Hello to all members of the MUFSD Community

The Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, February 25, 2025; here is the agenda and video of the meeting followed by a recap. 

High School students Bella & Walker provided updates on recent events.

All resolutions were approved unanimously by the BoE; attachments and descriptions are available on the BoardDocs agenda.

Dr. Sampson presented Framework to Action: Strategic Budgeting, during which he spoke about the district’s Strategic Framework that has been under development for several months. This framework has been informed through community surveys and work sessions, as well as significant input from faculty, staff and students. It also aligns with future-forward recommendations recently shared by the NYS Blue Ribbon Commission. Dr. Sampson specified that the strategic framework differs from a traditional five-year strategic plan in that it is not stagnant; rather, it creates a system in which the district operates and clarity on what we value/how we work. It relies upon continuous improvement and is measurable from the onset.

Stakeholder input led the administration to identify three priorities: personalization, mentorship, and expertise. A task force composed of about 20 faculty across schools convened to flesh out the theories of action for each of the three priorities - ensuring that actionable approaches are identified and can be applied to all students. 

Dr. Sampson connected the Strategic Framework to the development of the 2025-26 annual school budget. (Note that the superintendent's budget has not yet been finalized. Adoption of the 2025-26 budget by the BoE is scheduled for the meeting on April 22, 2025.) Dr. Sampson discussed how the focus on personalization, expertise, and mentorship drives programmatic designs and staffing requests. He said that the budget also responds to repeated requests from the community for curriculum designed for choice, as well as from faculty and staff for coaching. A few short-term enhancements to course offerings include the availability of four additional AP classes by the end of next year, along with the opportunity for some to be open to 10th grade students. Additionally, he stated that the budget must account for compliance metrics and mandates and then address gaps in these areas, as well as to modernize the district’s use of technology.

Dr. Sampson’s full presentation can be found in Section 7 of the agenda for the Feb. 25th meeting.

The next Board of Education meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 4th at 7:00 p.m. in the tiered classroom at MHS. 

The Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, February 4, 2025; here is the agenda and video of the meeting. 

All resolutions were approved unanimously by the BoE; attachments and descriptions are available on the BoardDocs agenda. 

Assistant Superintendent for Business Sylvia Fassler-Wallach delivered a budget recap, which included a review of completed, current and planned projects under the purview of the business office. The presentation can be found in section four (4) of the agenda.  

In his Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Sampson stated that programmatic updates have been presented at recent Board meetings as the district moves closer to presenting the proposed 2025-26 budget. (A reminder that all meetings can be viewed here.) Dr. Sampson will present at the Tuesday, February 25 meeting, focusing on the alignment between the strategic framework and budgetary requests related to student programming. The Superintendent's budget will then be presented to the Board on Tuesday, March 4. The attached document provides the complete list of budget-related dates.

The next meeting will be held on February 25 at 7:30 PM in the Tiered Classroom at MHS.

 

The Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, January 28, 2025; here is the agenda and video of the meeting. 

The meeting commenced with students performing the song, Freddy My Love, to provide a preview of the upcoming MHS musical Grease. The musical will be staged in the McLean Auditorium at MHS on February 6, 7, & 8. All in the community are welcome to purchase tickets!

All resolutions were approved unanimously by the BoE; attachments and descriptions are available on the BoardDocs agenda. Of note, the Board approved the 2025-2026 school year calendar, which can be viewed at the top of this page on the district’s website. 

In his Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Sampson spoke about the ongoing work to develop the proposed 2025-26 budget and how the strategic framework, which is in the final stages of development, drives what is included in the budget. Among the areas of focus for the administrative team are programmatic designs and staffing needs/implications. (Note that Dr. Sampson will present how the strategic framework ties into the budget at the February 25th BoE meeting, and Assistant Superintendent for Business Sylvia Fassler-Wallach will deliver the formal budget presentation at the March 4th BoE meeting.) Dr. Sampson also shared the next steps for the Strategic Framework Internal Steering Committee, which is meeting twice in February. 

