[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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],{"_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",6477100,"mediaKeyId","5713387-1faadc30165f6107a599408a35d9f47f","parentId",5713387,"title","Superintendent outlines opening‑of‑school priorities: MTSS, CASEL, facilities upgrades and cell‑phone rollout","audioSeconds",2255,"startMs",2467000,"endMs",4722000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5713387-1faadc30165f6107a599408a35d9f47f&start=2467&end=4722","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5713387-1faadc30165f6107a599408a35d9f47f/thumbnail_2467000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6477100/New-York/Superintendent-outlines-openingofschool-priorities-MTSS-CASEL-facilities-upgrades-and-cellphone-rollout","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477100-68ba3169a2a27dc6f2647ba15dda6602/orig.mp4?Expires=1770490111&Signature=Crpg2JjwbDP1OSzFhs~vmloefJeGA1eSUB-57Xez-SGgutq6kfHx1lbCNLc6FCKmK1s7EvTykP27HWAI2SEO7YbF73c8ww0CeLFFgnJzQDg1taKfMVxt7doANaPVyBrRDmbQjek4OgBW1fUqH31T5YUVIcdpbEdWvep-nZ-RNYperupX9i8w~pcLnegddZ4WuyrouXUakJwe-KrGJ3YR2lGoXqrO4CjA1RggRxdhJqrABPziZemTtceXhuEY5uqIAuSGqdSd1HeN1OTbibtXfOg3j9WZYkV5ELqsJDSVYooW492TSjoP4EcYtMmNVsqFVrMOfGSgAwZ3bEVs0R3E8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","PELHAM UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT","date","2025-09-04T01:47:06.13Z","article","Superintendent Dr. Champ told the Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education on Sept. 3 that the 2025‑26 school year opened “very positive” after extensive summer planning and work across curriculum, operations and student supports.

The district this summer completed 84 curriculum writing projects across grade levels, continued several targeted summer academic programs (including elementary “Summer Stars” and extended school‑year services under individual education plans), and convened an AI user group of faculty to guide staff use of artificial intelligence in instruction.

Dr. Champ said the district’s three “big rocks” for the year are strengthening multi‑tiered systems of support (MTSS) to use data to match instruction to student needs, integrating instructional technology including AI, and unpacking New York State’s INSPIRES recommendations and the state’s new profile of a graduate. \"We used Stephen Covey's big rocks theory to really focus our work,\" she said.

In social‑emotional learning, the district is aligning work to the CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) framework and expanding related training. The board was told that the district updated its restraint and time‑out policy over the last year; the update includes a state requirement for annual staff training and the district has added a training video that aligns with CASEL and de‑escalation strategies.

On student mental health, district clinicians and psychologists are reviewing a new mental‑health clinic model expected to arrive this fall; details will be presented when implementation is closer, Dr. Champ said.

Facilities work completed this summer included installation of a new rooftop HVAC system at the middle school (Dr. Champ identified the project cost for those units at about $2,000,000), tree work and maintenance across sites, and replacement of the turf at the Glover field. The board saw images and was told the turf was installed on schedule and is already in use.

To support a new cellphone ban at secondary schools, the district bought and installed 90 supplemental phone lockers at the high school to address a shortage of about 40 lockers. The lockers are being assigned to seniors without lockers; administrators reported an initial adjustment period with few incidents in classrooms and some hallway/cafeteria conversations about the change. Dr. Champ said a committee led by Mr. Llewellyn will oversee implementation and monitoring throughout the year.

Safety and security work included summer testing of systems, training for security monitors, training updates for Building Emergency Response Teams (BERT) and coordination with local police departments. The district continues to work with its security vendor and consultants to apply “lessons learned” from regional incidents, and the superintendent said there will be required updates to safety plans this fall (for example, to reflect cardiac‑care requirements recently modified by state law).

Communications work included an updated online strategic plan dashboard with revised indicators and strategy status. Director of Communications Alex Wolf said the district will re‑administer the SCOPE survey this fall (a nationally benchmarked communications survey the district ran previously) to measure progress since the last audit and to identify communication gaps; the district may supplement the quantitative survey with qualitative outreach when gaps require deeper explanation.

