Superintendent Weekly Update May 2, 2025

I wanted to share some budget updates and reminders.

Budget Update

The 25-26 budget supports the continuation of:

• Smaller elementary class sizes
• Expanded extracurricular clubs K-12
• A full-day pre-k program, which is one of the only full-day programs in the area
• Instrumental music starting in the fourth grade
• Expanded course offerings

The 25-26 budget also supports adding academic support teachers at the elementary level, a half-time speech teacher, some summer programming for high school students, a mental health clinic at Rombout Middle School, and enhanced professional development.  

The budget vote is Tuesday, May 20, from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm at Beacon High School and Glenham Elementary.

Meredith Heuer, Catherine Buscemi, and Semra Ercin are running for the school board this year.

Tuesday, May 6th, is the public hearing for the budget at BHS at 7:00.  

Thursday, May 8th, we are hosting a Zoom webinar about the budget at 6:00.  We will send the link out next week.

On Monday, May 12, we are hosting a budget conversation at the Beacon Parks and Rec building at 6:00.

You can take a look at all of our budget information here: https://www.beaconk12.org/domain/702

Please email me at landahl.m@beaconk12.org if you have any questions.  

Spring Concerts- Check out our spring concerts this year! All of the concerts are at BHS at 7:00.

5/7/25 Rombout Middle School

5/8/25 JV Forrestal Elementary

5/13/25 South Avenue Elementary

5/14/25 Glenham Elementary

5/15/25 Sargent Elementary

5/20/25 Beacon High School

 Film Fest!!!

Home Athletic Events

Saturday, May 3 

Varsity Baseball BHS 3:30

Monday, May 5

Varsity Boys Golf Southern Dutchess 11:00 am

Modified Girls Lacrosse BHS 4:30

Varsity Softball BHS 4:30

Varsity Boys Tennis BHS 4:30

Unified Basketball BHS 4:30

Tuesday, May 6

Varsity Boys Golf- Southern Dutchess 3:30

Modified Baseball Memorial 4:30

Modified Track and Field BHS 4:30

Wednesday, May 7

Varsity Baseball BHS 4:30

Varsity Boys Tennis BHS 4:30

Varsity Track and Field BHS 4:30

Thursday, May 8

Varsity Girls Golf Southern Dutchess 3:30

Modified Baseball Heritage 4:30

Girls Modified Track BHS 4:30

Sincerely,

 

Matt Landahl

Superintendent Weekly Update April 25, 2025

Budget Update

Here is the link to the latest budget presentations from the April 7 and April 22 board meetings: https://www.beaconk12.org/domain/702

You can access just the slides or videos of the presentations.

The Budget Hearing is at the beginning of the Board meeting on Tuesday, May 6, at 7:00 at BHS.  We will also host a budget Zoom webinar on Thursday, May 8th, at 6:00 and that will be recorded.  I will send out the link when we get closer to the date.  I will add another budget event or two in a future update.  Speaking about the budget with the four elementary PTAs before spring break was great.  Thank you for hosting me!

The vote on the budget is Tuesday, May 20th.

The budget adopted by the board supports the many gains we have made in the past several years with the expansion of pre-k, reduction of class sizes, increase of extracurriculars,  expanded mental health supports, and more course offerings at BHS.  

Some additional items in this budget are mental health supports with the bryt program at BHS and a mental health clinic at RMS, academic intervention supports, a half-time speech teacher, some summer workshops for BHS students, and increased professional development.

If you have any questions about the budget, please let me know at landahl.m@beaconk12.org

This weekend, check out Beacon Players!

This weekend, check out the Ree Play Sale!

Upcoming Home Athletic Events:

Sunday, April 27

Varsity Baseball Tournament 1:30-4:30 BHS and Memorial

Monday, April 28

Varsity Baseball BHS 4:15

Modified Baseball Memorial 4:30

Modified Softball Memorial 4:30

JV Boys Tennis BHS 4:30

Tuesday, April 29

Varsity Girls Golf- 3:30

Modified Softball Memorial 4:30

Modified Baseball Memorial 4:30

Varsity Softball BHS 4:30

Varsity Boys Tennis BHS 4:30

JV Girls Lacrosse BHS 5:30

Wednesday, April 30

Varsity Boys Golf 3:00

Boys Varsity Tennis BHS 4:30

Girls and Boys Track and Field BHS 4:30

Thursday, May 1

Girls Varsity Golf 3:30

Have a great weekend!

Matt Landahl

Superintendent Weekly Update April 11, 2025

Have a great Spring Break!  See everyone back on Wednesday, April 23.

Huge Thank You!  I want to take a moment to thank our Transportation Department and bus drivers for helping us this week.  We had a huge elementary field trip to Manhattan earlier this week, and we had a last-minute issue with the charter bus company.  The Transportation Department immediately jumped in to figure it out, and several drivers were willing to step in and get our kids to the museum!  Thank you so much for saving this trip for our students!  Also, thanks to the Foundation for Beacon Schools for helping to fund this trip!

Budget Update

We presented some updated budget information to the Board of Education this past Monday.  In the budget this year, we will be able to:

• Add academic intervention teachers to the elementary level (2 reading, 1 math)
• Add a half-time speech teacher
• Add a mental health clinic at Rombout Middle School in partnership with Astor Services
• Add the bryt mental health support program at Beacon High School
• Summer workshops for some Beacon High School students
• Extensive professional development in reading instruction

The one caveat I need to share is that if there is a reduction in federal funds, our budget will change.  Federal funding provides about 2% of our budget and funds the four elementary reading teachers we currently have.

Beacon has one of the lower school tax rates in Dutchess County and the region.  We compared our tax rates with other neighboring districts.  A median priced house in Beacon would pay an estimated $3127 a year.  That same priced house in Hyde Park would pay $5011, in Arlington would pay $4941, in Spackenkill would pay $4720, and in Wappingers would pay $3656.

On April 22, the Board of Education will meet to adopt the budget.  The public hearing on the budget is on May 6.  The budget vote is May 20.

I am attaching the slides we used this week to this update. Please check them out and let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks to the elementary PTOs for hosting me this past week to discuss the budget.  I will keep you posted when I schedule some other budget events.

Film Fest Reminders

 

Get Your Beacon Players Tickets!

Trades Fair

 

Upcoming Home Athletic Events

Monday April 14

Varsity Baseball BHS 10:00am

JV Baseball Memorial 10:00 am

Tuesday, April 15

Boys Golf Southern Dutchess 3:30

Wednesday, April 16

Varsity Baseball  BHS 10:00 am

JV Baseball Memorial 10:00 am

Thursday, April 17

Varsity Baseball BHS 10:00 am

JV Baseball Memorial 10:00 am

Varsity Softball BHS 10:00 am

Thrift Sale!

Have a great break!

Matt Landahl

Attachments:
 Budget_Presentation_%283%29.pdf (6.2 MB)