[00:00:01]
WELCOME TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING OF MAY 21ST, 2025.
[1. Public Session - 4:00 p.m.]
LET'S RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.[1.3 Opening Remarks]
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BOND AND TRUSTEE ELECTION ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.THANK YOU, THE PELHAM COMMUNITY, FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE ELECTION.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING YOUR VOICES HEARD. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT IN PASSING THE SCHOOL BUDGET, APPROVING THE ACQUISITION OF THE PROPERTY ADJACENT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL, AUTHORIZING BONDING FOR CRITICAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS THE DISTRICT, INCLUDING WORK AT SIWANOY SCHOOL. SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR ELECTION WORKERS FOR ENSURING A SMOOTH AND FAIR VOTING PROCESS, AND FINALLY, MUCH APPRECIATION GOES TO VALERIE MILLER, OUR DISTRICT CLERK, FOR HER EXCEPTIONAL COORDINATION AND SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE ELECTION. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
[2.1 Motion to Adopt the 2025-2026 Budget Vote and Board Member Election Results]
SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY. YEAH. OF COURSE. I JUST WANTED TO, IF ANY BOARD MEMBERS AND DR.SHANNON. YEAH, I JUST REALLY JUST WANT TO ECHO THE SAME THING REALLY THAT JACKIE SAID.
I'M INCREDIBLY THANKFUL TO THE COMMUNITY FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT.
IT'S ALWAYS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SOMEWHAT AN ENJOYABLE PROCESS FOR ME TO BE OUT ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY IN THESE TIMES, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS IS ALWAYS GREAT, THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS, AND A LOT OF WHAT I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED ABOUT PELHAM IS THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND PEOPLE'S REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE BIGGER VALUE IN WHAT THE AND HOW DO WE SUPPORT THE SCHOOLS, BECAUSE THAT IS THE REASON THAT MANY PEOPLE MOVE HERE.
THIS WAS A TEAM EFFORT, AND I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD BE PROUD.
I KNOW WE ALL WISH THAT EVERYTHING HAD GONE THROUGH ESPECIALLY BEING AS CLOSE AS IT WAS, BUT I THINK WHAT DID GO THROUGH, AS JACKIE SAID, ARE SOME REALLY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THINGS THAT EVERY ONE OF US SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF.
THE BUDGET, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP OUR PROGRAMS GOING STRONG EVERY YEAR.
SO THANK YOU TO COMMUNITY AND TO THE BOARD FOR FOR SUPPORTING THAT, AND I ALSO WOULD JUST SAY, AND I'VE SAID IT TO THE BOARD EARLY THIS MORNING. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SOME INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THINGS NOW FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS DISTRICT. INFRASTRUCTURE IS GOING TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, THE HEAT ON, THE WATER OUT, BUT THAT'S GOING TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS, THE INTEGRITY OF OUR BUILDINGS FOR DECADES AND ANOTHER GENERATION TO COME, AND TO BE ABLE TO DO TO FINALLY MAKE ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS ADA COMPLIANT IS A MORAL IMPERATIVE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT VISION. THANK YOU FOR AIMING HIGH.
YOU CAN'T YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET A LOT IF YOU DON'T SET YOUR VISION HIGH.
SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THAT VISION. YOU KNOW, I CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE THAT THE VOTE WAS RELATIVELY CLOSE, CLOSER THAN WE'RE ACCUSTOMED TO, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THAT FACT. THE EXIT POLLING THAT WE GOT WAS REALLY HELPFUL IN GIVING US SOME INFORMATION THAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO STAY ATTUNED TO AND THAT BEING THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS, REALLY THE FOLKS WHO DID NOT SUPPORT THE PROJECTS.
IT WAS A LOT OF IT WAS A BIG ASK. IT WAS A LOT OF MONEY, IT WAS A LOT OF TAXES, AND WE RECOGNIZED THAT, AND THAT'S WHY WE GAVE THE CHOICES THAT WE DID.
