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 the plan.

Program details and alignment Mr. Cusack, who led the curriculum portion of the presentation, described specific offerings that would be available to all intermediate students under the plan. Fourth graders would receive a weekly 40‑minute project‑based learning block (examples included engineering design, STEM challenges and mini business projects). The Innovation Lab would expand across both buildings with robotics, coding and maker activities; Fifth and sixth graders could have Innovation Lab twice weekly for two quarters in sample scheduling models.

The SEARCH program, the district said, would remain a selective offering. Cusack described the existing qualifying criteria: score in the 90th percentile on identified measures, i‑Ready ELA and math results, state test results and teacher recommendations. “Search classes will take place during the school day for an 80‑minute block for students who qualify based on those criteria,” he said.

Learners Who Lead, a civic‑action program that follows a five‑step process (investigation, preparation, action, reflection and demonstration), would be offered across both buildings to provide leadership and community‑service experiences, district staff said. Math Olympiads and other competitive teams would be preserved but shifted in format in some cases; Math Olympiads would be moved to an after‑school club to avoid conflicts with required classroom math instruction.

Community response and board discussion District staff said they collected 170 survey responses and held a community meeting; staff characterized the survey results as 60% in favor and 40% requesting clarification or expressing concern. That split and multiple public comments at the meeting prompted trustees to allow more time for feedback. Public commenters raised concerns about schedule trade‑offs and lost instructional minutes for students who currently have extended math or science blocks. Kim Summers, a parent, told trustees: “So I ask you to please slow this down, talk to community members, and come up with a way that we really can have the best of both worlds.”

Several trustees said they supported the general direction of the proposal but wanted more detail on grandfathering siblings, class sizes and how curricular minutes would shift. Trustees asked staff to permit requests for extended grandfathering for families with multiple children already enrolled; Dr. McCoy said the district will provide a dedicated email for those requests and that staff would review them individually.

Budget, staffing and implementation notes Dr. Harris reviewed budget considerations and said some positions may be required to implement the plan: the district may need to hire an additional grade‑4 dual‑language teacher at Jack Abrams and a certified bilingual teacher at Woodhall during the 2026–27 school year, with positions potentially absorbed through retirements in subsequent years.

Staff presented projected average class sizes in the proposed model at roughly 22–23 students per class (based on enrollment data cited from a district snapshot dated 06/20/2025). District staff also warned that state reporting methodology changes can affect year‑to‑year per‑pupil comparisons.

Next steps Dr. McCoy said staff will review feedback, update materials (including an FAQ), and return the plan for adoption at the Sept. 8 board meeting. If adopted in September, staff told trustees they would begin curriculum alignment and planning that fall to be ready for a possible 2026–27 implementation. “We would need to start in the fall to start the curriculum alignment and planning,” Dr. McCoy said.

Public‑comment highlights and concerns Public commenters and several parents asked for clearer benchmarks and success metrics, requested phased rollouts, and asked the district to publish side‑by‑side comparisons of current schedules versus proposed schedules. Connor, a parent, urged the district to “have more specific success criteria” and to use phased implementation tied to measurable benchmarks. Multiple speakers asked the district to ensure after‑school transportation for competitive teams and clubs if those offerings move outside the regular school day.

The board did not vote on the restructuring at this meeting; trustees set the formal adoption date for Sept. 8 and asked staff to continue community outreach and to post the presentation slides and FAQ online.