[0:31] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
[0:35] and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under
[0:39] God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
[0:46] Thank you.
[0:47] Roll call.
[0:49] Mr. Weaver.
[0:50] Here.
[0:50] Ms. Donnelly.
[0:51] Here.
[0:51] Ms. Zurek.
[0:52] Here.
[0:52] Ms. Boland.
[0:53] Here.
[0:53] Mr. Keegan.
[0:54] Here.
[0:55] Ms. DeWitt.
[0:55] Here.
[0:56] Ms. Hanley.
[0:56] Here.
[1:01] Sweetheart,
[1:03] did you already administer the oath?
[1:06] At this time, we're going to swear in our new student rep, Julia Gomes.
[1:24] I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States of
[1:27] America and the Constitution of the State of New York, and
[1:31] that I will faithfully discharge, according to the best of my ability, the duties
[1:35] of student representative to the Board of Education in the Port Jefferson School
[1:39] District.
[1:39] Yay.
[1:39] Congratulations.
[1:46] Yeah, usually in January they start the middle school. Gives them some time.
[1:51] We're going to start to welcome Dr.
[1:53] Carravall to the podium to recognize our student artist.
[1:56] Sure. Good evening, Mr. Schmidthan, members of the board.
[1:59] This evening, we'd like to recognize one of our very talented fine arts students,
[2:03] whose work was featured in this year's school calendar.
[2:05] At this time, I'd like to invite ninth grader Sianna Serar, as well as her
[2:09] middle school art teacher, Ms. Stacey Schumann, for her artistic guidance
[2:16] come up to the podium.
[2:21] You can face the board.
[2:22] So please join me in congratulating Sianna and as the board would
[2:26] like to present her with a copy of her framed artwork that
[2:30] presents her
[2:32] artwork from the calendar, as well as a certificate of
[2:35] recognition and a few extra copies of the calendar.
[2:40] And thank you so much for
[2:43] being here with us this evening, along with your family, and for sharing your
[2:46] wonderful talents with our community to enjoy.
[2:48] Every time they look at an event for our school, they see your artwork.
[2:51] So congratulations and thank you all for being here.
[2:58] At this time, I'd like you to surround
[3:01] your artwork, and we'll take a photo with the board.
[3:03] Okay. Congratulations. Where did we get all the pictures?
[3:08] No, where did we get this inspiration?
[3:14] Did you
[3:14] find
[3:20] me?
[3:21] I just
[3:26] saw that picture. Yeah.
[3:27] I'm coming.
[3:29] You're so sweet. I just saw the other one.
[3:31] I wish there was more.
[3:33] Thank you so much.
[3:34] You're welcome.
[3:34] You're so sweet.
[3:36] One, two, three.
[3:39] One,
[3:41] two.
[3:41] Congratulations.
[4:02] Thank you.
[4:04] Next, Dr. O'Neill is here to honor some of our long-term employees.
[4:08] Dr. O'Neill?
[4:11] Good evening, everyone. Before we begin tonight's recognition, I want to take a
[4:14] moment to thank our Board of Education, our superintendent, our administrators, our
[4:18] colleagues, and especially our Port Jefferson community for being here and
[4:22] for supporting the people who make our schools what they are.
[4:25] It is a privilege to be part of the Port Jefferson School District and to have the
[4:28] opportunity to recognize the dedication and service of some truly special
[4:32] members of our school community.
[4:34] Tonight, we have the opportunity to recognize something that is becoming
[4:37] increasingly rare and increasingly meaningful.
[4:40] Twenty-five years of commitment to one place, one profession, and one community.
[4:45] We're recognizing 14 people who have reached that milestone.
[4:49] And while their roles may look very different from one another, they have something
[4:52] important in common. For 25 years, they have shown up.
[4:56] Some have stood in front of classrooms, some have worked beside students,
[5:01] some have kept our technology running, our buildings working, and our grounds
[5:04] looking their best. Some have supported the people who make a school function every
[5:08] day, often without much attention or recognition.
[5:11] And that's what really makes tonight special.
[5:14] Twenty-five years is a long time. It represents thousands of mornings getting to
[5:18] work, countless conversations, problems solved, challenges
[5:22] handled, and probably more than a few days when it would have been easier to
[5:26] just say, "Not today." But they kept coming back.
[5:29] They adapted as technology changed.
[5:32] They adjusted as expectations changed.
[5:35] They worked through different leadership, different programs, different buildings,
[5:39] and different eras of education.
[5:41] And through all of those changes, they brought something that can't be taught in
[5:45] workshops. They brought experience, perspective, and
[5:48] commitment. The value of that kind of service isn't simply measured by numbers
[5:52] of years on a calendar. It is measured by the people who have benefited from those
[5:56] years. The students supported, the colleagues helped, the classrooms
[6:00] maintained. The systems kept running and the countless everyday
[6:04] things that happened because someone cared enough to do their part.
[6:07] So tonight, we're not just celebrating 25 years, we're recognizing 25
[6:11] years of contribution, and we're saying thank you, not only for what each
[6:15] of you have accomplished, but for the consistency,
[6:18] professionalism, and dedication you have brought to Port Jefferson School
[6:21] District for a quarter of a century.
