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Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District board meeting, May 18, 2026

1 h 28 min · 1 public speaker

Vouchers and school choice ▶ 48:44

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 1 h 28 min.

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Patchogue-Medford board hears cell tower proposal and approves consent agenda 29:52

  • A presenter from Elite LI Towers described building cell towers on district property, with costs of $550,000 to $600,000 covered by the company and revenue shared with the district. 28:46
  • Asked about revenue, the presenter said a tower with all 3 carriers would bring about $80,000 per year to the district. 44:49
  • A speaker announced that the consent agenda passed after item 8.22 was pulled for discussion and a separate vote. 50:28
  • A motion to accept the resolution was requested and seconded, and a voice vote was called, but no result was announced. 55:35

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Item by item (13)
  1. Opening and meeting ground rules 0:00
    • The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. 0:00
    • A speaker read the ground rules, which set one public comment period with up to 3 minutes per speaker. 0:38
  2. Recognitions of trustees, staff and students 1:24
    • Three board members received achievement awards from the state school boards association for professional development. 1:24
    • A district staff member thanked Eagle Elementary staff members for their swift and decisive actions in assisting a student. 3:36
    • The valedictorian, salutatorian and class essayist of the class of 2026 were recognized. 8:12
  3. Student research presentation on teacher recognition 13:57
    • A staff member introduced a student from the AP Research capstone program at the high school. 14:09
    • The student presented survey research on how teacher recognition affects student motivation and achievement, with 75 students and 42 teachers taking part. 15:06
  4. Cell tower proposal presentation 28:10
    • A presenter said the company would cover construction costs of $550,000 to $600,000 and share revenue with the district over a 49-year term. 29:52
    • The presenter said 12 properties were reviewed, including Canaan, the high school and Tremont, and that the district would receive about $80,000 per tower per year with all 3 carriers. 40:06
    • Bernadette Smith asked whether the towers would ever be used for surveillance, and the presenter said no unless a camera were placed there. 40:25
  5. Student member report 46:43
    • The ex officio student member said high school students began Catch My Breath vaping prevention sessions at Oregon Middle School on May 15th. 46:52
    • The student member said senior prom tickets cost $165 and prom will be held June 1st. 47:51
  6. Consent agenda and public comment format 48:39
    • A member of the public asked why public comment on presentations had been moved without notice, and a speaker said the change was announced last time. 49:10
    • Item 8.22 on charter schools was pulled for discussion and a separate vote. 50:28
    • The consent agenda passed. 50:46
  7. Charter school resolution 50:46
    • Bernadette Smith cited a Hofstra University report finding average charter tuition of $25,540 per pupil in Nassau County against per pupil expense of $18,686. 51:14
    • One board member said the board should also send the resolution to elected officials individually. 51:41
  8. Policy first reading 55:43
    • Policies 1313, 3350 and 3350R were presented for first reading and will be included in the June 22nd agenda. 55:43
  9. Superintendent and assistant superintendent reports 56:18
    • A district staff member said about 400 participants registered for the mental health run. 56:59
    • The staff member said the newly appointed superintendent has visited 9 of the district's 11 schools. 58:11
    • The staff member said students can buy food from a Farmer's Fridge at the high school starting May 20th, with prices from $8 to $13. 1:00:41
  10. Committee reports 1:03:38
    • A staff member reported that the new stadium grandstands and multipurpose field bleachers were installed and that HVAC work at three buildings would take place this summer. 1:03:46
    • Francis Salazar reported the district is transitioning from Lightspeed to Lionwise for digital safety and is revising the elementary report card with a parent guide. 1:07:11
    • A speaker for the legislation committee said zero-emission bus timelines might be pushed back by 5 years to 2032 and 2040. 1:10:05
  11. Recess and BOCES updates 1:11:29
    • A speaker said NISBA issued a memorandum of support for a bill requiring up to 30 minutes of daily recess for students in kindergarten through 5th grade. 1:11:40
    • Bernadette Smith offered to attend the speaker's meetings on recess. ~1:16:59
    • A speaker gave a BOCES update on new mathematics standards and mental health guidelines. 1:17:09
  12. Public comment 1:18:45
    • The speaker also raised questions about the zero-emission bus mandate and recess. 1:20:12
  13. Board comments and adjournment 1:23:07
    • Bernadette Smith said students from the Hispanic Heritage Club performed at the Hispanic Heritage Parade. 1:23:12
    • A speaker during board comments thanked staff recognized earlier for their quick thinking and congratulated students on their academic success. 1:23:59
    • The meeting ended at eight forty. 1:27:21

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “Board of Education Business Meeting - May 18, 2026”