A 15-member hand-picked choral group opened Tuesday night’s board of education meeting with a cappella versions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” in a late celebration of School Board Recognition Week.

Choral director Nicolas Ruggeri led the group selected from various Pine Bush High School music programs on the stage in the Circleville Middle School auditorium – just above tables and chairs where school board members had convened.

The same choral group had performed earlier Tuesday in a tryout for the all-Orange County Chorus, Ruggeri told the board members.

The performance for the board drew an extended round of applause and led to thank you from the Pine Bush Administrators Association and a lengthy note of appreciation by Amy Brockner, interim superintendent of schools. She said that the New York State School Boards Association actually designated last week as School Board Recognition Week. But the board didn’t meet last week, so the accolades were delayed but no less sincere.

Brockner began by telling the seven board members who serve without pay of “our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering commitment, passion and leadership.”

“This year’s theme, as you know, is ‘one team, one mission,’” Brockner said. “And it perfectly encapsulates the spirit of collaboration and unity that drives our work and ensures the success of our students.”

In another annual rite, Terrilyn Cohn, the interim assistant superintendent for instruction, read the No Place for Hate Pledge, an Anti-Defamation League initiative, which board members then approved.

The pledge begins, “I promise to do my best to treat everyone fairly (and) to do my best to be kind to everyone - even if they are not like me.” The pledge commits adults and students alike to “speak out against prejudice and discrimination” and to “support those who are targets of hate.”

Finances and Test Results

The board also acknowledged the receipt and acceptance of the external auditor report for the school year ending June 30, 2024.

Jennifer Capicchioni, representing the Nugent & Haeussler, P.C. accounting firm, told the board that she had met with the district’s audit committee, discussed the audit report in detail and was able to report that “the district is in good financial condition.”

Capicchioni said that Pine Bush is considered a low-risk district and because of that auditors are required to audit at least 20 percent of its federal expenditures. She told the board that to meet the requirements, auditors looked at the district’s Title II and Title IV programs and the school lunch program. Everything was in order.

Cohn reported on the Regents Exam results of students enrolled at the high school and Stars Academy for the 2023-24 school year. The highest scores were recorded by students in the English Language Arts program taking the English exam. She said 94 percent passed, just 1 percent lower than the 2022-23 result.

Cohn said significant gains were recorded by students taking the geometry exam, 89 percent passed, up 6 percentage points from the previous year. At 99 percent, algebra II results were up by 12 percent from last year. Chemistry exam results were up 11 percent to 91 percent, and 93 percent of students who took the physics exam passed, up 7 percent from last year.

Soft spots remained, notably in test results in living environment in the science category where 72 percent passed, down 3 percent from last year. Cohn said plans are underway to shore up the numbers. Algebra I was another weak area. Eighty percent passed, the same percentage as last year.

Joseph Lenz, the assistant superintendent for business, got back to the board with an answer to a question raised by a district resident at the last board meeting regarding state aid for building projects. Come February, district residents will be asked to vote on two capital improvement propositions totaling $77.4 million. The resident wanted to know what happens if the state decides to change it aid formula after the vote, possibly leaving local taxpayers with the greater share of the costs.

Lenz said that historically, the state stands by the aid formula in force on the date of the vote. Any changes the state might make would only apply to projects undertaken in the future.