Huntington trustees review plan to restructure intermediate schools; vote moved to Sept. 8

Superintendent Dr. McCoy told the Huntington Union Free School District Board of Education that the district is proposing structural changes at the intermediate level to ensure “opportunity, access, and academic excellence” for all students, and that the board would consider adoption after further community feedback.

The plan would roll out in the 2026–27 school year if approved. It would give every fourth grader weekly project‑based learning tied to Project Lead The Way; expand Innovation Lab and the FIRST Lego/robotics opportunities in fifth and sixth grades; continue the selective SEARCH program for qualifying students; and add dual‑language sections in both intermediate buildings beginning in grade 4. Dr. McCoy said the vote on the revised plan was moved to Sept. 8 to give staff time for curriculum alignment and to allow more community input: “We did move the potential adoption of the revised plan to September 8, after the school year starts,” Dr. McCoy said.

Why it matters: the proposal is intended to meet a New York State bilingual‑program requirement (CR Part 154) when 20 or more students in the same grade speak the same language, and to reduce disparities between the two intermediate schools. District staff told trustees the plan would also reduce transportation needs and reallocate resources; staff projected an approximate annual transportation savings of $581,360.14 and a reduction of three buses per building in future years under…