The Manhasset School District provided recommendations for changes to its advanced math and science programs, which the district said would bolster student success and mitigate current issues.
“A strong foundation in elementary math benefits all students whether they accelerate early or later,” Superintendent Gaurav Passi said.
Passi said the district has engaged with parents and the community over the past month to discuss potential changes to its elementary math and acceleration.
He said one key community takeaway was strong support the sixth-grade double accelerated math course and a de-coupling of the double accelerated math course from the seventh grade AP intensive science pathway for flexibility.
In response to the feedback, Passi said the district is recommending maintaining the sixth-grade double accelerated math course with greater refinement of the entrance criteria to better identify students for the program.
The district is also recommending the de-coupling of the accelerated math program and the science intensive pathway.
Entrance into the double accelerated math program would be assessed through an exam in the spring, which would be reviewed by an external math organization. Teacher recommendations would not be considered.
The district is also recommending creating a math coach position to support students in fifth and sixth grade, as well as providing professional development to teachers. Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Rebecca Chowske said the plan is to expand this to lower grades in the future.
Passi said students in the double accelerated math course have already displayed mastery of sixth-grade math. These students then skip the sixth-grade math content.
Passi said skipping the curriculum can be challenging for students and it can be difficult to properly identify students equipped for it.
This is the only course in the district where students skip curriculum. Passi said about 21% of students are identified for this program, which is greater than other local comparable districts.
The district also provides flexibility for students to enter the double accelerated program later in high school, Passi said.
Criteria for the science program would include the average of the student’s first three trimesters’ science assessments and lab grades as well as an exam and no longer be based on teacher recommendations or math grades.
Trustee Nadia Giannopoulos expressed concern over using a single exam for entrance into the math program as it would only provide students one chance to get the program and could potentially underidentify or overidentify students based on a single performance.
Some parents asked that more than one evaluation be used to measure students for the math program, which Passi said the district would consider before finalizing its selection criteria.
Chowske said the district would accommodate all students who qualify for the programs and not implement caps.
In other news, the district also presented its preliminary tax cap increase and updates on its fund balance.
The district’s maximum allowable tax levy increase for 2025-2026 is set at 3.11%, which does fall within the state’s 2% increase. This would amount to about $102,853,135 in taxes to fund the budget.
Manhasset Public Schools increased taxes by 2.68% last year.
Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations Sam Gergis said the district is also projecting about $500,000 in revenue surpluses at the end of the school year, which he attributed to PILOTS, or payments in lieu of taxes, and interest increases.
The district is projecting ending the school year with a total revenue of $111,838,418 with an applied fund balance of $840,266.
The district is estimating ending the current school year with 4% of its unassigned fund balance.
While the district is anticipating ending the school year with a fund balance lower than last year, Gergis said it is expected to end higher than projected.
Gergis said the district’s five-year average for its fund balance is $1,387,939, and the anticipated expense fund balance is $1,124,000.
The district’s five-year fund balance average as a percentage of its budget is 1.95%, and is projected to be 1.99% for the current school year.
The district will present its preliminary budget on March 6.
