East Hampton board reorganizes, approves five‑year teacher agreement and multiple appointments

At a regularly scheduled meeting the East Hampton Union Free School District Board of Education completed its reorganizational business, swore in multiple members and officers, and approved a series of personnel, budget and program items.

Officers: The board conducted nominations and elections for board officers. JP Foster was nominated and approved as board president by voice vote; members were also nominated and approved for first and second vice president positions, with at least one abstention recorded during an initial meeting.

Teacher agreement: The superintendent presented a negotiated five‑year agreement with the teachers association extending coverage through June 30, 2031. The superintendent praised district and union leadership for reaching a negotiated contract and called it "a pleasure working with the leadership and our teachers." The board approved the extension by voice vote; one member recorded a dissent, saying, "I'm gonna have to say no this only because I haven't seen yes." The transcript does not record a roll‑call tally.

Personnel approvals: The board approved several instructional and non‑instructional appointments: Ed Bonds Jr. was appointed to the district's driver's‑education position; Colin Tarickson was approved as a secondary chemistry teacher effective Sept. 2, 2026; and Haya was approved for promotion to principal office assistant. Several board members welcomed returning staff and noted these were internal or previously vetted hires.

Benefits, trips, and budget: The board approved a motion to grant health and dental benefits to employees who end temporary leave replacement positions and are later appointed to leave‑replacement roles so they retain coverage over the summer. The board also approved routine student field trips for the 2026–27 school year and authorized budget transfers to close out fiscal 2025–26 and prepare 2026–27 allocations.

Facilities and donation: The board designated itself lead agency under the State Environmental Quality Review Act for a proposed middle‑school boiler replacement and approved moving that project forward. The board accepted a donation referenced in the meeting as "New York Schools Insurance" (the transcript later also refers to the donor as "NYSER") to continue a sign‑language interpretation program for early‑grade students at John Marshall.

Procedural items: The board bundled remaining reorganizational items into a single motion and approved the consent agenda by voice vote before moving on to substantive approvals. The meeting ended after public questions about parent/board participation on CSE committees and a motion to adjourn.

The board recorded approvals by voice vote throughout; where a member abstained or voted no the transcript records the statement but does not provide roll‑call tallies. The board scheduled the districtwide safety plan for adoption at the Aug. 11 meeting following a 30‑day comment period.