The Mineola Union Free School District Board of Education on Jan. 12 held a special meeting in which it rescinded a prior personnel action, placed another employee on paid suspension pending an investigatory review and named Deputy Superintendent Katherine Fishman as acting superintendent through the next regular meeting on Jan. 22, 2026.

Doctor Valentine read the district's mission at the start of the meeting: "The mission of the Mineola Union Free School District is to inspire each student to be a lifelong learner, pursue excellence, exhibit strength of character, and contribute positively to a global society." The board then conducted brief procedural business and took several formal votes.

In Resolution 59 the board acknowledged that each member had waived the 24-hour notice requirement for this special meeting pursuant to board of education policy 15 20; the motion was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. The board then approved Resolution 60 to rescind the action taken under Resolution 58 (approved at the Jan. 8 meeting) that had suspended employee number 01655, citing a technical error in the prior resolution.

Under Resolution 61 the board authorized the suspension with pay of employee number 01665 effective Jan. 9, 2026, through the board's next regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 22, 2026. The resolution explicitly ties the suspension to the board's pending review of an investigatory report the transcript identifies as provided on Jan. 8, 2026, by Nathaniel Nichols. Board members indicated the motion was intended to correct and formalize personnel action; the motion was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.

A walk-on resolution appointed Deputy Superintendent Katherine Fishman as acting superintendent through the Jan. 22, 2026 meeting. Board members noted the appointment "formalized the chain of command," and the motion was approved by voice vote. The transcript does not record a roll-call vote or individual vote tallies for the actions; votes were recorded as voice votes with members responding "Aye."

The board also walked on and approved Resolution 62, indicated there was no need for executive session, and adjourned. The next regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting is Jan. 22, 2026.

Details recorded in the meeting transcript include the specific employee identifier numbers (01655 and 01665), the investigator named as Nathaniel Nichols, and the schedule date and time for the special meeting (scheduled for 01/12/2026 at 05:30). The transcript does not provide additional factual detail about the substance of the investigatory report or the reason for the suspensions; those matters are left for the board's review and any subsequent public action.