Kingston board votes 8-1 to end George Washington Montessori program after 2024–25 school year

The Kingston City School District Board of Education voted 8–1 on a motion to follow the superintendent’s recommendation and direct administration “to take the necessary steps to cease the Montessori program at George Washington following the 2024–25 school year.” The motion was made by Trustee Mister Ryder and seconded; the board recorded eight votes in favor and one opposed.

Board members and administrators framed the vote as a response to what the superintendent described as inequitable resource allocation and stagnant academic performance at George Washington Elementary School. “Kingston City School District is spending $3,000 more per student than the district average at George Washington Elementary School,” Dr. Padalino, the district superintendent, told trustees during his report, citing staffing and program costs.

The vote came after an extended public comment period that included several Kingston teachers who testified in favor of the district’s pilot of the Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts curriculum (CKLA). Bonnie Van Cleek, a teacher at Chambers Elementary School and president of the Kingston Teachers Federation, said pilot classrooms showed “increased student engagement” and that CKLA’s “organized, comprehensive design has supported more focused instruction and classroom management.” Jackie Nelson, a second-grade lead teacher who piloted CKLA, told the board the curriculum “builds background knowledge in history, science, and literature” and that students in her class “ask thoughtful questions and look forward to each lesson.”

Administrators and some board members said the CKLA pilot — which the superintendent said costs about $32 per student and is partially supported by BOCES — had brought district-wide curriculum and assessment conversations into focus. Several trustees and the superintendent described structural and financial challenges related to maintaining a public Montessori program at George Washington. Those details cited by the administration and trustees included:

- A Montessori instructional coach whose salary the superintendent described as costing the district, in his words, “more than $120,000 a year.” - A Montessori consultant contract described at about $36,000 a year. - Teacher training costs tied to Montessori certification “approximately $10,000 per teacher,” and related contractual salary steps that the superintendent said amount to roughly “$3,000 a year per teacher” using those credits. - Staffing differences: the superintendent reported 22 non–special-education teacher assistants at George Washington versus eight at another elementary school mentioned (JFK), and he said George Washington’s support-staff-to-student ratio was far higher than at other buildings.

Trustees who supported the motion cited equity concerns for the district’s English language learners, Black students and economically disadvantaged students. Dr. Collins said the data the board received indicated “it is very difficult to make an argument for the Montessori program having been effective at any point since its introduction,” particularly when the school’s demographic shift and investment did not correspond with improved district performance measures. Trustee Mister Spicer agreed, saying the current level of spending was “not equity across the district.”

Opponents and community speakers urged caution and asked for clearer transition plans. Parents and community members who spoke at the meeting said they had questions about shared decision-making processes and said some families wanted Montessori preserved or adapted rather than ended outright. Mariel Fiore, a parent, asked the district to share the results of an internal review and to clarify whether Montessori classrooms could continue using science-of-reading approaches where appropriate.

Trustees and the superintendent discussed transition logistics in public. Board members asked whether changes could be implemented quickly to provide families and staff time to plan; several trustees said they expected administration to provide concrete next steps, timeline details and supports for students and staff affected by the change. The motion instructs the superintendent and administration to take the necessary steps; the board did not adopt a detailed transition plan during the meeting.

The vote followed months of public discussion, teacher testimony in support of CKLA pilot classrooms, and repeated trustee requests for data on academic outcomes and program costs. Several trustees said the district’s investments in George Washington had not produced the outcomes they sought for the district’s most at-risk student groups.

The board’s action will be implemented by the superintendent and administration; the resolution sets the effective change to occur after the 2024–25 school year. The board did not adopt additional specific implementation dates or staffing reassignments during the meeting.

Community members and teachers said they expect follow-up reports and opportunities for parental input as the administration develops transition plans.