn Feisinger and Isabella Rosales, to uh speak a little bit about the course and to show some of their work. So I'd like to invite them up at this time. >> So welcome Autumn. Yeah. >> Hello, my name is Anna Basinger and I'm here to speak to my AP art portfolio. AP art portfolios are guided by a question of our choosing that we spend a couple of weeks in the beginning of the year designing. My inquiry question was, how can I portray people's journey of letting go of their masks as they grow more comfortable with themselves? I first took inspiration from animals camouflaging in their habitats. This is one of my first um pieces that I did. If you look closely, there's a sea turtle hidden in the seaweed to show how
071they're like hiding and camouflaged. And I take this onto people for the rest of my um sustained investigation. Um this is my first piece. This is a The first piece of the journey is a knight hiding under their armor. The old their eyes represents their true self waiting to come out with the dark background representing how they're being repressed repressed and hiding who they truly are. This is my like halfway through the journey. I did a bunch of pieces showing the segue of um the process of taking off your mask. Um I drew half this piece with my left hand and half this piece with my right to create um an authentic way to show the two sides that we present. Um the one on the left is the ones we present we present ourselves
072out and the one on the right is who we truly are behind the mask we wear. Um the eyes are swapped to show how your true self is always there even if you're not exactly presenting it at the moment. Um that leads me to my final piece. This piece um reveal is the finally reveals oneself when taking off your mask. I thought a masquerade ball was a perfect setting for, um, this reveal as at the end of the ball you reveal your true identity after spending a lot of time getting comfortable in the animosity of the mask you're wearing. Um, this is all I have to show. Thank you for >> Good evening. My name is Isabella Rosea and this is a preview of my AP art portfolio. The theme of my portfolio is remaining
073culture. So, my inquiry question is, how can I convey my remaining culture and personal experiences in Romania through art? For my first piece, I use watercolor and color pencils to show traditional Romanian masks, um, that are often sold at markets. There are a lot of grizzly bears in Romania and I got to see a lot in the mountainside when I went. So, I decided to paint one by a waterfall. And lastly, similarly to my first piece, I chose to draw traditional cups and plates that were often seen throughout my trip. Thank you. >> Thank you so much for the beautiful artwork. In our AP art program this year we have Carissa Blaurock, Isabella Rosea, and Sydney Walsh. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
074Thank you. Thank you. >> You guys want to come up? Everyone want to come up? All right. Are you excited? >> I'd say college president. >> Thank you everyone for your attention this evening. Once again, thank you to everyone for your support and we will get everyone's certificates to them. And now, get to study. Yeah. Okay, I think we're going continue on with some business. If everyone if if you're leaving, we totally understand you want to get to your studies, but there still is a meeting, I think, that they're going to hold. So, we aren't saying to go home, but we are saying that the meeting is continuing here. >> Thank you, Mr. >> No biting. No biting. >> I'm all Well, if everybody's leaving, I'll just say thank you to the students for their
075incredibly impressive presentations and to the teachers and parents for leading them to this point. I'm constantly enamored at how well-rounded our students are, and tonight was just another example of that. So, congratulations to everybody. Um And so, now we're going to go back to the administrative report from our student board members. We missed them in the beginning, so Matt, I'll hand it over to you. >> Thank you. So, good evening. With the end of the year upon us, everything is coming to an end. Most notably at the high school, this week marks the start of AP exams. So, as Ms. Nabel was saying, everyone should be studying. So, we wish best luck to every one of those, and we highly encourage to attend those AP review academies. Also at the high school, this past Friday,
076on May 1st, it was college decision day. At the high school, students wore their college shirts, and everyone celebrated where they'll be continuing their academic journeys for the next 4 years. So, that was a fun time for everyone. In addition, the high school has also implemented a brand new and enhanced recognition program starting this year, the See for Scholar Laureate program. This distinction highlights students who successfully completed AP Seminar, AP Research, Research or Science Research, and any additional four AP courses throughout their high school careers. So, this new initiative provides a great opportunity for students to continue to work towards a common goal and to continue to push each other to the best of their abilities. So, that's really nice. I also have here on my report to acknowledge the Civic Seal of Civic Engagement,
077Seal of Biliteracy, AP Capstone Science Research, and AP Art students. So, if they were here, I would acknowledge them. So, incredible accomplishments. And that wraps up my student report for today. So, thank you and have a great evening. >> Okay, thank you, Matt. And now we're going to move on to some business for consent agenda items. So, I need a motion for agenda item 5A. >> Move it. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> Aye. >> I need a a motion for agenda items 5B1 through 5B5. >> Move it. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> Aye. >> I need a motion for agenda items 5C1 and 5C2. >> Move it. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? Aye. I need a motion for agenda item 5D1 and 2. >>
078Move it. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> Aye. >> Don't see any residents. Is there anybody who wants to make a comment? No. >> Okay. >> Moving along, all correspondence that has been received has been responded to. And new business. I am going to do these together if that's okay. I need a motion for agenda items 8A1 through 8A10. >> Move it. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? Aye. And I need a motion for agenda item 8B1. >> Move it. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? Aye. Are there any miscellaneous discussion items anybody would like to raise? >> No. >> And I don't have you want to say? We look different. >> I just want to I just I just want to wish everyone that all the mothers
079on this board and the panel happy Mother's Day coming up. Teachers, staff. Um this is the only dad on the board that But uh and all and all the community families and and the parents of all these the moms of all these kids. I mean, it's a lot of work to get these kids to do what they're doing. I mean, and I'm sure they're cheerleading uh constantly and I think it's it's right to just kind of praise them for it and you know, wish everyone a happy Mother's Day. >> Thank you, Jimmy. And with that, I need a motion to adjourn the meeting. >> I'll move it. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in >> favor. >> Aye. >> Thank you, everyone, for sticking with us.