[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6035456,"mediaKeyId","5100403-d7a23314a471e7d50f4bf07c30fdf1e0","parentId",5100403,"title","Middle school gym project delayed; superintendent proposes turf outfield at estimated $650,000","audioSeconds",295,"startMs",2326000,"endMs",2621000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5100403-d7a23314a471e7d50f4bf07c30fdf1e0&start=2326&end=2621","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5100403-d7a23314a471e7d50f4bf07c30fdf1e0/thumbnail_2326000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6035456/New-York/Middle-school-gym-project-delayed-superintendent-proposes-turf-outfield-at-estimated-650000","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6035456-9486b1b043d1a299548950e9cde589fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183222&Signature=dRLhsj09eLcgk5JnN5GY0cHsf0N3IJsTA6TIwNUOhtDLTMAuj2qV7c4ifb1pqORxoU0zl5N-seGg9gZFWA4UfvMIVH-t-tihyVVvrLmsTgwxq~xQ7JgMxqaW2Hmzmq6gdNFvYYrW8Ly3dBSBvsYaygQagHLptYOr~IyvdCvMQ3LeWcz3HHTTDT0sSb-65z1H-dOvCS~KDs334Zqf-bwY7kSvhAUpX46TBEcWDc~iHkDU803zblQdgQ68hHdMad65MG1odOmRDa5TxzJ~NK3hQVOVY-gT3Jv~cF~oUbYnHE8-6LWwuugWn~v~w~-xQ~3MpNQWJBSTUDGycwQ-rnBuUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Mineola Creative Content","date","2025-02-27T00:00:00Z","article","District staff briefed the Mineola Board of Education on delays to the middle school gym renovation and proposed using the district’s undesignated fund balance to install a turf outfield at the middle school softball field so teams would have a usable, safe field in advance of spring play.

Why it matters: The gym renovation delays affect interior construction sequencing and building access; the softball outfield proposal would create an immediate play surface for students but requires an unplanned draw on reserves and a formal board vote for funding.

Superintendent Michael Naglas told the board the middle‑school gym renovation is “at least 5 months behind schedule,” citing two unresolved items: a steel roofing structure that is still not approved and curtain‑wall (window) assemblies awaiting approval and manufacture. Naglas said contractors were able to cut openings for future windows during the February break but that curtain‑wall fabrication lead times and roofing approval mean “little to no movement” is expected for the next one to two months.

Naglas said the middle‑school softball project’s infield turf (original contract scope) will be completed as planned but the outfield has been damaged (dead grass, mud) by construction traffic and equipment, creating an immediate safety and usability problem. To allow use during the season, he proposed converting the outfield to turf now rather than waiting for grass to establish, saying the district could fund the change from the undesignated fund balance. “In my mind, it’s an emergency,” Naglas said.

Board members asked technical and cost questions. Staff reported a planning estimate for converting the outfield at approximately $650,000. District staff said drainage would not require modification and that the proposed turf would cover more than half of the outfield area given the current scope (two columns on the Jackson Avenue side currently stop the project). The infield turf portion of the project remains scheduled for completion and some fencing and backstop work had already begun.

Board members expressed support for accelerating a safe field surface; one trustee said completing the full baseball outfield would be a longer‑term capital project to propose next budget cycle. The superintendent said to achieve installation before the next board meeting would require a board vote at that meeting to appropriate funds from the undesignated balance; no such appropriation was voted during the session.

