The Port Washington School District Board of Education kicked off the 2025–26 school year Tuesday night, Sept. 16, with a meeting that honored high-achieving students, introduced a new student board representative, and a discussion on district goals and priorities.
Board President Adam Smith welcomed the community to the first official meeting of the year, pointing to the excitement that surrounded the district’s opening days.
“The energy in our schools is truly palpable and I hope it will carry through the entire school year,” Smith said, referencing the Pride in Port weekend that included a football win, a parade, and the induction of new members into the Schreiber Athletics Hall of Fame.
The meeting featured student recognitions, beginning with five Schreiber High School seniors named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists: Ethan Borda, Kailyn Costello, Victoria Kaufman, Justin Lee, and Alicia Rao.
“The entire school community is very proud of the students’ achievement and wishes them well in the next stage of the process,” said trustee Jessica Melwani.
Ten Schreiber musicians were also honored by the New York State School Music Association as All-State performers or composers.
“This year’s representation was particularly diverse,” said music department chair Deborah Brooks, listing honorees in orchestra, jazz, vocal, and composition categories.
Superintendent Gaurav Passi outlined a busy summer of capital work, including tennis court reconstruction, roof replacements, HVAC upgrades, and improvements to cafeterias and playgrounds.
He praised custodians for painting nearly 20 percent of classrooms and refinishing gym floors, saying schools were “ready to welcome students on day one, clean, safe, and prepared for learning.”
Passi highlighted new initiatives: free universal breakfast and lunch through the state program, a new transportation provider, and the transition to Infinite Campus as the district’s student information system. Early data showed a 30 % increase in breakfast participation.
He also addressed grading policy changes, such as removing Regents exam scores from final grades and adding unweighted GPAs.
“Our goal is always to ensure that grading practices are clear, fair, and supportive of student success,” Passi said, noting the district is creating a FAQ to address parent concerns.
Board members turned their attention to the year’s goals. Last year’s focus areas included excellence, positive school culture, and communication. Trustees debated whether to refine those goals or add new ones.
Several board members also pushed to add a facilities-focused goal, noting that capital projects and infrastructure needs are central to maintaining a strong learning environment.
But I think that what we’ve learned over the last couple of years is that over a multiple-decade period, this district has not invested in its own physical facilities. That’s not to say that that was an active choice, but money has been tight here. Budgets have failed,” said Smith.
Smith said moving forward, with Passi’s help, the discussion for a new facilities goal will continue.
Passi said his administrative team had also identified “efficient operations and future-ready facilities” as a top superintendent priority.
The board also welcomed Schreiber senior Kailyn Costello as its new student representative.
Costello praised the smooth rollout of new cellphone and ID policies, noting students are “interacting more with each other” and that lanyards have been “helpful in classes with multiple grades.”
One of the evening’s most detailed discussions centered on a proposal to install up to 48 electric vehicle charging stations across the district.
The project, presented by Director of Facilities and Operations Brian Graham, would be funded entirely through PSEG Long Island’s Make Ready Incentive Program and managed in partnership with LED Consulting. Up to six charging ports could be hosted in each of the district’s seven schools and the administration building.
“There’s no ongoing cost to the district, as all of the costs are covered by that revenue share,” Graham said, explaining that the stations would include a $1.15 connection fee plus 15% of a district-set charging rate.
The district would retain ownership of the units and could determine whether stations are available to staff only or open to the public during certain hours.
Graham said the five-year subscription includes repairs and software support, but after that, the district would need to renegotiate terms or consider service agreements.
Board members also asked about revenue projections, noting that usage varies widely depending on whether districts restrict stations to staff or open them to the community.
Graham said exact numbers weren’t available, but stressed the importance of securing grant funding quickly.
“For now, the idea is to secure the money and then absolutely we can have further discussion,” he said.
