BCSD Board Meeting Brief - April 9, 2025

• Student Announcements
  • The second annual varsity baseball vs. Best Buddies wiffle ball game will be held on May 13 after school
  • Fox Friday was dedicated to Valedictorian Gabriel Wierzchowski and Salutatorian Ava Shuster. Both of these seniors have excelled academically and are active members of the school’s community
  • The ESOL department has extended its shoe drive until April 30. Please help by donating gently worn, used or new shoes. The collection boxes are at the north and south entrances of the high school
• District Presentations and Budget Deliberations
  • Superintendent’s Budget Presentation
  • The Board discussed the following budget items:
    • Adding two elementary sections to General Fund, previously paid for by Title I ($280K)
    • Adolescent Mental Health Clinic via Northwell ($65K after aid) 
    • The need for additional bilingual social workers was highlighted, especially for proactive mental health support in elementary schools. Current staffing levels and their distribution across schools were reviewed
    • Elementary change to five-day rotation ($120K)
    • Concerns were raised about compliance with state-mandated PE minutes. The current four-day rotation was noted to cause noncompliance every other week, but it was clarified that there are no financial penalties for this noncompliance. The board debated the trade-offs between maintaining the current schedule and moving to a five-day rotation, which would require additional funding and staffing adjustments
    • Adding a District Safety Coordinator ($85K after aid)
    • Extensive discussion on the need for a safety coordinator and safety monitor at Mount Kisco Elementary School. The board considered options for hiring through BOCES or private firms, weighing costs and expertise. The need for standardized risk assessments and protocols across all schools was emphasized
    • Discussions about hiring a new safety monitor or reallocating existing staff. Consideration of hybrid roles or splitting responsibilities was also mentioned
    • Adding JV Boys B soccer team ($20K)
    • Adding ESOL Teacher at MKES ($120K)
    • Reinstating FLMS Dean ($75K)
    • Expenditures moved from Title I to General Fund ($150K)
    • DLBE and Special Education Review and initial actions (consider adjusting estimate downward by $75K)
    • The importance of aligning budget decisions with long-term financial sustainability and upcoming studies was emphasized
    • Extensive debate on the use of reserves for recurring expenses. Concerns were raised about maintaining fiscal responsibility while addressing immediate needs in schools
    • Items such as the impact of oil prices and debt service reserves were discussed as one-time factors affecting the budget. The potential for reallocating funds from these areas was also considered
• Superintendent Announcements
  • Statewide issues with grades 3-8 standardized testing caused glitches and unreliability for elementary students. Middle school testing proceeded without issue
  • The high school spring musical  '9 to 5' was a huge success, Dr. Glass expressed gratitude for the dedication of all involved
  • The AP Art and Design exhibit showcased impressive work from the art department
  • Special Education action planning continues to progress, with a session held earlier that day
• Athletics Logo Discussion
  • The Board decided to move the following fox logo designs forward for a student vote: A1, B, B1

To view the Consent Agenda, as well as the meeting minutes, visit BoardDocs.