Dr. Champ also previewed capital‑project planning tied to the district’s approved bond program. She told the board that design and community engagement work will ramp up in the coming months for projects arising from the bond.

Board members asked clarifying questions about implementation timelines, how the district will measure impact of communications and budget outreach, and how data from MTSS and other indicators will be presented; Dr. Champ and department leads described plans for updated dashboards, regular reporting and community outreach.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Events from the Pelham Public Schools -","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Dr. Champ told the board on Sept. 3 that summer curriculum work, staff training and facilities projects set the district up for a “very positive” opening and outlined three priorities for 2025‑26: MTSS, instructional technology and unpacking New York INSPIRES.","taxTitle","PELHAM UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",48009,"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},6477095,"Pelham board adopts goals, governance protocols, organizational chart and authorizes architect services for bond; personnel appointments approved",476,7836000,8312000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5713387-1faadc30165f6107a599408a35d9f47f&start=7836&end=8312","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5713387-1faadc30165f6107a599408a35d9f47f/thumbnail_7836000.jpg","/articles/6477095/New-York/Pelham-board-adopts-goals-governance-protocols-organizational-chart-and-authorizes-architect-services-for-bond-personnel-appointments-approved","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477095-780a3e7bbf5f0a7dff089e98a4fb5730/orig.mp4?Expires=1770490112&Signature=D~bLtr~hHnqZftTztM~WKZaqov5lhrF2FSp0GLgvHdqjXkBbvNz-lV-hi1HgDZMXJIBs1zDYjbRlFDU42TReBwn0t-pKVmzlTwb9nQzmfWd6KCKYr5G9CigwwDiePgeKZU~fxUTP8lNCCKQplhIrjvdgnUiEPaYM9uW8z3Sct2wC9UcTrgxRCiX-6se5zAOPGSYzLNWHNAGCmpxCke9-OEZhHj7k90NvvcS4j3ph2V~JlRdPPpk85jvJ7yBujlmYxgy6ImjTctQEjRrDS9D32EIwGHSNKilYpL4ok9UCEieqWxdB5wN5~BztBXwDxR3POuW6N2pgHSoEbZ60WcHdSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education on Sept. 3 approved a series of governance, personnel and contract items, including board goals for 2025‑26, amended governance and communications protocols, an organizational chart for the 2025‑26 year, committee roles, personnel appointments and authorization to contract with architects for bond projects.

Board actions at a glance

- Adopted the 2025‑26 Board of Education goals and related objectives focused on supporting student outcomes, strengthening communications and sustaining fiscal planning. (Approved; motion moved and seconded; unanimous voice vote: “Aye,” no opposing votes recorded.)

- Approved and adopted the 2025‑26 organizational chart, including a title change for Alex Wolf to Director of Communications and addition of a PPS liaison (grant‑funded). (Approved; unanimous voice vote.)

- Approved and adopted amended Board of Education governance, meeting and communications protocols after board discussion and edits. (Board tabled an initial motion and then approved the amended version; unanimous voice vote.)

- Approved committee roles and responsibilities for 2025‑26, with minor adjustments to committee sizes for efficiency. (Approved; unanimous voice vote.)

- Approved personnel appointments on the consent agenda, including instructional assignments, school monitors, secretarial hires and a part‑time nurse; payroll and human‑resources items were listed and approved as part of consent. (Approved; unanimous voice vote.)

- Authorized a contract amendment to KG&D (referred to in agenda as KGD) for district‑wide architectural and engineering services for routine small projects. (Approved; unanimous voice vote.)

- Adopted a resolution authorizing an agreement with KG&D (KGD) for architectural services related to the voter‑approved capital bond program (amounts described in the draft agreement include architect fees tied to the two bond propositions; the board discussion noted the combined architect fee is substantial and within the soft‑cost budget for the projects). The board approved the resolution following discussion of scope, allowances and carved‑out services such as hazardous‑materials testing. (Approved; unanimous voice vote.)

