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Utica City School District special meeting, date not confirmed yet

1 h 16 min · 2 videos

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 16 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
What happened

What happened at this meeting

Part 1 · 17 min

Utica board approves leave item P10 on 5⁠-⁠1 vote with 1 abstention 2:30

  • The board adopted the superintendent's report dated September 8th, 2026, after pulling item P10 for a separate vote. 1:07
  • Tennille Knoop described the item as an unpaid leave for personal reasons under the UTA contract, and the motion carried on a recorded vote of 5 in favor, 1 abstention and 1 no. 3:21
  • The board then approved the minutes and adjourned. 16:20

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Item by item (4)
  1. Executive session and superintendent's report 1:01
    • The board voted to come out of executive session. 1:01
    • The superintendent's report included items S111, S112, S113, B37 and additional P9s, with P10 at the bottom of page 30 pulled. 1:37
    • The motion to adopt the superintendent's report carried. 2:30
  2. Unpaid personal leave item 2:30
    • One board member asked whether the no vote was against the UTA policy or targeted at an individual, and another board member said it was not targeted and declined to answer. 3:21
    • Tennille Knoop said the UTA policy provides that leave for personal reasons shall be granted for a period not to exceed 1 year, and a speaker said granting the leave costs the district nothing. 3:54
    • The motion carried on a recorded vote of 5 in favor, 1 abstention and 1 no. 5:17
  3. Approval of prior meeting minutes 5:17
    • Howard Potter asked for adjustments to the minutes on items S60, S62 and S64, saying the minutes recorded a yes vote when Howard Potter had not voted. 5:43
    • A speaker raised a point of order that a vote cannot be changed through an amendment to the minutes and that a motion to reconsider was no longer timely. 6:57
    • Howard Potter asked how to submit questions by email ahead of meetings, and Tennille Knoop said the questions had been addressed in the Friday memo and in BoardDocs. 7:51
    • The motion to approve the minutes carried. 16:08
  4. Adjournment 16:20
    • A motion to adjourn was made and seconded. 16:20
    • The meeting was adjourned. ~16:27

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

Part 2 · 59 min

Utica school board hears presentations on state graduation changes, teacher evaluation plan 2:35

  • District staff presented on a state initiative called New York Inspires, which a presenter described as the State Education Department's roadmap to transform public education by 2029. 2:35
  • A staff member said the district moved to one district-wide measure for teacher and principal growth scores based on the 11th grade English language arts assessment, and that the new plan was approved by the State Education Department on September 1st. 10:31
  • A board member asked whether the change would help produce 9th graders reading at a high enough level to do high school work, and a staff member said removing required elementary assessments should free up about 4 weeks worth of instructional time. 13:39
  • The meeting ended with the board going into executive session. 57:39
Item by item (11)
  1. Opening and roll call 0:13
    • The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a roll call by the clerk. 0:13
    • The presiding speaker announced a quorum. 0:55
  2. Treasurer's report 1:08
    • A staff member presenting the treasurer's report said the board packet included general fund and cafeteria fund budget status reports and cash balance reports for the month ending June 30th. 2026. 1:08
    • The staff member said the figures were not final because the audit was still going on. 1:31
    • The staff member said tax bills and pilot bills had gone out. 1:56
  3. New York Inspires state initiative 2:35
    • A presenter said the initiative includes adopting a Portrait of a Graduate, redefining credits for proficiency, sunsetting mandatory Regents exams for graduation and moving to a single diploma type. 2:35
    • The presenter said the change would be phased in over the next 4 years and that current 5th graders will be the first fully impacted class. 7:54
  4. Teacher and principal evaluation plan 9:07
    • A staff member said the district now uses one district-wide measure for student growth based on the 11th grade English language arts assessment, applying to all grades K-12, special areas and building principals. 10:30
    • A staff member said general education students need to show 45% growth and special education and ENL students need to show 35% growth from September to the June exam. 18:26
    • A staff member said the plan was approved by the State Education Department on September 1st and that a committee will begin work on a new plan that must be in place by 2032. 24:17
  5. Instructional vision and priorities 27:25
    • A staff member outlined an instructional vision to provide all students with a high-quality and equitable education. 27:25
    • The staff member said the district's professional learning plan was approved by the State Education Department and posted on the district website. 28:27
  6. Special education and ENL programs 31:15
    • A staff member said special education priorities include IEP implementation, behavioral supports, safety and dignity, and communication with families. 31:15
    • The staff member said the district has more than 50 languages spoken and more than 42 ENL teachers on staff. 36:25
    • The staff member said the state is moving to an assessment called the WIDA and that training has been delayed until October or November. 37:11
  7. CTE program and pathways 39:15
    • A staff member said the district met with MVCC about collaborating on its CTE program and expanding dual credit options. 39:15
    • The staff member described CTE pathways from K-6 through middle school to Proctor and said the classrooms are full this year. 40:18
  8. UPK seats and enrollment 44:05
    • A staff member said the district contracts for 446 UPK seats, including 266 full-day seats and 180 half-day seats, and must offer a full-day seat to any eligible 4-year-old whose family requests it by fall of 2028. 44:09
    • The staff member said 427 students were enrolled as of today and that the district had 551 general education students starting kindergarten this year. 45:23
    • A speaker said funding this year is over $5 million of available funds, and another speaker said only one partner organization is offering transportation. 48:19
  9. Targeted assistance and mental health briefs 51:19
    • A staff member said the district can support 23.5 targeted assistance positions, which last year served roughly 500 students. 51:19
    • The staff member said replacement teachers will start October 13th and that counselors and social workers will review state mental health briefs in September and October. 51:58
  10. Mental health work and system of care 53:07
    • A speaker said the district redid its threat assessment handbook and signed MOUs with the new Crisis Stabilization Center. 53:07
    • The speaker said over 70 students went through the First Responders Academy this year and that MVCC received a Gear Up grant for which every 8th grade student is eligible. 54:59
  11. Executive session 57:39
    • The presiding speaker called for a motion to go into executive session to discuss collective negotiations under the Taylor Law, employment history and litigation. 57:39
    • The board went into executive session after a vote. 57:39

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 “09/08/2026 BOE Special Meeting 2”