Dr. Sampson addressed some possible concerns about and reactions to recent events at the national level and how the district is “staying the course” and is deliberate in addressing matters. Should the district need to make any changes, that information will immediately be communicated to the community. Finally, he provided an update on the Hommocks’ principal search.

The Reports/Discussion section featured Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services Dr. Tamar Walker along with Directors of Special Education Cori Wagner and John Boniello. The team reviewed several data points that illustrate the volume of students receiving services, the scope of services being provided, and the shifting needs for services. 

The full presentations can be found on the agenda.

Hello to all members of the MUFSD Community,

The Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, December 3, 2024; here is the agenda and video of the meeting. 

The meeting commenced with a performance by PACE students preparing for Soundscapes on December 12, 13 & 14 in the PACE Theater.

All resolutions were approved unanimously by the BoE; attachments and descriptions are available on the BoardDocs agenda.

Margaret Käufer, Chief Visionary Officer of the STEM Alliance, and MAS teacher Kerry Daly presented on the Co-op Summer Camp 2024:

• Elementary Program, Middle School Program and Rise Leadership for students entering 7th and 8th grade
• This past summer there were 29 MHS alum or current students working as counselors

• Teachers use project-based learning 
• Campers receive swim lessons

Dr. Moore Presented Part Two of the Assessment Presentation:

• Introduced a new methodology for making data comparisons with other school districts
• Shared performance comparison with Westchester County and NYS in ELA & Math
• How to use data/site-based data analysis for goals-setting
• Regular meetings with building leaders to assess areas that need improvement

Dr. Moore’s full presentation can be found on the agenda.

 

The next Board of Education meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 17th at 7 PM.

 

Hello to all members of the MUFSD Community,

The Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, November 12, 2024; here is the agenda and video of the meeting. 

The meeting commenced with a wonderful a cappella student performance of “Sweet Caroline” led by Ms. Crozier and Ms. Heyman. The group was promoting the upcoming a cappella festival in which they participated on November 16th.

Student liaisons Bella Pianko and Walker Olsen provided a recap of recent events at the high school, including Battle of the Classes, Halloween festivities, the Fall play from PACE, and a sports update. FBLA recently hosted the Fall District Meeting and 3 MHS students have been elected to district positions. Bella and Walker highlighted The Globe’s recent special election issue and announced an upcoming holiday issue. Finally, the social events committee is rolling out a Spelling Bee, which they noted is just for fun, and all are invited. 

All resolutions were approved unanimously by the BoE; attachments and/or descriptions are available on the BoardDocs agenda (link above).

Superintendent Dr. Sampson provided updates on the following:

• The search process is underway for a Hommocks Middle School principal to replace Mr. Borsari. Search consultants from Hazard Young and Attea (HYA) have been meeting with students, staff and faculty to gather information
• The application for the Seal of Biliteracy is now available; there are at least 40 high school students who are interested and eligible to apply 
• The Superintendent’s Conference Day was very productive. Principals facilitated consultancy protocols where teachers shared instructional problems of practice and other faculty members provided feedback to help problem-solve. He thanked those teachers who stepped up to share their work with their peers. Department meetings were also held at each school.

Dr. Moore, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction, presented on the continued work on the Strategic Framework, integrating staff, student and community feedback. He highlighted three areas that will guide the district’s process of continual improvement. These include:

1. Mentorship
2. Personalization
3. Expertise

Dr. Moore’s full presentation can be found on the agenda.

The next Board of Education meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 3rd at 7 PM.

Hello to all members of the MUFSD Community,

The Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, October 8, 2024; here is the agenda and video of the meeting. We hope you’ll enjoy a special performance from the MHS Chamber Orchestra at the start of the meeting. These student musicians are clearly dedicated to their craft and meet at 7:15am several times each week to rehearse.

