The Port Washington Union Free School District Board of Education spent much of its Dec. 16 meeting focused on the high school grading policy at Paul D. Schreiber High School. Trustees said the draft policy was presented for discussion and direction, as the committee continues to revise the language.
The meeting also included opening remarks from Superintendent Gaurav Passi on a hate-related incident at Weber Middle School, where a swastika was discovered in a boys’ restroom over the weekend. Passi said the district responded immediately and launched an investigation with the Port Washington Police Department.
“Anti-semitism and hate have no place at Weber Middle School or in our community,” he said. “The impact of symbols like this is real, particularly for our Jewish students, families and staff.”
Passi said the symbol was documented and removed and emphasized that the district’s response is grounded in Weber’s long-standing participation in the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate program, which the school has been part of since 2017.
“As part of this work, the school community annually reaffirms a resolution of respect and engages in multiple schoolwide efforts each year focused on inclusion, empathy and standing up for one another,” he said, adding that incidents like this “remind us that this work is ongoing.”
A large portion of the meeting centered on a revised “first draft” grading policy, with trustees focusing much of the discussion on Regents Exams, which are required by New York State and appear on student transcripts but do not currently count toward final course grades at Schreiber.
“Philosophically, I don’t think students should be doing things that are pointless,” said trustee Rachel Gilliar. “If we’re requiring them to take the test, I think we’re doing them a disservice by not having that be a meaningful experience.”
Ex-officio student board member Kailyn Costello said students remain confused about how the grading changes will affect them next year and that additional communication may be needed as the school year continues.
“Many students are still confused or concerned about elements of the transition,” she said. “Students have expressed worries about the reduced weighting for honors and AP courses, the equally weighted quarters and the fact that the Regents Exams will no longer count toward their final averages.”
During public comment, a parent echoed those concerns, saying Regents Exams are “completely excluded from any consideration in the final course grade” and urging the board to clarify whether it supports a “do no harm” approach.
Some trustees said the exams can show how much a student has learned by the end of a course, while others questioned how Regents could be counted without creating inconsistent grading practices.
Trustees also noted that the frequently cited “do no harm” approach, in which exam scores can raise but not lower a grade, has not been adopted, and said the draft policy remains unclear about how final assessments should be handled.
During the public comment section of the meeting, Port Washington Teachers Association President Regina McLean said districts that include detailed grading language in board policy typically do so in consultation with educators.
“School board trustees are lay people and should leave the specifics to the educational professionals,” she said.
Trustees acknowledged during the discussion that confusion over the grading changes has persisted and remains a concern for students and families. The board did not take action on the policy and sent it back to committee for further review. The policy committee is scheduled to meet again on Jan. 8.