[6:24] Please join me in recognizing and congratulating our 14
[6:27] recipients of the 25 Year Service Award.
[6:30] When you hear your name, please come up.
[6:33] Stacy Bueller, middle school special education teacher.
[6:41] Dennis Christopher, high school mathematics teacher.
[6:47] Melissa Quarry, middle school social studies teacher.
[6:55] Harry Fenton, groundskeeper.
[7:00] Megan Hine, elementary school teacher.
[7:06] Brian Kendrick, network and system specialist.
[7:14] Melissa Martin, elementary school teacher.
[7:21] Nancy Randazzo, art teacher.
[7:28] Allison Roske, elementary school teacher.
[7:35] Brian Sandek, network and systems
[7:37] administrator.
[7:43] Francois Schnetzer, physical education teacher.
[7:51] Stacy Schumann, art teacher.
[7:57] Dr. Tara Sladek-Mahar, middle school, high school social studies teacher.
[8:04] And lastly but not least, Dr. Katherine Zvokol, elementary school
[8:08] teacher.
[8:14] I'm this one.
[8:16] Thank you.
[8:22] All good.
[8:27] How are you?
[8:32] 25 years.
[8:34] Put it on your-
[8:36] Yeah
[8:36] ... just put it on your line there.
[8:37] Thank you.
[8:40] 25
[8:41] years. Very special.
[8:44] So you're subbing today.
[8:45] I'm the teacher.
[8:49] I hate it.
[8:50] Yep. Certificate.
[8:50] There you go.
[8:52] Thank you.
[8:52] Very good. Follow directions.
[8:55] Look at
[8:56] you.
[9:00] Yeah.
[9:03] Look at all the
[9:03] people
[9:12] in the
[9:13] audience.
[9:33] I was a different animal back then.
[9:36] Different.
[9:37] I was more like a
[9:37] nightcrawler.
[9:59] We recognize it's the first week of school, so
[10:04] thank you to our dedicated staff. At this point,
[10:08] I'm going to arrange my report. Is that okay?
[10:10] Yeah.
[10:11] Yeah? We will go right into my report with Dr.
[10:14] Nydick and the AP results.
[10:24] Thank you, Mrs. Chmatan. Good evening, everyone, and I'd like to thank the
[10:28] board for the opportunity to speak about the results of our
[10:32] most recent AP testing from this last May.
[10:36] During the '25, '26 school year, we once again experienced an
[10:39] increase in AP exams taken in the school with
[10:42] 433 total exams. Participation is also
[10:46] higher than last year, with 175 students taking an AP exam,
[10:51] and this is certainly a positive trend that the district is committed to
[10:54] continually increasing.
[10:56] Students with scores of three or higher was up slightly from last year to
[11:00] 85.71. And overall, I think it's clear to say that
[11:04] as participation has increased, performance has not suffered, and
[11:08] this is certainly a sign of quality instruction.
[11:12] This college credit report, formerly known as the Equity and Excellence Report,
[11:16] shows the proportion of the district's entire senior class who
[11:20] scored a three or higher on an AP exam at any
[11:24] point during high school. This year,
[11:27] 62.7% scored a three or higher on at least one AP
[11:30] exam at any point during their high school career.
[11:34] Additionally, this table shows the percentage of our entire 10th, 11th, and 12th
[11:38] grade classes who took it and scored a three or higher on at least
[11:42] one AP exam in May of 2026. For 12th graders,
[11:46] 45.8% scored a three or higher this past May, for
[11:49] 11th graders, 61% scored a three or higher,
[11:54] and for 10th graders, 54.7% scored a three
[11:58] or higher. Certainly pretty impressive information there.
[12:02] For 2026, we had 433 AP exams
[12:06] taken by our students with an average score of a
[12:09] 3.60. Over the past five years, we've also seen
[12:13] strong consistency in these average scores.
[12:16] Also, while we may have more students taking AP exams, I do want to
[12:20] send a shout-out certainly for those of our students who are
[12:24] participating in our ever-expanding dual enrollment program.
[12:28] We have many, many courses based on different passions and interests of our
[12:32] students.
[12:33] These dual enrollment courses are certainly tied to Stony Brook and Suffolk
[12:37] Community College at this point in time.
[12:41] Our AP English courses demonstrate continued outperformance compared
[12:45] to the New York State mean and the global mean.
[12:47] Notably, AP Language had a mean of
[12:50] 3.77, with 92% of our students obtaining a three
[12:54] or higher, and AP Literature had a mean of
[12:58] 3.87, with 87% of our students
[13:01] obtaining a three or higher during the
[13:03] 2026 testing cycle.
[13:08] In terms of AP World, we had 18 of our 24 students, or
[13:12] 75%, attain a three or higher. For AP US, the
[13:16] mean score was higher than New York State and the global mean.
[13:19] The percent earning a three or higher was 82%.