Ending: The board discussed options and asked staff to bring cost details and a formal resolution for any undesignated‑fund draw at a future meeting. No formal funding decision was taken at the session.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BOE 02-27-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Michael Naglas told the Mineola Board that the middle school gym renovation is months behind schedule and proposed converting the middle school softball outfield to turf immediately at an estimated $650,000 to create a safe playing surface.","taxTitle","MINEOLA UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",55400,"location","New York","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6035461,"Board approves 2025 annual election arrangements and consensus agenda; moves to executive session",2523,2979000,5502000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5100403-d7a23314a471e7d50f4bf07c30fdf1e0&start=2979&end=5502","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5100403-d7a23314a471e7d50f4bf07c30fdf1e0/thumbnail_2979000.jpg","/articles/6035461/New-York/Board-approves-2025-annual-election-arrangements-and-consensus-agenda-moves-to-executive-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6035461-edd51cc341e88ef135a11b84f6bb64ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183222&Signature=n4KVqQfyR1x4Ch~ppT815aKmjpmp62v9lXd8yq-1aOiXL4r9NKpPIjsH-YrgcQktRXMrq-RDJGwOQgefTbu-AAWF1wW9b5uTFk42EbxOVUAaQiWCv4XNyIJqp7N-RpibExQxZmxa6JbEOugPcXoEo5fFqtaG9pa6d~0npqXzVVIaTBg1mhOlx~ffPJejk-7TgrDJ0QwdIBulZeo4mMPivpDCMvF9QB6-UR13ddxAwXWmkoSMoodEPD6ZPo6~uvet7bNqBWLa9tMWOcOayTjvTKRNBX2r9W9Ierb1e7wfdyJUK4WPLe1WxobhVZAeMMO1ipP6VB5xxupYItnQHNjsOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Mineola Union Free School District Board of Education voted to approve arrangements for the district’s 2025 annual election and budget vote and approved the board’s consent (consensus) agenda; the board later voted to convene an executive session to discuss negotiations.

Why it matters: The resolution sets the legal and logistical framework for the district’s annual budget vote and election, including the polling location, polling hours, public notices and the schedule for absentee/affidavit canvassing. Those administrative details affect voter access and the conduct of the district’s May budget vote.

Resolution 43: President Margaret Ballantyne read a motion establishing the annual election schedule and related arrangements and asked for board approval. The resolution sets the district’s annual election for Tuesday, May 20, 2025; a public budget hearing on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 7 p.m.; a special evening voter registration on Tuesday, May 7, 2025 from 4–8 p.m.; and designates the Mineola Synergy Building (2400 Jericho Turnpike, Garden City Park) as the polling location. Ballantyne read that “The polls on the date of the annual election will be open for the period from 6AM to 9PM, both inclusive.”

Cheryl Lampersono moved Resolution 43; Patrick Talty seconded. The board took a voice vote, recorded as “Aye,” and the president declared Resolution 43 passed. The resolution authorizes the district clerk to arrange voter registration and rental and delivery of voting machines and specifies that the inspectors of election and registrars will be compensated at $16.50 per hour. The district clerk and designated poll clerks were assigned a post‑election affidavit‑ballot canvass meeting for Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at the Superintendent’s Office.

Resolution 44 (consensus agenda): The board approved the consensus agenda (items J1A through J46C) by voice vote after a motion and second; the motion was seconded by Trustee Stacy DeSilas and the president declared Resolution 44 passed.

Executive session: Later in the meeting the board moved to executive session for negotiations. The motion to enter executive session was moved and seconded (second: Trustee Patrick Talty) and passed by voice vote; the meeting then adjourned to executive session.

Ending: No amendments to the resolutions were recorded at the meeting. The resolutions set the administrative timetable for the district’s budget process and open the period for public hearings and registration ahead of the May 20 vote.

