A large crowd packed the Pine Plains Central School District Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, June 4, as the board recognized outstanding student achievement in music and academics before approving a schedule change for its regular meetings.
“We are going to celebrate these wonderful students this evening,” said School Board President Amie Fredericks as she welcomed the crowd.
The board first honored musicians who were selected for All-State and All-County honors.
- David Kalb, Percussion, Zone 10 Area All-State
- James Griffin, Chorus, DCMEA Junior-High All-County Festival
- Cole Antal, Chorus, DCMEA Elementary All-County Festival
- Ashton Clas, Clarinet, Band, DCMEA Elementary All-County Festival
- Scarlett Jennings, Chorus, DCMEA Elementary All-County Festival
Gian Starr, the district’s Director of Curriculum, presented the New York State Seal of Biliteracy and the Seal of Civic Readiness to graduating seniors who demonstrated exceptional proficiency in language and civic engagement. “I’m proud of these students,” Starr said.
Senior Tyler Knapp, who earned both seals, explained the requirements for each award. “For the biliteracy, you have to do projects in English and Spanish and pass an exam in both English and Spanish with at least an 85%,” he said. “For the civics one, you have to be active in extracurricular activities and take an extra social studies class.” Knapp said he took History of Western Civilization to fulfill the latter requirement. He plans to study chemistry and chemical engineering at SUNY Geneseo.
His mother, Doreen Knapp, beamed with pride. “Tyler has been an old soul in a young body since he was 6 years old,” she said. “He’s always been positive and independent. I’m proud of him.”
Each student receiving a seal was invited to the front of the room to shake hands with Fredericks and Superintendent Brian Timm before receiving a certificate.
Seal of Biliteracy recipients: Ren Babcock, Patrick Cronin, Joseph DiCarlo, Catlin Dillinger, Jordan Dolansky, Molly Eiffert, Brandon Falco, Mairead French, Emma Henderson, Tyler Knapp, Madison Rego
Alana Marie Scofield, Anderson Simons, Charlotte Smith
Seal of Civic Readiness recipients: Ren Babcock, Joseph DiCarlo, Catlin Dillinger, Molly Eiffert, Eliza Essery, Brandon Falco, Mairead French, Emma Henderson, David Kalb, Tyler Knapp, Jayla Lilley, Naomi McClinton, Madison Rego, Patrick Roach, Alana Marie Scofield, Kristian Siderias, Charlotte Smith, Gabriella Torre, Lia Zamko
Following the awards, the board resumed with regular business. Timm proposed moving Board of Education meetings to Tuesday evenings beginning in July, citing alignment with other district schedules. The board approved the change, setting the new meeting schedule for the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m.
Timm noted that the new schedule would overlap with the May 2026 budget vote, but said options include holding the board meeting later in the evening or adjusting voting hours. District Clerk Julia Tomaine will evaluate voter data from past elections to assess the feasibility of such changes.