Aug 26, 2025 August 26, 2025 - Business Meeting

HELLO. WELCOME TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING OF AUGUST 26TH, 2025.

[00:00:05]

OKAY. WILL, WOULD YOU PLEASE REITERATE OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTION?

[2.3 Reiteration of Executive Session Motions]

OKAY. THANK YOU. HELLO THIS IS A BRIEF BUSINESS MEETING BEFORE WE HEAD OUT FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ANNUAL BUILDING TOUR.

[2.4 Opening Remarks]

AND WE HAVE FOUR OF US HERE THIS EVENING FOR THE BRIEF BUSINESS MEETING.

AND THE TOUR IS MEANT TO ENSURE OUR BUILDINGS ARE READY FOR THE START OF SCHOOL NEXT WEEK.

AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, IT IS A HIGHLIGHT OF BOARD SERVICE AS WE CAN SEE THE HARD WORK AND LOVING CARE OF THE FACILITIES TEAM AND THE STUDENTS WHO COME TO WORK FOR THEM OVER THE SUMMER. ON MONDAY, THERE WAS THE ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE RETREAT.

TODAY, DOCTOR CHAMP AND I WELCOME NEW TEACHERS TO THE DISTRICT BEFORE THEIR ONBOARDING.

AND TODAY AND TOMORROW IS SUPERINTENDENTS CONFERENCE DAY.

TOMORROW EVENING WE HAVE OUR BOARD RETREAT WHERE WE WILL SET BOARD GOALS FOR THE COMING YEAR.

THE WHEELS ARE IN MOTION AND I WISH EVERYONE STUDENTS, FAMILIES, TEACHERS AND STAFF A GREAT START TO SCHOOL.

FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE DISTRICT FOR PELHAM MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL, RANKING NUMBER 52, IN NEW YORK HIGH SCHOOLS BY U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT.

THIS IS IMPROVING FROM LAST YEAR, WHERE THE HIGH SCHOOL RANKED NUMBER 81 WITH THE SCORE FOR PELHAM MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL, WAS 97.62 OUT OF 100. THIS PUTS US IN THE TOP 4% OF THE SCHOOLS THAT THEY ACTUALLY THAT ARE ACTUALLY IN THE RANKING AND IT IT SHOWS WE'RE COMPETITIVE. BECAUSE THOSE SCHOOLS ABOVE US, MOST OF THEM ARE SPECIALIZED STEM SCHOOLS OR SCHOOL OR PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS THAT YOU NEED TO TEST INTO.

AND SO CONGRATULATIONS TO PELHAM MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL FOR A GREAT SHOWING IN THE U.S NEWS AND WORLD REPORT.

OKAY. GREAT

[3.1 Superintendent's Report]

AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THAT OUR HIGH SCHOOL IS OUR FLAGSHIP.

IT'S THE CULMINATION OF 12 YEARS, 13 YEARS OF EDUCATION FOR OUR STUDENTS.

SO WE KNOW THAT NOTHING HAPPENS IN ISOLATION HERE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, KUDOS TO MR. LLEWELLYN, DOCTOR TITONE, FOR LEADING THE WORK THERE.

ALL OF OUR CURRICULUM DIRECTORS AND THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL WHO REALLY WORK TO BRING THOSE THINGS ABOUT.

BUT ALSO, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR FACULTY FROM K UP WHO HAVE HAD A HAND IN MAKING OUR STUDENTS SO SUCCESSFUL IN ADDITION TO WHAT JACKIE SHARED.

AS WE SAID, WE'VE GOT OUR FACILITY TOURS. WE'LL BE DOING A MORE IN-DEPTH PRESENTATION UPDATE.

JIM'S GOING TO HELP ME WITH THAT NEXT WEEK [LAUGHTER] ON OUR OPENING OF SCHOOL REPORT, WHICH IS A SHORT WEEK AWAY ON OUR FACILITIES, WHICH WE'LL BE LOOKING AT TONIGHT. TOMORROW, AS JACKIE MENTIONED, IS OUR SUPERINTENDENT'S CONFERENCE DAYS.

WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE TWO FULL DAYS OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WITH OUR ENTIRE STAFF.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE REALLY WORKING HARD ON THIS YEAR EMANATED FROM SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD IN OUR ADMINISTRATIVE RETREAT YESTERDAY.

WE HAD A FULL DAY OFF SITE WHERE WE TOOK OUR DEBRIEF FROM THE BACK AT THE END OF THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, AND WORKED HARD TO IDENTIFY WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE THREE ROCKS.

YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE STEPHEN COVEY ANALOGY.

I THINK IT'S CALLED THE THREE THE BIG ROCK THEORY, WHERE IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THREE BIG ROCKS AND A BATCH OF PEBBLES AND SOME SAND, IF YOU START AND PUT THE SAND IN THE WHETHER IT'S A VASE OR A BUCKET, PUT IT IN FIRST, PUT YOUR PEBBLES IN, PUT THE ROCKS ON TOP AND NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO FIT IN. IN EACH OF THOSE REPRESENTING THE THINGS THAT WE PRIORITIZE. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT BIG THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO KIND OF THE MEDIUM. HOW DO WE GET THE WORK DONE? AND THEN OF COURSE, THE GRANULAR, ALL THE LITTLE THINGS THAT JUST KIND OF CROP UP EVERY DAY. BUT WHEN YOU START IN THE OTHER ORDER BY PUTTING THE BIG ROCKS IN FIRST, THEN THE PEBBLES IN THE SAND, IT ALL FITS. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE'S SOMETIMES EVEN MORE SPACE. SO OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO FOCUS ON THE THREE BIG ROCKS. AND FOR US THIS YEAR, AS WE. OUR THEME FOR THE YEAR IS THIS SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT FOR ALL STUDENTS.

YOU'RE GOING TO BE HEAR LOTS OF THAT AS THE YEAR ROLLS OUT.

OUR BIG THREE ROCKS THIS YEAR ARE MTSS MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY THINKING, ESPECIALLY OF AI, HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR LIVES, AND BUILDING OUT DIFFERENT DATA SYSTEMS, CONTINUING TO BUILD ON THOSE THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT THE NEW YORK INSPIRES INITIATIVES.

THAT'S THE BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, THE PROFILE OF A GRADUATE.

THE STATE HAS NOW FINALIZED THAT PROFILE AND IS CALLING THE INITIATIVE NEW YORK INSPIRES.

SO HOW DO WE ROLL THAT OUT THEN AS WELL. WERE THE IMPLICATIONS K-12?

[00:05:02]

BUT THAT'S OUR GOAL. STREAMLINE THE WORK, REALLY FOCUS AND DRIVE OUR INITIATIVES FORWARD.

ON A RELATED NOTE, YOU'LL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT THIS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THE BOARD HAS A PEN IN FRONT OF YOU.

PELHAM IGNITES THE ELEMENTS. THIS IS THE NEW STEM INITIATIVE THAT DOCTOR CALLAHAN HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE COMMITTEE SINCE THE SPRING TO.

YOU'LL PROBABLY REMEMBER THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND AND THEN CHASING SPACE.

THIS THE PELHAM IGNITES THE ELEMENT IS GOING TO BE A CHEMISTRY FOCUS.

SO REALLY EXCITING EVENTS COMING IN THE YEAR AHEAD.

YOU'RE GOING TO BE HEARING LOTS MORE ABOUT THAT. SO THAT'S YOUR SWAG FOR THE BOARD [LAUGHTER] TO START TO GET EXCITED ABOUT THAT INITIATIVE.

GREAT WE HAD PUT THAT OUT FOR A HEARING AT OUR MEETING BACK OUR REORGANIZATION MEETING BACK IN JULY.