","The Mineola Board approved Resolution 43 setting the district’s 2025 annual election and budget vote logistics and approved a consensus agenda (Resolution 44); the board then voted to enter executive session to discuss negotiations.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6035466,"Mineola honors Regeneron semifinalist and teacher; three students present senior research",3145,544000,3689000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5100403-d7a23314a471e7d50f4bf07c30fdf1e0&start=544&end=3689","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5100403-d7a23314a471e7d50f4bf07c30fdf1e0/thumbnail_544000.jpg","/articles/6035466/New-York/Mineola-honors-Regeneron-semifinalist-and-teacher-three-students-present-senior-research","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6035466-360f7f6963ec873066f3b1889684f79a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183222&Signature=TY4-RR2vPoRaGKGCqd~bMgs-sh9f8l176hiNRbcZRYmkPDqPmhQ0BdiBYoAPWdDKPqBBWG8Gk~VAltbULJh6zPw5wpfF6Z017rsc1wRoMDT-L9aobkkqGWoMsoHbIs9m5FzK-rYatiGq6kxykBlfj8ROuUyPsYE681L-GzzUYWXtpbvFRRSEnNslUAurUTrlyP69IWp~amWilXib1heEoLZF3vvr21hassa20Xun2rFv~fip6JfGqIQf57lABZG0YtxCdj6baqqJ0ENJ6wS6NWk9xS~PmMl-pVM5eQuA8DLNS4UuaCBT5V3EELgC-noKNRcRrjtVhlJIPVSR4-6Lhg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Mineola Union Free School District Board of Education on Monday recognized Jessica Carlson, a science research teacher at Mineola High School, as a 2025 Regeneron Teacher of Merit and announced senior Fatima Badula as a semifinalist in the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search, then heard presentations from three students.

Why it matters: Regeneron’s Science Talent Search is one of the country’s most prominent high‑school research competitions; semifinalists receive $2,000 and $2,000 for their school’s research program. District recognition signals institutional support for student research and for teacher mentorship that contributes to college‑level science work.

Board president Margaret Ballantyne opened the recognition portion of the meeting and invited principal‑level staff to introduce honorees before the student presentations. Jessica Carlson was named a Regeneron Teacher of Merit for guiding seniors through the Regeneron application and research process; the board noted her out‑of‑hours mentorship.

Fatima Badula, a Mineola High School senior, presented her Regeneron project to the board. “My research project was titled the effect of different dosages of m kerantia on glucose levels in Drosophila melanogaster,” Badula told the board, explaining she used fruit flies as a diabetes model, induced hyperglycemia with high‑sugar media, and measured glucose via a hexokinase assay. Badula reported a one‑way ANOVA p value of 0.0025 and said the higher dose of bitter‑melon extract produced the largest reduction in measured glucose levels; she emphasized limitations including the model species and sample selection (she used only surviving flies).

Also presenting were Alicia Lynn, whose project tested plant‑based secondary metabolites (including honeysuckle and St. John’s wort) as potential efflux‑pump inhibitors to reduce antibiotic resistance in E. coli, and Jasmine Jin, who described a team project evaluating photosynthesizing marine organisms (giant kelp, cyclotella and chlorella) as a nature‑based approach to slow ocean acidification and summarized a recent student trip to South Korea where the Mineola students collaborated with Korean peers.

Alicia described two laboratory assays used to assess bacterial inhibition—lawn/blot assays and an ethidium‑bromide fluorescence assay—and said synergistic pairings of herbal extracts with ampicillin produced larger zones of inhibition and lower fluorescence values in many trials. Jasmine summarized her group’s multi‑month measurements and noted limitations tied to biomass measurements for microscopic organisms and the need to convert observed pH changes into carbon‑consumption rates.

Board members and administrators asked technical questions about methods, instrumentation and next steps. The board also discussed lab equipment limits: presenters and staff noted the district lab uses a standard spectrophotometer (spec 20) and said a microplate reader or fluorescence reader (approximate vendor quotes mentioned in the meeting: $6,000–$7,000) would reduce per‑sample reagent cost and increase throughput.

Ending: Board members praised the students and their teacher mentorship. The board thanked the students for presenting and noted the district will continue to support student research opportunities.