The majority of the Board meeting was dedicated to recognizing faculty and staff who received tenure. Administrators from each school, as well as Health, PE & Athletics, spoke about each of the following individuals, describing the skills and attributes that make them such valued members of the MUFSD team. Congratulations to all tenure recipients!

Ayala, Yaritza

Pelaez, Carolina

Asanza Garrido, Aaron

Buderman, Kenneth

Gaudio, Lauren

Huang, Yachi (Erin)

Ryan, Elliott

Cereola, Derek

Athanasoulias, Candace

Colamaria, Kathleen (Kate)

Gorman, Taylor

Kennedy, Erin

Martucci, Albert

O’Byrne, Peter

Babcock, Amanda

Aversa, Melissa

Assistant Superintendent for Business Sylvia Fassel-Wallach introduced the MUFSD external auditor to present the results of the Independent Auditor’s Report. The Board approved a motion to accept the report, as well as a motion to accept the proposal from a construction management firm to oversee the work outlined in the 2024 Capital Project. (Voters approved the Capital Project in May.)

Superintendent Dr. Sampson announced that the MUFSD has been accepted into the League of Innovative Schools. He also shared that he has met with the elementary school admin teams to discuss scheduling and future plans. Dr. Sampson reminded the community that a forum will be held on October 15 to discuss and obtain input on the district’s strategic framework, followed by the formation of a steering committee. 

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, in the Tiered Classroom at MHS The agenda can be found on Board Docs.

Hello to all members of the MUFSD Community,

The Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, September 17, 2024; here is the agenda and video of the meeting. 

The Board began by sharing condolences to the family of Carol Phillips, a beloved and long-standing member of the Central School community, who passed away suddenly.

Student representative Bella Pianko provided a recap of events from the first week of school, including freshman orientation and the first football game. She also provided updates on the upcoming high school musical auditions, Club Fair, athletic competitions, school spirit, Student Counsel, Tiger 5’s, and the new issue of the student-developed newspaper, The Globe.

All items on the Consent Agenda and Resolutions were approved unanimously by the BoE; attachments and/or descriptions are available on the BoardDocs agenda (link above).

Dr. Jeff Moore, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Curriculum, provided a presentation on Districtwide Assessments (available here), including a breakdown of data across various demographic categories in ELA and Math proficiency, as well as performance on Regents and Advanced Placement exams. Dr. Moore explained that a core goal of reviewing these assessments is to provide administrators and faculty with information to impact lessons and learning and identify areas where teachers may benefit from additional professional learning/training. Dr. Moore advised that questions raised by the Board will be brought to the Curriculum Committee and that additional presentations will be given on this topic in the future.

In his Superintendent’s Update, Dr. Sampson reminded the community about work to update the district’s vision and mission and complete a strategic framework. He reported that an invitation was sent out for the MAMAROnext Community Conversation scheduled for October 15. 

The next Board of Education meeting, a Study Session, will be held on October 8, 2024, at 7 PM in the tiered classroom at MHS.

Hello to all members of the MUFSD Community.

The Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, September 3, 2024; here is the agenda and video of the meeting. The Board unanimously approved the District Wide Emergency Management Plan, attached to the meeting agenda. 

During his Superintendent Report, Dr. Sampson reported a smooth first day of school, thanking the Facilities Department for their hard work in preparing the schools. He briefly reviewed the new cell phone and smart watch rules and encouraged all to review and follow drop-off and pick-up procedures. Dr. Sampson provided a topline report about a few aspects of student assessment data; the full report will be the focus of the Sept. 17th BoE meeting. 

Finally, Dr. Sampson provided an enrollment update for the district. Three key findings are:

• An upward trend in total enrollment over three years
• Peak enrollment at the high school level in recent decades
• Kindergarten enrollment in alignment with lower birth rate in 2019

Further, the expansion of K-5 programs requiring additional instructional spaces was discussed. The full report can also be found on the meeting agenda.

The next Board of Education meeting, a Study Session, will be held on September 17, 2024 in the tiered classroom at MHS.