[13:22] It's nice to see the strong enrollment that we also have with this course over the
[13:26] past three years. In terms of AP Macro, our students
[13:29] outperformed the global mean, and we had 86% of our students
[13:33] earning a three or higher, which was a nice rebound from the
[13:37] previous year.
[13:41] AP Science courses saw, once again, very strong scores that were higher
[13:45] than both the New York State and global average scores.
[13:48] AP Biology had a 3.81 mean and 94% of the students
[13:52] earning a three or higher. AP Chemistry had a 3.6 mean
[13:56] with 88% of students earning a three or higher.
[14:02] AP Physics students performed exceptionally well again this year, with an average
[14:06] score outperforming both New York State and the global mean by almost one
[14:10] full point. Additionally, 100% of students earned a three or
[14:14] higher. AP Calculus AB continues to outperform both the New
[14:17] York State mean and the global mean with a
[14:20] 4.07 average score. In terms of Calculus
[14:24] BC, 100% of our students earned a three or higher, while also
[14:28] outperforming the New York State mean and the global mean.
[14:33] In terms of AP Stats, the Port Jeff mean was much higher than the New
[14:37] York State mean and the global mean, and we had 86% of the students
[14:41] earning a three or higher.
[14:43] With AP Computer Science Principles, our Port Jeff mean was somewhat similar to the
[14:47] New York State and global mean, with 54% of
[14:51] our students earning a three or higher in that course.
[14:57] AP Music Theory runs on an alternating year basis.
[15:00] This year, we had six students challenge the course.
[15:02] The Port Jeff mean was a 2.67, which was below both
[15:06] the New York State mean and the global mean.
[15:09] In addition, we had two of the six students obtain a
[15:13] three or higher on that exam.
[15:16] This was our first year offering AP Human Geography.
[15:19] This course was mainly composed of ninth graders, but we also did have a few
[15:23] upper-level students challenge this course.
[15:26] In all, we had 39 students take the class.
[15:28] 33
[15:30] of the students, or 85%, achieved a three or higher on that
[15:34] exam, and the Port Jeff mean of 3.64 was higher than both the
[15:38] New York State mean and the global mean.
[15:41] And back this year was AP French Language and Culture, which did not run last year.
[15:46] With this exam, the Port Jeff mean of 2.75 was below the New York State
[15:50] mean and the global mean. Of the four students taking the class, however, three
[15:53] of them obtained a three or higher on the exam.
[15:59] In terms of AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature, we
[16:03] noticed that the Port Jeff mean still falls below the New York State mean and the
[16:06] global mean. With AP Spanish Language, we had 64% of
[16:10] our students earning a three or higher and 60% of students earning a three or
[16:13] higher for AP Spanish Literature.
[16:15] And with all of these world language exams, they're
[16:19] very tough and almost designed for native speakers to
[16:23] meet success. So when we talk about numbers in the 50s and 60s, it is quite an
[16:27] impressive feat for our students who are often taking these
[16:31] as a second language.
[16:34] We had both students, in terms of 2D Art and
[16:38] Design, obtain at least a three in that course.
[16:41] We are certainly very proud of the fact that the Port Jeff mean was well above the
[16:45] New York State mean and the global mean.
[16:51] And this was our fourth year of AP Seminar, and we are extremely
[16:54] pleased with the results, as we had 95% of the 40
[16:58] students earn a three or higher. The Port Jeff mean
[17:02] was well above the New York State mean and global mean.
[17:06] And in our third year of AP Research, we had all six of our students earn a
[17:10] three or higher.
[17:13] This slide details our AP Scholar awards for 2026.
[17:17] Total scholars decreased slightly from 103 in 2025
[17:21] to 90 in 2026. We did, however, have 28
[17:25] AP Scholars, which is the second highest amount over the past seven
[17:28] years. We also had 11 AP Scholars with Honor.
[17:32] AP Scholars with Distinction was the highest number we have had over the past seven
[17:36] years, with 45 students earning this
[17:40] award. This is an amazing number considering that you need at least
[17:43] a 3.5 average score on all AP exams
[17:47] taken and scores of three or higher on five or
[17:51] more of these exams.
[17:54] This was the third year that our students were eligible for the AP Capstone Awards,
[17:58] and this year we're happy to report that we had six students earn that AP Capstone
[18:01] Diploma This is granted to students who earn scores of three or
[18:05] higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four
[18:09] additional AP exams of their choosing.
[18:12] So when you look at the last column, the past year, we did not have...
[18:16] Or second to last column, we did not have any students earning the AP Seminar and
[18:19] Research certificate, which is granted to students who earn scores of
[18:23] three or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research, but do not take or
[18:27] pass four additional exams. So our students are all falling into the higher
[18:32] designation, which is a big deal.
[18:35] So all in all, we will reflect on all of this data and continue to look
[18:39] for ways to improve our AP program.
[18:44] I did want to just take a moment to remind the board of the
[18:48] district on how we did in terms of our AP Platinum status.