","Mineola Union Free School District recognized science teacher Jessica Carlson as a 2025 Regeneron Teacher of Merit and celebrated senior Fatima Badula as a Regeneron semifinalist; students Fatima Badula, Alicia Lynn and Jasmine Jin gave research presentations to the board.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6035451,"Special education administrators report rising caseloads, RISE program growth and district steps to systematize services",0,7020000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5100403-d7a23314a471e7d50f4bf07c30fdf1e0&start=7020&end=7020","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5100403-d7a23314a471e7d50f4bf07c30fdf1e0/thumbnail_7020000.jpg","/articles/6035451/New-York/Special-education-administrators-report-rising-caseloads-RISE-program-growth-and-district-steps-to-systematize-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6035451-f68e56a5f461d07f3040510a4b42f87d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183222&Signature=e4UMzHr92b9ZJcxpZ0xcmwKRcuGX1-vrT52cWXq1qhFmzR5jQOPqeUvQkotQLP-kXkTn~xQ51KfYuJ3tm2iTXaYRwB3m0THihkO7UutYtC2x4jecFaweiYIu4YWIRNuGfSRXaOtY357d~ljZsowiqffaJJPLWpcfgiLg9fzh1NyWxe2tH~lkG7vV3eU3yt12us1Nhc1Dilqg6chw5rMTG7VhMO4wmwklUCqVZb9MTz0sT23ZpizpX5009p7GJHjehC-wVFVcR3NAEDelNCBFIRjSylV-UxiOMEHQyZ0J0ZGa1PDgt3Ux5XvKHQqjhWs2CGi1mSCuI93hrVNEany40A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Mineola Board of Education heard a substantive update on special education services, including rapid enrollment growth in preschool special education, expanded RISE (life‑skills) programming, a district‑wide committee to align supports and an effort to teach executive‑functioning skills across grades.

Why it matters: Rising special education caseloads affect staffing, placement capacity and budgets; the district’s choice to build in‑house capacity and adopt evidence‑based curricula will shape instruction, service delivery and long‑term costs.

Administrators introduced the special education “triad” of leaders who will coordinate preschool and school‑age services, monitoring programs across buildings and out‑of‑district placements. The administrators reported a 72% increase over five years in classified preschool students served via the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) process, and an increase in school‑age students with disabilities (including those eligible for the New York State Alternate Assessment). The district currently reported approximately 30 Mineola students in out‑of‑district placements.

The triad described local implementation of TeachTown (a commercially available, research‑based curriculum) for RISE learners and said the program provides a visible, data‑driven growth model and supports vertical alignment across early childhood through high school. The RISE program has expanded seats across Meadow Drive, Hampton and Jackson Avenue elementary schools, the middle school and the high school; administrators noted the high school RISE program can have up to 24 students in a classroom and that RISE students now may remain in district programs until age 22 under state rules (a state mandate administrators said remains largely unfunded).

Administrators discussed operational pressures: providers for CPSE services are county funded but increasingly scarce, and the district has applied for 44‑10 approval (an approval to operate preschool services) to give the district flexibility to provide services if county vendors are unavailable. The triad said that because county reimbursement rates are not rising, some providers prefer early intervention contracts that pay better than preschool special‑education rates, further tightening provider availability.

The administration also introduced a district effort to teach executive‑functioning skills (the “X factor”) across general and special education following national expert guidance. The stated goal is that every learner and staff member know the vocabulary and tools for executive skills, enabling students to set goals and generalize strategies across subjects.

Ending: Administrators asked board members to support continued investment in staff development, in‑district program capacity and engagement with SEPTA (the district parent/teacher organization for special needs families). Board members praised the collaborative approach and asked for ongoing progress reports and written materials for onboarding staff and families.

","The district’s special education triad updated the board on a marked increase in preschool and school‑age special education placements, expansion of RISE programs, adoption of the TeachTown curriculum, a district special‑education committee and a drive to make executive‑functioning instruction districtwide.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Middle school gym project delayed; superintendent proposes turf outfield at estimated $650,000

Board approves 2025 annual election arrangements and consensus agenda; moves to executive session

Mineola honors Regeneron semifinalist and teacher; three students present senior research

Special education administrators report rising caseloads, RISE program growth and district steps to systematize services