Huntington board approves intermediate-school reconfiguration to begin 2026——

The Huntington Union Free School District Board of Education voted to implement a revised intermediate-school model beginning in the 2026—— school year that will realign which primary schools feed its two intermediate buildings and expand project-based and bilingual offerings.

District administrators presented an abbreviated revision of a plan that had been previously shared in June and revised in July. Under the adopted model, students from Flower Hill and Washington primary schools would attend Jack Abrams for grades 4——, and students from Southdown and Jefferson would attend Woodhall (also spelled in the transcript as "Woodhall Intermediate"), with incoming fourth graders in 2026—— following the new assignments. Administrators said siblings would be grandfathered at the current intermediate building "upon request and to the greatest extent possible," and special-education placements would continue to be assigned based on program needs rather than by rigid geography.

The plan keeps core instructional standards intact but proposes schedule and program changes: project-based learning for all fourth-graders, an innovation lab for fifth and sixth grades, a "Learners Who Lead" civic-readiness program, continued selective SEARCH and Math Olympiad teams, and continuation of the district's dual-language pathway into grade 6 (science and social studies taught in Spanish for dual-language students). The presenter described aligning fourth- and fifth-grade science curricula across both buildings and creating cross-district curricular committees to agree on content adoptions.

Budget and staffing implications noted in the presentation include a projected annual transportation savings of $581,000 that could take several years to fully materialize, a need for curriculum-alignment work and materials, club stipends for FIRST Lego League and Math Olympiad teams, and the potential to hire an additional dual-language teacher at Jack Abrams depending on staffing changes. The presenter told the board that some transportation savings might be available only after a transition period that includes grandfathering siblings; the district will address those details in the upcoming budget process.

The board approved the intermediate plan by voice vote after questions from board members and public comments. The motion was moved and seconded; the chair recorded that the vote was unanimous. The presenter characterized the model as "forward thinking, inclusive and ambitious" and said that administrators would begin curriculum alignment work immediately and incorporate teacher and committee input before any formal curriculum adoption.

Implementation timeline and next steps: administrators said they expect to phase in the reconfiguration starting with the 2026—— school year for incoming fourth graders; staff will convene curriculum-alignment committees, plan professional development and estimate budget impacts during the district's budget season beginning in October.