[18:53] Only 8% of schools in the United States and Canada met College
[18:56] Board's highest possible standard, and to achieve the Platinum status,
[19:00] schools must meet rigorous benchmarks for student access and success
[19:05] in AP coursework, which includes 80% of graduating
[19:09] seniors taking at least one AP exam during high school,
[19:12] 50% of graduating seniors earning a score of three or more on
[19:16] at least one AP exam, and 15% of seniors taking
[19:20] five or more AP exams, including one in ninth or
[19:24] tenth grade. So I'm so proud of our students, our faculty, for
[19:28] obtaining this designation for our school community
[19:32] because it definitely demonstrates the top-notch
[19:37] rigor that we have here in Port Jeff.
[19:41] So with that, I know I went a little quickly this evening, but are
[19:45] there any questions about these
[19:49] monumental results, as always?
[19:52] Port Jeff proud.
[19:54] Yeah.
[19:55] Yeah. No questions, but-
[19:56] Yeah
[19:56] ... amazing.
[19:57] Yeah. We were really just commenting on the Human Geography first
[20:01] year.
[20:01] I thought it was astonishing. I just said it to Pat, I said 39 kids.
[20:03] I was like, "Wow, that's amazing."
[20:04] That's the first time, and mostly ninth graders-
[20:07] Yeah, overwhelmingly
[20:07] ... to be exposed to that AP course, and to have such strong scores in the
[20:11] first year implementing that course is just very proud.
[20:14] Yeah.
[20:14] Really good work from all of our departments.
[20:17] And it also provides some of our upper-level students with the opportunity to
[20:20] challenge an AP, which has certainly been a goal of ours-
[20:23] Yeah, exactly
[20:23] ... to expose them to college-level work before they actually graduate from Port
[20:27] Jeff.
[20:28] All right.
[20:29] It's great.
[20:29] Well, great.
[20:31] Thank you.
[20:31] Thank you.
[20:31] The mathematics are great.
[20:35] Congratulations. Julia, how are you for your report?
[20:37] Can I finish first?
[20:38] Oh. You wanted-
[20:40] I just want to say something else.
[20:40] Oh, okay.
[20:41] Is that okay?
[20:43] Well, we had a wonderful start to the school year, and we're happy to welcome our
[20:46] staff and students back to the buildings, and we look forward to open houses
[20:49] tomorrow night at the elementary school and Thursday at our middle school and
[20:53] high school. Did I jump ahead a little, Leslie?
[20:56] And so, we would like to also invite the public to
[21:00] join us next week for the Port Jefferson School District Wall of Fame induction
[21:04] ceremony on September 18th at 1:00 PM.
[21:08] We will honor two remarkable members of our schools, John R.
[21:11] Bob Estell and Leslie E. JJ Goodman Jr.
[21:15] Bob Estell was a foundational figure in Port Jefferson education and athletics,
[21:18] serving as an impactful teacher, coach, athletic director, and mentor in our
[21:22] district from 1951 to 1994. Also
[21:26] being honored is former NFL player and class of 1968 alumnus,
[21:30] Les JJ Goodman. Les stands as one of the most accomplished
[21:34] athletes and continues to inspire Port Jefferson students and the community through
[21:37] his legacy of excellence and character.
[21:40] The ceremony will take place at the athletic stadium and will be open to the
[21:43] public. In the event of inclement weather, though, the ceremony will move indoors
[21:47] to the high school library, and space will be limited to family attendees only.
[21:52] As many of you are aware, we unfortunately have been unable to field a varsity
[21:55] football team. This was not expected, and we planned 23 returning
[21:59] players and eight incoming freshmen.
[22:02] Once we realized we would not have the minimum number of players, we requested to
[22:05] combine with Rocky Point. Section 11 would allow the combination
[22:09] but imposed a no-playoff penalty.
[22:11] Faced with this consequence, Rocky Point had no alternative but to withdraw from
[22:15] the varsity portion of the agreement.
[22:18] Rocky Point has continued with our agreement for the combined JV squad, and our
[22:22] students in grades nine through 11 have been practicing with them beginning last
[22:26] week.
[22:27] The whole matter and how it transpired is deeply troubling and disappointing.
[22:31] Our students should never be caught in the middle of a dispute over unexpected
[22:34] circumstances, administrative processes, or scheduling
[22:37] concerns. The Port Jefferson and Rocky Point school districts came forward with a
[22:41] good faith proposal designed to preserve opportunities for student athletes in
[22:45] both communities. Without a combined varsity team, our high school
[22:49] student-athletes will not have a football season this year, and for our seniors
[22:53] who invested years of their lives in this program, that prospect is particularly
[22:57] devastating. We have not stopped advocating for our students, and we're looking for
[23:01] the best outcome for our athletes.
[23:03] Our players just want to play football, and our district wants to give them that
[23:06] opportunity.
[23:08] The district appealed the decision of Section 11 last week, and we were
[23:11] denied. Tonight, the Board of Education is going to consider a
[23:15] resolution to authorize our legal counsel to begin litigation
[23:19] against Section 11 in order to permit our football players to
[23:22] participate with the Rocky Point varsity football team for the 2026 season.
