Hastings‑on‑Hudson board grants tenure to new class of teachers, honors retiring staff

Board president Alex opened Tuesday’s meeting of the HASTINGS‑ON‑HUDSON UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT by asking the community to join the board in honoring longtime staff and welcoming newly tenured colleagues.

Administrators presented a series of tributes to retirees and introduced a large class of recommended tenure recipients. Scott Wynne and other site leaders described the contributions of retiring teachers and coaches — citing decades of classroom instruction, coaching, advising and program leadership — and the board offered brief recognition and small tokens of appreciation.

At length the board considered recommendations for tenure. Each candidate was introduced by the administrator who supervised or worked with them, who summarized classroom leadership, curriculum contributions and extracurricular roles. Among the candidates recommended for tenure were Kelly Cavallo (Hillside), Jada Dickens (math specialist), Diana Lien, Mike LaRocco and several others; administrators noted innovations such as curriculum work, PBIS leadership, data‑driven instruction and expanded support for English learners and special education.

After the presentations a board member moved to approve the slate of tenure recipients. The motion was seconded, and the board approved the recommendations by voice vote; the chair called for the ayes and offered congratulations.

The meeting’s recognition segment emphasized the district’s appreciation for long service and the board’s stated commitment to supporting educators who remain in the district. Board members and administrators said they view the vote as a formal commitment to retain those teachers and to support their continued work with students.

The meeting then moved on to other agenda items.