AS THE BOARD HAS SAID. PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THAT THE MONEY IS WELL SPENT.
PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THAT WE'RE RESPONSIVE TO THE DESIGNS AND TO THE NEIGHBORS.
SO I'M JUST THANK YOU TO HAVE SUCH A COLLABORATIVE BOARD TO WORK WITH THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
LOTS TO BE PROUD OF AND LOTS TO BE THANKFUL FOR FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU. WOULD ANYONE ELSE? I JUST WANT TO THANK DOCTOR CHAMP AND HER TEAM, AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAID, BUT HOW MANY NIGHTS YOU SPENT OUT.
I THINK TOTAL ENGAGEMENT SINCE THE START OF THIS 80 .
[00:05:09]
AS MANY NIGHTS AS YOU DID, BUT ON A BIGGER SCALE TO THE PELHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT.YOU KNOW, EVER SINCE DAY ONE WHEN THERE WAS A BOND, THEN YOU IMMEDIATELY JUMPED IN.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT AND ALSO GRATEFUL, YOU KNOW, TO REITERATE WHAT JACKIE SAID, AND YOU SAID GRATEFUL TO THE VOTERS WHO CAME OUT.
IT WAS DEFINITELY A HUGE ASK, AND , YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT OUR DISCUSSIONS, WE WE REALLY DEBATED HOW BEST TO STRUCTURE THE THESE PROPOSITIONS, AND IT WAS A DIFFICULT DECISION ON HOW TO DO THAT, AND WHILE YES, I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN EVERYTHING PASS, OBVIOUSLY I AM THRILLED THAT THE SCHOOLS ARE GETTING NEW BOILERS.
IT SOUNDS. I REALLY AM, AND THAT SIWANOY IS GOING TO GET IS GOING TO BE ADA COMPLIANT AND IS GOING TO GET THE UPGRADES THAT IT REALLY, REALLY NEEDS. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT AND WHO VOICED THEIR OPINIONS, AND I KNOW THEY WERE VARIED, AND THE DISCUSSIONS WERE HEALTHY. I'LL SAY WE HAD SOME HEALTHY DISCUSSIONS AROUND WHAT THE RIGHT ANSWER.
WHAT EVERYONE THOUGHT THE RIGHT ANSWER SHOULD BE, AND I AM ALSO GRATEFUL TO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT IS, THAT IS VERY ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS AND IN THE SCHOOLS, EVEN WHEN RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOLS.
RIGHT. SO THAT I SAW A LOT OF THAT THIS YEAR.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT CONTINUES. SO THANK YOU EVERYONE.
OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR. I. NONE OPPOSED. SO THE RESULTS CARRY.
OKAY. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TAKE A CONSENT AGENDA?
[Items 2.2 - 2.5]
2.2 TO 2.5. SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY. I'M GOING TO READ 2.5 IS A DONATION.YES, I'LL READ THE DONATION. THIS IS FROM THE PELHAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
IT THE PELHAM UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES HEREBY ACCEPT THE MONETARY DONATION OF $14,400 FOR GRANT 2 509 SCIENCE OF READING PROGRAM, AND THAT GRATITUDE BE BESTOWED UPON ITS DONOR, THE PELHAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AND THEN THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL ONE FROM THE FROM THE CHESTER MARKET FOR $1,300 TO SUPPORT THE HUTCHINSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO THANK YOU TO CHESTER MARKET AND THE PELHAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
THE SECOND DONATION IS FOR $1,300. OKAY. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON 2.2 TO 2.5? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. CARRIES, UNOPPOSED.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TAKE A CONSENT AGENDA FOR 3.1 THROUGH 4.1?
[Items 3.1 - 4.1 ]
SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. IS THERE ANY NEW BUSINESS? NO. OKAY. DO WE HAVE COMMUNICATIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? NO. OKAY. I CAN TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED.SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THANKS, EVERYONE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.