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South Huntington board approves reconfiguration to expand pre-K and create new sixth-grade center
Summary
The South Huntington Board of Education approved a plan to convert Silas Wood into a pre-kindergarten center and repurpose the Memorial junior high building as the district's sixth-grade center, effective Sept. 1, 2026, and authorized filings with the New York State Education Department to obtain a BEDS code for the project.
The South Huntington Board of Education voted to reconfigure district buildings so Silas Wood will operate as a pre-kindergarten center and the Memorial junior high building will become the new sixth-grade center, effective Sept. 1, 2026. The board also authorized district officials to make the necessary filings with the New York State Education Department to obtain a BEDS code for the Memorial site.
Board approval will allow the district to seek state aid on capital work at the Memorial site. The administration told the board that a BEDS code will permit the district to claim more than 55% state reimbursement on qualifying capital projects at that building. The resolution notes the Memorial site currently is leased to a third party; the tenant will remain under the plan while the district repurposes the building.
District members and administrators described the change as a response to rising local demand for pre-kindergarten. The administration said the district increased pre-K sections from five this year to 10 for the coming year and is moving to an open-enrollment model so eligible children will not be placed by lottery. Board members said the reconfiguration will help align building layouts with grade-level needs and better use the district’s facilities.
The board read and approved the resolution on the record. The motion to approve the reconfiguration was made by Mister Bronson and seconded by Mister Scragg; the resolution passed with board approval.
The administration and board said additional capital and programmatic work will be required at both buildings before the conversion takes effect. Officials said there remains work to design the pre-K day (specials and schedule) and to complete capital upgrades at Memorial; those tasks will proceed through the district’s normal planning and approval processes.
Details the board discussed that remain to be completed include final room assignments, staffing and program-day schedules for pre-K, and the capital scope and timeline at Memorial. The board’s authorization to file for a BEDS code is intended to secure State Education Department recognition and State building-aid eligibility ahead of capital work.
Implementation timeline and related capital approvals will be addressed in future board and administration meetings.