[23:27] And at this time, I'd like to formally introduce Julia Gomes,
[23:31] our student board member. Julia is a senior, active in student government,
[23:35] extracurricular clubs, and volleyball, and we are excited for her to join us as
[23:39] part of the Board of Education. At this time, Julia gets to give her first report.
[23:45] Yeah.
[23:45] Well, I was also told to give a little introduction.
[23:48] So hi, my name is Julia Lima de Oliveira Gomes,
[23:52] and I've been in Port Jeff since first grade.
[23:54] I am a senior, and I participated in student organizations since freshman year, and
[23:58] I've also been class vice president since freshman year.
[24:01] I've played school and travel volleyball since eighth grade, and during my academic
[24:05] career, I participated in nine clubs and 15 APs total.
[24:09] True. She's the story today.
[24:13] I was also part of the Hospital Career Exploration Program,
[24:17] internship program offered last year at St.
[24:19] Charles Hospital, and I volunteered there over the summer, accumulating over 120
[24:23] community service hours from the hospital alone, and hundreds of hours total.
[24:27] I am super excited to be the student board representative, and I really appreciate
[24:30] the opportunity.
[24:32] That's great.
[24:32] So now the actual report.
[24:36] It has been a smooth transition to start off the new year.
[24:39] Students and teachers are getting used to their new schedules and classes.
[24:42] Sports and clubs are off and running, and many of the seventh and eighth grade
[24:46] students have reported that they love having their backpacks in school.
[24:49] Town hall meetings are
[24:51] being held with the students to review the expectations and procedures of the
[24:55] school.
[24:56] There are many things happening in the middle school and high school.
[24:59] On Thursday, November 10th, the middle school and high school will be having a
[25:03] back to school night. This event is a great way for the parents of our students to
[25:07] get a glimpse of their child's academic day by meeting their teachers, as well as
[25:10] learning about the different curriculums.
[25:17] On Friday 9/11, the 11th and 12th graders will be taking a field trip to
[25:21] the PJ Firehouse for the September 11th ceremony.
[25:24] The entire district is asked to wear red, white, and blue to show our support.
[25:28] On
[25:30] September 17th, some of our high school athletes will be hosting a fall sports
[25:34] fair for the fifth grade students.
[25:36] This opportunity provides the elementary school students with a chance to learn
[25:39] about the various sports that are offered to them at the middle school and high
[25:42] school level.
[25:44] Next week is the Start
[25:45] with Hello Week. There will be various opportunities district-wide to
[25:49] support this program that was developed through the Sandy Hook Promise.
[25:53] The mission is to lead and promote by having all students feel
[25:57] included and not to feel like they're alone.
[26:00] Senior Derek Wonderland is working with the League of Yes to organize a Bike
[26:04] to the Beach event on October 3rd at Smiths Point to raise awareness for
[26:07] autism and disabilities.
[26:09] And finally, some important upcoming meetings and events.
[26:12] On September 14th, SEPTA will be having a virtual meeting.
[26:16] September 16th, the PTSA will be having a meeting.
[26:20] September 18th, the Wall of Fame induction at 12:30 at the
[26:24] athletic complex. On September 23rd, there will be a club
[26:28] fair where students can learn about the different clubs that are available for them
[26:31] to join. And finally, on September 30th, financial aid night
[26:35] presentation will be held.
[26:37] Thank you.
[26:38] Thank you.
[26:40] I'm sure you have a lot of AP studying to do-
[26:42] Yeah
[26:42] ... so if you have homework, you are excused. Thank you so much for joining us.
[26:45] Thank you.
[26:46] Thank you.
[26:48] Great first meeting.
[26:50] Happy first report.
[26:52] I am done now. Sorry.
[26:53] Okay.
[26:55] All right. We'll go to committee reports and we'll start with
[26:59] policy has not met.
[27:01] Curriculum has not met yet, right?
[27:02] No.
[27:02] They're a little early in the year.
[27:04] So we have facilities, and we'll go to facilities first.
[27:08] I thought we were doing finance first.
[27:10] You're up.
[27:10] Sorry.
[27:12] So facilities didn't have a formal meeting, but we had a facilities
[27:15] walkthrough, which is always so nice to do at the end of the summer to see
[27:19] all the work that was done. So we received a tour given by Mr.
[27:23] Lester and Mr. Minerak, beginning at district office, where we saw new
[27:27] fencing and carpeting inside district office.
[27:31] Then we walked over to the O&M building to see the floor construction.
[27:35] So everyone should be happy to know that the floor is not sloping and things aren't
[27:38] falling off shelves anymore. So that was happy. That was a good thing to see.
[27:43] While we were actually outside about to walk into the elementary school, we had a
[27:46] discussion about replacing the fence along Scraggy Road
[27:50] and installing a walkway with bollards.
[27:53] I think they're called bollards, right?
[27:55] Okay. To create a buffer between the parking spaces on the street,
[27:59] since this can potentially be a safety concern for students who
[28:03] get either dropped off or picked up from school, or even
[28:07] if they are attending school events. So Mr.
