The Albion Central School District Board of Education moved to address facility maintenance needs on Monday, approving a plan to replace doors at the district’s Bus Garage as part of the annual Capital Outlay Exception Project. Architects from CPL Architecture presented the proposal during the November 4 meeting, explaining that the $100,000 project would focus on safety and security improvements. Kory Hunsinger, a K-12 design architect with CPL, told the Board that the bus garage was identified as a priority based on the building condition survey. "We determined that the bus garage needs interior and exterior door replacement," Hunsinger said. The project budget breaks down to $81,523.11 for construction, $13,476.89 for incidental expenses, and $5,000 for contingencies. The work is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025 and must be completed by June 30. While lighting and ceiling replacements were also reviewed, Hunsinger noted those items did not fit into this year’s budget and may be proposed for the 2025-2026 Capital Outlay Project. Also under the business category, the Board approved a budget transfer of $8,700 to cover salaries for the After-School Advisory program and to purchase additional materials for the "Leader in Me" initiative. **Academics and Assessment** A significant portion of the evening was dedicated to academic updates, specifically a review of the district’s transition to new software and the latest reading diagnostics. Rebecca Manfreda, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, reported on the switch from ClearTrack to Frontline, a platform used for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The transition was encouraged by Jessica Beal, Director of Special Education, to improve efficiency. Manfreda noted that while data migration has been "an interesting process," the new system offers a secure way to send and receive IEPs with other districts. Manfreda also presented reading diagnostic data for students in Universal Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade using the STAR Assessment. The results showed a wide variance in grade-level proficiency: * **Kindergarten:** 66% at grade level * **UPK:** 58% at grade level * **4th Grade:** 48% at grade level * **7th Grade:** 40% at grade level * **1st Grade:** 41% at grade level * **3rd Grade:** 39% at grade level * **5th, 6th Grade:** 37% at grade level * **8th Grade:** 35% at grade level * **2nd Grade:** 37% at grade level Manfreda also highlighted the district-wide rollout of Newsela, an instructional technology platform that provides news articles tailored to different reading levels. This tool allows teachers to customize instruction for diverse learners and offers translations for multilingual students. **Student Celebrations** Before diving into policy and finance, the Board recognized student achievement. Gabriella Pritchard received the Elementary School Leadership Award, while Middle School Character and Leadership awards were presented to Rigoberto Baltazar, Jr. and Traper Croft. Athletic Director Mariah LaSpina also brought representatives from the fall sports teams—girls’ soccer, boys’ soccer, cheerleading, volleyball, cross country, and golf—to share season highlights with the Board. **Personnel and Finance** The Board accepted several personnel changes, including the resignation of ES Monitor Eddie English and the appointments of Stephanie Keller as Clerk ($29,750) and Tanya Bjornstad as Teacher Aide ($15.60/hr). In the Finance Committee report, Board Member John Kast noted that an external audit by Mengel Metzger & Barr gave the district high marks for financial management and reserve building. However, the audit identified two areas for correction: the unassigned fund balance is slightly over the 4% legal limit, and the district lacks a formal procedure for "piggybacking" on bid contracts. Kast stated that a Corrective Action Plan is in place to resolve these items. The Board also approved a change of destination for the Marching Band trip. The ensemble will now travel to Pittsburgh, PA, from May 2-4, 2025. The meeting was called to order by Board President Wayne Wadhams at 7:00 p.m.