WE JUST NEED THE BOARD TO ADOPT THAT. TONIGHT WE DID NOT GET ANY FEEDBACK, ADJUSTMENTS OR AMENDMENTS.

SO IT IS BEING PRESENTED TO YOU TONIGHT AS YOU SAW IT BACK IN JULY.

AND THAT'LL CONCLUDE MY REPORT FOR TONIGHT. AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT OUR CONFERENCE DAY.

OUR FACILITIES AND ALL THAT STUFF NEXT WEEK. THANK YOU, DOCTOR CHAMP.

OKAY WE CAN MOVE TO 4.1. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO RECESS THE BUSINESS MEETING AND CONVENE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE DRAFT DISTRICT SAFETY PLAN.

[4.1 Motion to Recess the Business Meeting and Convene a Public Hearing on the Draft District Safety Plan]

DO WE HAVE COMMUNICATE? WE DON'T HAVE COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC BUT.

[4.2 Communications and Comments from the Public]

SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE DRAFT DISTRICT SAFETY PLAN?

[4.3 Motion to Close the Public Hearing on the Draft District Safety Plan]

[5. Communications and Comments from the Public]

DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TAKE 6.1 TO 6.6 AS A CONSENT AGENDA?

[6. Financial Reports and Motions]

THAT'S A PRETTY SIMPLE ONE. AS YOU'LL SEE TONIGHT, WE ALSO ARE ASKING YOU TO ADOPT THE DISTRICT WIDE SAFETY PLAN, WHICH YOU JUST HELD YOUR HEARING ON. THANKS TO JIM HRICAY AND TO TOM BECK AND THE SAFETY TEAM FOR THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THAT.

SO ALL THE UPDATES FOR THE YEAR ARE IN PLACE.

WE DO ANTICIPATE HAVING TO BRING THAT BACK TO THE BOARD AGAIN, BECAUSE THE STATE ONCE AGAIN MADE A LAST MINUTE CHANGE.

SO WE WILL ONCE WE GET THAT LANGUAGE READY TO GO, WE'LL BRING THAT BOARD BACK TO THE BOARD, HAVE TO DO ANOTHER 30 DAY HEARING PERIOD AND THEN LOOK FOR A RE ADOPTION.

BUT THIS WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO PUT THE CURRENT ONE IN PLACE STARTING NEXT WEEK.

AND IT'S NOT A MAJOR. NO AND SOME NEW TRAINING. SO WE'RE JUST NAILING DOWN THE DETAILS THERE.

ALSO ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, YOU'LL SEE A CONTRACT WITH STUDENT ASSISTANCE SERVICES.

YOU PROBABLY ARE FAMILIAR WITH OUR STUDENT ASSISTANCE COUNSELOR AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

WE'VE HAD THAT SERVICE IN PLACE AND AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IN PLACE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE DID NEED TO REDUCE THE FUNDING FOR THAT GIVEN, BECAUSE SOME OF THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE'RE FUNCTIONING UNDER.

VERY FORTUNATE THAT ELLEN MOREHOUSE, WHO'S LONGTIME DIRECTOR OF THAT PROGRAM, HAS ALSO BEEN DEVELOPING A SERIES OF GRANTS TO BRING IN MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS TO SCHOOLS. AND WHEN I SPOKE TO HER ABOUT THE NEED TO REDUCE THE FUNDING, SHE SAID, HEY, I'VE GOT THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY. IF WE'D LIKE TO SHE COULD SUPPLEMENT WHAT WE WERE BUDGETED FOR, WHICH WAS THREE DAYS A WEEK OF STUDENT ASSISTANCE COUNSELOR WITH AN ON SITE MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC.

SAME PERSON CAN FUNCTION, SO WE COULD HAVE A FULL TIME STUDENT ASSISTANCE COUNSELOR HERE.

TWO OF THOSE DAYS WOULD SHE WOULD ACTUALLY FUNCTION AS A PRIVATE MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER.

WOW IT'S A SERVICE THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR PELHAM MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN THE SCHOOL.

