Sachem board grants tenure to 31 teachers, hears robotics demo and begins bond planning

The Sachem Central School District Board of Education approved several personnel and consent items at its meeting and heard community presentations that ranged from student arts and robotics to a staff briefing on bonds and zero-emission bus rules.

Board President Reynolds and Superintendent Trombetta opened the session with a moment of silence for Ralph Style, a long‑time educator and district leader who died May 19 at age 90. The meeting then moved into recognitions from the PTA and community partners.

Charlotte Green, co‑chair of the district PTA Reflections program, told the board the program drew 196 student entries across 12 PTA units and that district students advanced to county and state levels. “This year’s theme was ‘I belong,’ and our students demonstrated exceptional creativity, originality, and artistic expression,” Green said.

The board also heard two teacher appreciation presentations. A TFCU representative honored Jamie (Jaime) Mosha for mental‑health advocacy and districtwide work with PSI Love You Day; another presenter recognized Lindsay Gazo, a sixth‑grade science teacher, for curriculum work and student leadership projects.

Students from Sachem’s Team 263 robotics team gave a floor demonstration and recap of their season. The team described regional wins and a trip to the World Championships, with one student saying the robot’s April‑tag vision system powered an automated control that earned an Innovation and Control award. “We ended the season in the top 10% of teams worldwide, ranked 308th out of 3,700,” a team member said.

On routine business, the board moved multiple consent items by voice vote to recognize staff milestones and to advance the agenda. The board then approved tenure for 31 teachers and 10 teacher assistants, confirmed several probationary appointments, and recognized two administrators receiving tenure. A series of other consent motions carried by voice vote, including approval of minutes, contracts, donations and Committee on Special Education recommendations.

During the legislative update, committee representative Stephanie highlighted state developments the district supported: expansion of universal prekindergarten coverage for eligible students in 2027–28, improvements to the foundation aid formula, and a reported Assembly passage of a School Security Guard Training Enhancement Act. Stephanie cited Senate Bill 194D and Assembly Bill A55079E as the relevant measures and said the bill had returned to the Senate for final action.

District staff then briefed the board on zero‑emission bus timing and the basics of school bonds. Michelle, a district administrator who led the presentation, said state action pushed the start of required electric bus purchases to 2032 and full fleet conversion to 2040. She explained the difference between a bond (capital, long‑term) and a levy (operational, current year), how the state calculates a maximum cost allowance (MCA) for aid, and the players involved in bond issuance.

Michelle said the district currently has $12.7 million in outstanding bonds, with roughly $9.4 million scheduled to roll off after the 2029–30 school year. She and board members discussed using that window to replace retiring debt with a new bond that would preserve the district’s tax levy while addressing infrastructure needs. Board members and staff noted an estimated $170 million of capital work across the district that will require multi‑year planning.

Several board members requested follow‑up reports at future meetings, including an administrative update on class‑size planning and a cost and feasibility analysis of adding junior varsity flag‑football teams at Sachem North and Sachem East. The meeting closed after a motion to enter executive session to discuss personnel, negotiations, and a suspension appeal.

Actions and next steps: the board’s personnel and consent agenda approvals took immediate effect; staff were asked to assemble capital‑project priorities and to return with costs and timelines in coming months. The legislative committee will continue tracking the school security training bill and the UPK implementation timeline.