June 15, 2026 - Board Brief
June 15, 2026 - Board of Education Meeting
Monday evening’s Board of Education meeting marked the final meeting of the 2025-2026 school year. It opened with the annual celebration of retirees and tenure recipients—outstanding individuals who have made a lasting impact on our school community. 🎉 The Board recognized retirees Dr. Jenice Mateo-Toledo, Barbara Richman, Lisa Wolk-Kilion, and Nancy Mace for their combined 115 years of dedicated service to Hastings students and families. The Board also congratulated tenure recipients Kristie Broms, Ivan Espinosa, Cid Greenberg, Austin Hills, Brian Marello, Katie Melly, Sarah Stern, and Julienne Sullivan on achieving this important professional milestone. Lastly, graduating senior Ella Chiu was honored for her exemplary service as Student Liaison to the Board of Education during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. 🍎
Following the recognition ceremony, public hearings were held on the District-Wide Safety and Emergency Management Plan and the District Code of Conduct to gather community feedback on the proposed revisions. 📋 No public comment was received, and later in the meeting, the Board formally adopted both documents.
Dr. William McKersie provided an update on the preliminary 2026 fall athletics practice schedule. Due to ongoing renovations at Burke Field, Athletic Director Mr. Wendol has been developing a detailed plan to accommodate fall athletic programs during construction. The draft schedule outlines anticipated practice locations and start dates and will continue to be refined over the summer as project timelines are confirmed. To repeat earlier announcements, all fall athletic teams will have a full season of training and competition. 🏈⚽
Ms. Maureen Caraballo, Business Official, presented year-end financial resolutions in advance of the fiscal year close, authorizing the transfer of excess revenues and budget savings into allowable reserve funds to support long-term financial planning and stability. 💰 She clarified that the Unassigned Fund Balance is not increasing by $2.6 million; rather, it is being adjusted by approximately $220,000 to remain at the 4% statutory maximum, consistent with best practice and fiscal prudence. She also noted that the District is utilizing approximately $1 million in surplus and $2 million in reserves to help balance the 2026–27 budget, with a comprehensive year-end financial update to be presented in July. 📊
Dr. Melissa Szymanski, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, provided updates on Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment. 📚✨ In FMS Mathematics, 7th and 8th grade placement data is being uploaded for family access, with additional analysis underway. Work also continues with Dr. Anchala Sobrin on the development of the Math 7 accelerated course content and districtwide K–12 Mathematics Committee work. The district will be sending two teachers to participate in Project Meridian, a regional collaboration through PNW BOCES. In the area of Restorative Practices, faculty leaders completed a two-day Train-the-Trainer session and are preparing for next steps toward 2026–2027 implementation. The search for the Director of Equity, Opportunity, and Belonging is also progressing, with candidate screening completed and committee interviews scheduled for next week.
🗓️ The Board of Education Annual Organizational Meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. in the Farragut Complex Lecture Room, followed immediately by a Regular Board of Education Meeting. During the regular meeting, the Board will also hear a presentation on Future Steps – Class of 2026. ✨
🎥 Missed the meeting? Watch the full recording, including all presentations and discussions, HERE.