Croton-Harmon’s school board expanded a middle school air-conditioning contract to $805,800 and authorized a $200,000 transfer to reduce the School Lunch Fund’s deficit at its June 29 special meeting. The year-end business also included four teaching appointments and a discussion of why the district holds reserves for repairs and other defined needs. Assistant Superintendent for Business Denise Harrington-Cohen presented the fund-balance projections as preliminary figures that would be refined as the district closed its books. She distinguished money reserved for specified purposes from funds available for other uses. “Those reserves are legally earmarked for a particular purpose. We cannot do anything other than that assigned purpose,” Harrington-Cohen explained. Read 4:00▶ The board authorized replenishing several reserves from unappropriated fund balance as of June 30: up to $400,000 for employee retirement contributions, $500,000 for the teachers retirement contribution sub-fund, $100,000 for accrued employee-benefit liabilities, $1,661,800 for the 2013 Capital Reserve Fund and $50,000 for unemployment insurance. Final amounts would depend on the completed audited financial statements. The limits were ceilings, rather than a promise to deposit the maximum into every account. Harrington-Cohen said: “What we do is we do a not to exceed amount. By doing that, it gives us flexibility once our final year fund balance is is determined once we go through audit.” Read 8:00▶ A proposed repair illustrated the purpose of maintaining those funds. After a brief public hearing, the board authorized using the Repair Reserve to fix boiler No. 2 at Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School. Harrington-Cohen put the repair estimate at $120,000 and explained that the fund had already helped pay for major elevator and boiler work. “If this money were not used from the reserve, it would have to come out of the general fund. And as you know, these things are not planned. They they they just occur,” Harrington-Cohen said. Read 28:38▶ She described a tight schedule: preparatory work and equipment delivery needed to be completed in time for heating season. The consent agenda included two alternates for Clean Air Quality Services Inc.’s second-floor air-conditioning project at PVC: $149,320 for an expanded DX coil in an existing air-handling unit and $72,250 for a fourth-floor electrical upgrade. Those additions brought the June 11 base contract of $584,230 to $805,800. The board also awarded a $285,777 contract for tennis-court lighting at Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School to ER Electrical Corporation. The board made four probationary teaching appointments, all commencing August 26: Dana Prem as a mathematics teacher at Croton-Harmon High School at a salary of $118,987; Samantha Perlman, also in high school mathematics, at $81,328; Robert Simels as a high school science teacher at $73,889; and Jeffrey Barile as an elementary teacher at Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School at $63,275. Two leave replacements, each effective August 26 through June 30, 2027, were also approved: Caroline Browne in high school social studies at $125,661, covering for John Bohuniek, and Kaydi McInerney in visual arts at Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School at $63,275, covering for Ashley Lupfer. On the labor front, the board approved a memorandum of agreement with the Croton-Harmon Administrators' Association and a revision to a side letter with the Croton Teachers' Association, extending an additional period of instruction from May 21 to June 26, 2026. Before the consent vote, Omar Mayyasi asked about the annual benefit agreements. Superintendent Stephen Walker described the district’s effort to maintain consistency in compensation for work outside collective bargaining units. “These reflect approximately 2.5% increase in compensation year over year, which we've checked with the region and is pretty much the median of of the region,” Walker said. Read 37:59▶ The board approved 16 benefit agreements for 2026-27. One covered Kerri Tracy’s separate athletic-trainer role: the approved agreement specifies an eleven-month position with a $58,000 salary, with those employment terms additional to her entitlements as a full-time Croton Teachers Association member. Athletic-trainer agreement, page 1 The $200,000 transfer from the General Fund was authorized to reduce the School Lunch Fund’s operating deficit. The board also renewed its HVAC services bid, approved summer program aides and a temporary maintenance mechanic, accepted four non-instructional resignations and approved its June 4 work-session minutes. The public business followed an executive session that ended at 6:17 p.m. After another executive session, the meeting adjourned at 8:19 p.m.