Interim superintendent reports 338 incoming kindergartners; parent-portal email error under review

Interim Superintendent Dr. Chris Shields told the board July 8 that enrollment monitoring shows 338 incoming kindergarten students for the 2025–26 year and that staff will keep trustees updated.

Shields also briefed trustees on the district’s transition to Infinite Campus, a new student information system. He said most components were implemented on schedule but that a high‑visibility portion — the parent portal launch — “did not go as planned” when parent-portal emails were mistakenly sent to all families instead of to a single pilot building. Shields said the error stemmed from a misalignment between the district’s intended implementation process and the way external support teams staged the portal setup; he emphasized the district’s technology team was not the origin of the problem and that Nassau BOCES and Infinite Campus were collaborating on a fix and a revised communication plan.

On federal grants, a district administrator reported that the district’s Title II allocation (teacher/principal training) is about $92,000, Title I approximately $247,000, and Title III funds for English learners total about $66,000 with an additional family-engagement Title III line of about $36,000. Trustees discussed news reports of frozen federal Title funds and asked staff how the district would respond if funding were reduced. Administrators said many unknowns remain and that the district would look to state actions and the budget process to determine options; they noted reserved funds are typically earmarked for specific purposes and that reductions could require program adjustments.

Trustees thanked Dr. Shields for his interim service; he said he will continue to support a smooth transition into the new school year and into the incoming superintendent’s start.