[28:11] Minerak is going to look into pricing for this project potentially.
[28:16] We then went into the
[28:18] elementary school and toured the second grade and fourth grade
[28:22] wings.
[28:24] We moved on to the middle school/high school, where we saw the labeled
[28:28] senior parking spots and new fencing by the
[28:31] middle school outer stairs. We toured the middle school art room,
[28:36] room A206, A207, saw the middle
[28:40] school gym padding, and middle school special ed offices.
[28:44] Then we moved to the high school, saw the principal's office hallway carpet.
[28:47] We went outside to the high school breezeway for tech ed and saw the stairs,
[28:51] railings, bollards where the portables used to be,
[28:55] and a new drain cover, which I think Mr.
[28:58] Minerak was very excited about personally. But he was very excited about it.
[29:02] The little things.
[29:03] Then we went on to the high school second floor
[29:07] to see, finally, the new unit
[29:10] ventilators for the air conditioning, which was again, very exciting.
[29:14] We were all very happy.
[29:16] That concluded our tour. But as always, we
[29:20] have so much thanks to our staff for
[29:24] making your classrooms warm and inviting for your students.
[29:27] I love it because I get some great ideas before I get to decorate my
[29:31] own classroom. Thank you to the high school staff for their patience with the
[29:34] installation of the HVAC system, and a huge thank you to our
[29:38] custodial, grounds, and maintenance crews, as well as our technology
[29:42] department for getting our schools ready for the
[29:44] 2026/2027 school year. Your
[29:48] hard work does not go unnoticed, and it's certainly very
[29:52] appreciated. So thank you.
[29:54] Thank you, Randy. And I'm just surprised that they were able to
[29:58] retrofit that air conditioning-
[29:59] Mm-hmm
[30:00] ... without taking so much space out of the rooms.
[30:03] Yeah.
[30:03] It was really-
[30:04] They did a great job with that.
[30:05] It's nice. It was great
[30:05] ... really nice.
[30:07] Okay, so we'll move on to finance. We met-
[30:11] We met.
[30:11] Yeah.
[30:11] Early in the year, we met. Finance met on September 1st on our
[30:16] And a lot of our meeting was about the end of last year going into this
[30:19] year. Our audit is in the process, and it's being completed, and hopefully
[30:23] should be completed shortly. We discussed fund balance
[30:27] transfers for the end of the year, including
[30:32] fund balance transfer in order to add a third pre-K class this year,
[30:36] which is a great thing for us to have three pre-K
[30:40] sections going forward in the '26, '27 school year.
[30:44] We did continue to discuss, which was brought up at August meeting,
[30:48] a new RFP to go out for potential
[30:52] possibility of a land sale near Scraggy Hill. That'll go out in the near future.
[30:57] We'll have a three-month window.
[30:59] And we discussed a couple of the other aspects that'll go
[31:03] forward during the course of the year, but it was very early in the
[31:07] year.
[31:08] And our next meeting is October 13th at 6:30.
[31:13] I think next facilities-
[31:14] It is the same night
[31:15] ... is the same day.
[31:15] Sorry.
[31:15] October 13th.
[31:17] Ditto. But right after.
[31:17] So we're both going to meet on October 13th.
[31:19] Yes.
[31:20] Okay.
[31:20] And audit, I think you're waiting to-
[31:23] Yeah. Waiting for the-
[31:23] ... wrap things up, and then-
[31:24] Yeah
[31:24] ... it'll be on the calendar.
[31:26] Correct.
[31:26] Mm-hmm.
[31:27] Great. Thank you.
[31:31] We'll move on in our meeting. So
[31:33] the board approves the minutes of
[31:37] the August 25th regular business meeting of the Board of Education.
[31:41] Could I have a motion, please?
[31:43] That'll be Tracy Zamek. Second is Mike Weaver.
[31:47] Any discussion, revisions,
[31:50] changes?
[31:52] No. We move for a vote. All those in favor.
[31:55] Thank you.
[31:57] Now at this point, we have the public comment that is related to
[32:01] anything on the agenda, on tonight's agenda.
[32:04] Is there anybody here for public comment on tonight's agenda items?
[32:10] Seeing no one's come up to the mic, we'll move on to
[32:13] the board consent agenda.
[32:16] So as recommended by the superintendent of schools, the board approves
[32:20] the following resolution,
[32:22] the facilities resolution item C1 appearing on the
[32:26] September 8th, 2026 consent agenda.
[32:29] Could I have a motion, please?
[32:31] That'll be Randy DeWitt. Second,
[32:35] Tracy Donnelly. Any discussion?
[32:39] So move for a vote. All those in favor. Thank you.
[32:43] We now have the board consent agenda for instructional
[32:47] personnel.
[32:49] As recommended by the superintendent of schools, the board approves the
[32:53] following instructional personnel resolution items D1
[32:57] through D8, appearing on the September 8th, 2026
[33:01] consent agenda. Could I have a motion, please?
[33:04] That'll be Mike
[33:06] Weaver and Tracy Donnelly.
[33:09] Any discussion?