AND IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD FAMILIES COULD ACCESS THAT USING PRIVATE INSURANCE OR SLIDING SCALE.

AND IT IS ACTUAL MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT IS A REALLY GREAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCE FOR FAMILIES IN SOME SOMEONE WHO CAN WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THE SCHOOL TO PROVIDE SUPPORTS. QUICK QUESTION IS THAT DURING THE SCHOOL DAY THEN THEY WOULD? SO WHAT SCHOOLS THAT ARE SHIFTING TO THAT MODEL ARE FINDING IT VERY ACCESSIBLE FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WHO CAN'T GET THOSE SERVICES ELSEWHERE.

SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. SO MORE TO COME ON THAT.

[00:10:01]

THEY JUST GOT APPROVED THROUGH BOCES, SO WE'LL BE SHIFTING THE COST THERE. BUT IN ORDER TO GET THE PROGRAM UP AND RUNNING AND APPROVED FOR THE START OF SCHOOL, WE WANTED TO BRING IT TO YOU TODAY, BUT JUST KNOW THAT THAT SHIFT WILL OCCUR LATER IN THE YEAR.

A STIPULATION OF SETTLEMENT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION SITUATION.

AND THEN ALSO YOU SEE HERE IN JUST TWO APPROVALS OF MERGERS FOR OUR ATHLETICS PROGRAMS FOR ICE GIRLS, ICE HOCKEY AND CO-ED WRESTLING. GREAT THANK YOU.

ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THESE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. NONE OPPOSED SO ALL OF THOSE MOTIONS CARRY.

WE CAN MOVE TO. SHOULD WE ACTUALLY ADD THAT IN HERE? SO I HAVE A MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION FOR STUDENT TRANSPORTATION APPEALS 1, 02, AND 4 FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2025 AND 2026. A RESOLUTION.

A MOTION TO DENY THE APPEAL REQUESTS. SO MOVED.

SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THANK YOU, AND I JUST WANT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT THE DISTRICT WILL BE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE FAMILIES WHO PUT THOSE APPEALS FORWARD TOMORROW.

RIGHT? OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL APPEAL IN THERE AS WELL OH, I SKIPPED 3? I'M SORRY. IS THAT? OR IS THAT A DIFFERENT.

NUMBER 3. I'M SORRY. YEP. EXCUSE ME. DO I HAVE A RESOLUTION.

A MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION FOR STUDENT TO DENY STUDENT TRANSPORTATION APPEAL NUMBER 3 FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2025, 2026. SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. SO THAT THOSE MOTIONS CARRY.

AND AGAIN, THE DISTRICT WILL BE IN CONTACT TOMORROW.

THANK YOU. OKAY

[7.1 Motion to Approve the Code of Conduct for the 2025-2026 School Year]

AND THAT INCLUDES THE NEW CONNECTED INTERNET DEVICE POLICIES? THOSE WERE INCLUDED. WE'VE GOT OUR NEW POLICY AND THE INFORMATION WAS UPDATED IN THE STUDENT HANDBOOKS.

STUDENT HANDBOOK I ALWAYS FORGET ANY OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. NONE OPPOSED SO THAT IS APPROVED. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO.

[8. Superintendent's Personnel Recommendations]

[9. Pupil Personnel Services]

WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THOSE FOLKS JUMPING IN, FILLING THE CLASSROOMS. SEVERAL RESIGNATIONS ON BOTH INSTRUCTIONAL AND NON-INSTRUCTIONAL.

CERTAINLY SCHEDULE D YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH AND I GUESS THAT ROUNDS OUT GREAT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. NONE OPPOSED SO THOSE ARE ALL APPROVED.

IS THERE. DOES ANYONE HAVE NEW BUSINESS? 10.1? NO? THERE'S NO COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.

I WILL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED. SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THANKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

GETTING TO THE TOUR NOW. YES ON TO THE FACILITIES.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.