Motions and voting

Most motions on the agenda were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote with “Aye” and no members recorded as opposed. The transcript records repeated procedural motions of “So moved” and “Second” followed by the clerk’s call for “All in favor? Aye. None opposed,” indicating approval; individual board votes were not recorded by name in the public transcript.

Contract and budget context

District staff and the board discussed that architect and construction management fees are included within the soft‑cost portion of the bond budget. The superintendent and district staff confirmed allowances and pass‑through arrangements for specialized services (for example, hazardous‑materials contractors, blasting consultants or other third‑party consultants) that may be needed in addition to base architect services; those items are typically handled as pass‑throughs with no district upcharge.

Next steps

District staff said they will continue bond steering and design work in coming months and will bring construction management recommendations to the board. Communications and finance teams will also continue work on outreach plans—especially as the district seeks to restore historically high budget‑vote support levels—and will finalize timelines and metrics for communications deliverables and the SCOPE survey planned for this fall.

The board also scheduled standard committee solicitation and onboarding for October and confirmed that staff will return with additional implementation details for the adopted goals and protocols.","The Pelham Union Free School District Board approved board goals, an organizational chart, amended governance protocols, personnel appointments and architect agreements tied to the district bond at its Sept. 3 meeting.",{"_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},6477105,"Pelham board swears in first student ex officio member",2170,323000,2493000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5713387-1faadc30165f6107a599408a35d9f47f&start=323&end=2493","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5713387-1faadc30165f6107a599408a35d9f47f/thumbnail_323000.jpg","/articles/6477105/New-York/Pelham-board-swears-in-first-student-ex-officio-member","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477105-13075593c2b8d9ef5614dd4764a11de3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770490112&Signature=LE4hJQ939VIMC4t~RfDZcK8YDb4rKrOdmjOQBBuI2tC9i3iGsvTWj0gUgBmP5S7mRWUb8-~Weg8OBqm7K-VaQqBGH5JKVFjmRmujxVwY7~d~muy4BknXhsDfBYwqyC6nJ5iLtCy2fRX667vIUbdM~WG9Gzj1THL5Z4gpqet-KRTvodmFawdU7bpsvEFQcrxPicauOdrjHIOJ0~oALjwefXy8RT~G-CCGwdF5NUWDyF8qwWH4j18jWV-pKCqJQ~XrRIvoX6QyP81n74ZLheDDWGd~~FtR9~9ORF35tSk7l6myAeunsp0F5n9yDxdEltvAIj9Q4ubdDVQSPg~gXONzuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education on Sept. 3 swore in Emerson Jerabeck as the district’s first student ex officio board member.

Jerabeck, a student at the high school who will serve a two‑year term, took the oath of office administered by Marcy (district clerk), then addressed the board briefly about her background and willingness to represent student perspectives.

Superintendent Dr. Champ told the board and audience that state regulation now encourages boards to include at least one student member and clarified the limits of the role: “they don't have a voting role, or they can't come to executive session either,” she said, adding that student voice is important to bring the perspective of high‑school students to board discussions.

Board members said the district and board teams will allow Jerabeck to attend most meetings through the report section and beyond as her schedule permits; the board noted that the policy they have identifies two student positions (a junior and a senior), and that they remain open to recruiting a second student.

Jerabeck introduced herself to the board, saying she has been in Pelham schools since first grade, works summers at a maritime camp, volunteers in the community and is “excited to be involved in this role.”

Board members encouraged Jerabeck to view the board as a place of mutual learning and said they expect the student member to bring reports from the high school during the meeting’s report section in the future.

The board did not take a formal vote on the swearing‑in; the swearing was administered as a ceremonial and procedural step consistent with district policy and new state guidance.","The Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education sworn in Emerson Jerabeck as the district’s first student ex officio board member; the student will serve a two‑year, nonvoting term and attend meetings as schedules allow.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Superintendent outlines opening‑of‑school priorities: MTSS, CASEL, facilities upgrades and cell‑phone rollout

Pelham board adopts goals, governance protocols, organizational chart and authorizes architect services for bond; personnel appointments approved

Pelham board swears in first student ex officio member