May 27, 2026 - Board Brief
May 27, 2026 - Board of Education Meeting
The Wednesday evening Board of Education meeting opened with an engaging presentation from the Bionic Buzzers, Hastings’ Robotics Team. 🤖✨ Under the guidance of teachers Austin Hills and Christina Gagliardi, team members Ella Cajigao, Aidan Maloney, Jacob Klugerman, Elliot Zucker, and Alex Emtage shared highlights of their project and spoke about their experience throughout the engineering process, emphasizing teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving. The presentation concluded with an impressive live demonstration of the robot in action, giving Board members and attendees an up-close look at the innovation and technical skills developed through the program. 🚀
The evening continued with an impressive presentation from Science Research students, advised by Melissa Shandroff and Faye Barenfeld. Now in its first year of transition to a three-year program, the course continues to grow, with nearly 100 students expected next year and increasing participation in college credit, competitions, and conferences. Projects showcased included work by Harley Griffin on game theory modeling of school bond voting, Rian Kacmarczyk and Henry Sliker on machine learning prediction of drug-induced membrane toxicity, Kate Sobol on a frailty score for outcomes in elderly lymphoma patients, and Emily Taylor on bioinformatics approaches to identifying potential Alzheimer’s disease treatments. 🎓🔬
Looking ahead, the 13th Annual Science Research Symposium will be held on Tuesday, June 3 at 6:30 PM, where students will formally present their research posters and findings to families, faculty, and community members, highlighting the breadth and depth of their scientific investigations.
Dr. McKersie delivered his Superintendent’s Report verbally, highlighting the strong passage of the 2026–27 school budget, which received 77% voter approval, a meaningful affirmation of the work of Hastings students, staff, faculty, and administrators, as well as the continued support of the Hastings community. 🎉 More than 1,400 residents participated in the vote, reflecting robust civic engagement that exceeded several neighboring districts despite countywide declines in turnout this year. He also noted that additional updates on the Capital Bond Project will be shared over the next several Board meetings.
Dr. Melissa Szymanski, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction, shared a Technology Update noting that the New York State Education Department has approved the Hastings-on-Hudson Instructional Technology Plan, developed by the District Technology Committee. 📱✨ The plan outlines three goals focused on professional learning in effective technology use, exploring AI while maintaining academic integrity, and strengthening home-school collaboration around healthy device habits. She also noted that 2026–2027 action steps are in final review and will be shared with the Board on June 2, with recent family and faculty surveys helping to inform this work. Dr. Szymanski announced the collection of FMS Chromebooks for the summer and continued consideration of adjustments to 1:1 device use for next year. Coordination is underway with incoming FMS Principal Lina Cannavo, who has extensive experience with these critical educational issues.
🗓️ The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Hillside Multi-Purpose Room. The agenda will include the presentation of the 2026-27 HEF Grants, along with a Technology Update from Melissa Szymanski, Ed.D. 💻✨
🎥 Missed the meeting? Watch the full recording, including all presentations and discussions HERE.