[33:12] We'll move for a vote. All those in favor.
[33:16] Thank you. We want to welcome Lauren.
[33:19] How do we say your last name? Orel? Ormes?
[33:21] Laurel.
[33:22] Laurel.
[33:23] Tenure.
[33:23] Yes. Tenure.
[33:24] Mm-hmm.
[33:24] For tenure.
[33:25] Congratulations.
[33:25] Yes. So congratulations, again.
[33:31] And now we have the board consent agenda for non-instructional personnel.
[33:36] If I could just request, under non-instructional, if you could pull item
[33:40] E3 separate to vote on.
[33:42] Sure.
[33:50] So as recommended by the superintendent of schools, the board approves the
[33:54] following non-instructional personnel resolution items
[33:58] E1, E2, and E4, appearing on this, the
[34:02] September 8th, 2026 consent agenda.
[34:05] Could I have a motion, please? That'll be Randy DeWitt.
[34:08] Second is Shannon Hanley.
[34:12] Any discussion?
[34:15] Okay. We'll go for a vote
[34:18] on this, and we're pulling E3 for-
[34:21] Three
[34:21] ... a second vote.
[34:23] Thank you. All those in favor? We're one, two,
[34:27] and four.
[34:29] Thank you.
[34:31] And now as recommended by the superintendent of schools,
[34:38] non-instructional personnel resolution item E3
[34:42] is up for a motion.
[34:44] That would be Mike Weaver.
[34:46] Second is
[34:48] Tracy Donnelly.
[34:51] We'll move for a vote.
[34:54] And that you'll stay-
[34:55] Are you abstaining?
[34:56] Yeah.
[34:58] Thank you.
[35:01] And just to say, her daughter is volunteering as a coach.
[35:05] But we have to get it up front.
[35:06] Cat's out of the bag.
[35:10] The board consent agenda for finance, as recommended by the superintendent of
[35:14] schools, the board approves the following finance resolution
[35:18] items F1 through F5, appearing on the
[35:22] September 8th, 2026 consent agenda.
[35:26] Could I have a motion, please?
[35:28] That'd be Tracy Donnelly.
[35:31] Second is Shannon Hanley. Any discussion?
[35:36] All right. We'll move for a vote. All those in favor.
[35:40] Thank you.
[35:42] And we are for the consent agenda for
[35:45] education. As recommended by the superintendent of schools, the board
[35:49] approves the following education resolution items
[35:53] G1 through G2, appearing on the September 8th,
[35:57] 2026 consent agenda. Could I have a motion, please?
[36:01] Mike. I'm sorry, Mike, I looked at you.
[36:05] We're all good.
[36:06] It's been whack-a-mole.
[36:08] It'd be Randy as the second.
[36:13] And any discussion?
[36:16] So we'll move for a vote. All those in favor.
[36:21] So we have old business. Anybody have old business they want to discuss?
[36:28] And under new business, we do have some new business.
[36:32] We discussed a
[36:40] resolution for a litigation we wanted to bring.
[36:43] So I'll read that motion now,
[36:47] and we'll move for discussion and vote.
[36:50] Whereas the Section 11 Athletics issued a
[36:54] determination dated September 4th, 2026, that
[36:57] effectively denied an appeal of the school district to combine its
[37:01] varsity team with Rocky Point's varsity team for the
[37:05] 2026 season. And whereas the
[37:09] Board of Education has reviewed the determination, and upon the advice
[37:13] of counsel, has concluded that the determination was made in
[37:16] violation of lawful procedure, was affected by an
[37:20] error of law, was arbitrary and capricious,
[37:24] and/or it was an abuse
[37:28] of discretion. And whereas the Board of
[37:31] Education has concluded that it is in the best interest of the
[37:35] district to challenge the determination by
[37:38] filing an education law section
[37:42] 3110-
[37:45] 310
[37:45] ... 310,
[37:47] appeal with the Commissioner of Education, and for commencing a
[37:50] proceeding pursuant to Article 78 of the Civil
[37:54] Practice Law and Rules.
[37:56] Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Board of Education
[38:00] hereby authorizes its counsel, Ingerman Smith
[38:04] LLP, to file an education law Section
[38:09] 310 appeal with the Commissioner of Education
[38:13] and/or commence an Article 78 proceeding in the
[38:16] Supreme Court of
[38:19] the State of New York, County of Suffolk, against Section
[38:23] 11 Athletics, seeking to annul, vacate,
[38:27] and/or set aside its September 4th, 2026,
[38:31] determination, and for such other and further relief
[38:34] as may be just and proper, including, but not
[38:38] limited to, the immediate stay of Section 11 Athletics'
[38:42] decision that effectively precludes the combining of the Port
[38:46] Jefferson and Rocky Point football programs for the
[38:50] 2026 season. And be it further
[38:53] resolved that the President of the Board of Education and/or the
[38:57] Superintendent of Schools are hereby authorized and directed
[39:01] to execute any and all documents,
[39:05] verifications, and papers necessary or appropriate to
[39:08] commence
[39:10] and prosecute the appeal and/or proceeding, and
[39:14] to take such further action as may be necessary to effectuate
[39:18] the purpose of this resolution. And be it
[39:22] further resolved that this resolution shall take effect
[39:25] immediately.
[39:28] So
[39:30] we have this resolution.
[39:32] Mm-hmm.
[39:32] I'm in full support-
[39:34] Yep
[39:34] ... of doing this and moving forward.
[39:35] So we've obtained the motion is from Randy DeWitt.
[39:39] Second is Tracy Donnelly,
[39:43] and Mike and Tracy.
[39:45] Is there any discussion?
[39:48] No, I think this is the best.
[39:51] I second.
[39:51] I think this is-- Hopefully we get the results that these-
[39:54] This is for-
[39:54] ... student-athletes deserve.
[39:56] This is-
[39:56] To no fault of their own, being denied a season when we have a
[40:00] neighboring school district that is more than willing to take them.
[40:04] We have good faith with that other school district, and it's just a shame
[40:07] that there wasn't a resolution last week, and we have to pursue
[40:11] this. But I think it's the right way to go, and I think we 100% need to do
[40:15] this for our student-athletes.
[40:16] Yeah. I think this is absolutely
[40:20] what we need to do to continue this advocation, because the decision,
[40:24] unfortunately, is harming these athletes, and they can't
[40:28] get that season back. And it's unfortunate because they didn't do anything wrong.
[40:32] Right.
[40:32] And we have to make that point that this
[40:36] is something that has to be addressed, and this is the best way to go about
[40:40] doing it.
[40:41] It's a bad example, also, I think, for our students.
[40:43] It's-
[40:43] To demonstrate that you have two school districts willing to work together, kids
[40:46] willing to play together. You show up every day, you practice, you do the right
[40:50] thing, and it still
[40:52] didn't work out well for them. So I think they need to see that sometimes adults
[40:56] need to step in and help advocate, and that's what we're going to do.
[41:00] So I 100% support this.
[41:02] And I want to give Rocky Point credit for still-
[41:05] Yes
[41:05] ... being there and-
[41:06] Yes. 100.
[41:06] We did have an opportunity.
[41:07] They have been great in supporting and-
[41:09] Thankful
[41:10] ... trying to do right by our students-
[41:12] Yeah
[41:12] ... along with us, so.
[41:13] And just publicly saying that this is a very unique situation because I think
[41:16] there's a lot of social media out there where people are blaming this on
[41:21] lower enrollment problem that we had, when really we had a full roster.
[41:24] This is a last-minute thing that happened. It was very unique.
[41:27] So I just want people to see it as it really was.
[41:31] Well, it's unique also to the rule.
[41:33] Yeah.
[41:33] I think that's another thing. These are antiquated-
[41:36] Guidelines
[41:37] ... guidelines.
[41:37] From the '80s.
[41:38] Yeah.
[41:38] From the 1980s.
[41:39] Yeah.
[41:39] So I think that it requires-
[41:41] Sports are a little different now
[41:42] ... I mean, I hope we're setting a tone here to kind of revisit this and put
[41:46] students first so they can play.
[41:47] Yeah.
[41:47] So.
[41:48] And I think that's something that needs to be looked at in Suffolk County as a
[41:51] whole, is how do you reestablish the way we do athletic--
[41:55] in order to make sure these kids don't get
[41:58] put in a situation like this overall.
[41:59] And the decreasing enrollment isn't just in the schools.
[42:01] I think that's another important point to note.
[42:04] It's a decreasing enrollment in football, period.
[42:07] Correct.
[42:07] In playing sports like that. I think we're seeing a decrease, even in schools that
[42:11] have larger enrollment and larger populations, they're having smaller and
[42:15] smaller teams.
[42:16] Correct.
[42:16] So
[42:17] we have to be more flexible. It's time to be creative, and kids come first, so.
[42:21] Do what's right for the kids.
[42:22] So go get them, Neil.
[42:24] Bring back good news. That's it.
[42:26] Yeah. So.
[42:27] We're sending you on your way.
[42:30] So we vote?
[42:31] Yes.
[42:31] Yes.
[42:31] All right. I will-
[42:32] All in favor
[42:33] ... ask for a vote. All those in favor?
[42:35] In favor, please.
[42:36] Thank you.
[42:37] Thank you.
[42:37] The kids thank you.
[42:41] And Neil, we will thank you when you're here.
[42:43] Yes.
[42:46] So we have any other-- At this time, we have an opportunity for public
[42:50] comment.
[42:51] Anybody would like to...
[42:55] No?
[42:56] So we'll close the public comment portion of our meeting.
[42:59] And, at this point, there's no other new business,
[43:03] so we'll move for an adjournment. Could I have a motion, please?
[43:08] Mike Weaver.
[43:10] Mike Weaver.
[43:10] Second, Tracy Donnelly.
[43:13] Yes.
[43:15] May I ask all those in favor, please? Thank you.
[43:19] Thank you, everybody.
[43:20] Have a great night, everyone.
[43:21] Have a great night, everybody.
[43:21] Thank you.