Community Updates

  

Dear Herricks School District Community,

Happy Wednesday! I hope this message finds you doing well and that everyone is having a wonderful week. It’s been an exciting and eventful week across our schools. At the high school, many students are in the midst of AP exams, while our seniors have finalized college commitments and post-graduation plans—a milestone worth celebrating! Meanwhile, students in Grades 3–8 are participating in the NYS Mathematics exams with focus and determination. This is an opportunity for our students to show their growth over the course of the year.

In addition to the various assessments unfolding, I have also had a chance to visit several learning spaces across the district. Most recently I spent time with a group of first graders where we read the book, This Is A School. The students were incredibly engaged in the text and were actively making text to self connections as they thought about their own experiences as learners in a school setting. I also had the opportunity to be in the audience for one of our elementary spring concerts, and I was so impressed with the growth of our student musicians since the winter concert series. The students took such a tremendous amount of pride in their musical selections and in showcasing their growing skills. Finally, I had a chance to spend time on the football field watching our Girls Varsity Flag Football team play a tough match against Plainview-Old Bethpage. The players did a great job with their defensive play and made some wonderful plays on offense too. I am excited to share that the team is playoff bound - GO HIGHLANDERS!

Herricks Herald
We are excited to share the latest edition of the Herricks Herald newsletter; it is the April edition. As you know, the Herald serves as a monthly district newsletter spotlighting various events, activities, and important experiences had by our students. In this special issue, you will learn about Searingtown Global Play Day, Building Thinking Classrooms at Center Street, National History Day for HHS and HMS, the SEPTA Peer Leadership Awards, and more. You can check out the latest edition of the Herricks Herald here. 

Highlander Hub… Launching Our District Podcast
In case you missed it last week, we are excited to announce the launch of the Highlander Hub podcast! The Highlander Hub is the official podcast of Herricks Public Schools and we feel this is important because within our school community, there are countless powerful stories waiting to be told. From innovative curriculum and dedicated staff to the student experience and beyond, this podcast shines a spotlight on what makes Herricks truly special because this is Herricks—where everyone matters!

n the first episode of The Highlander Hub we introduce the purpose of the show and what listeners can look forward to in future episodes. District directors also join to share updates and exciting news from across their departments. The Highlanders Hub is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Budget Update
In case you missed our recent budget presentations, you should watch the video of the adopted Herricks Proposed Budget by clicking here. Should you have any questions regarding the proposed budget after you view it, you can email Ms. Rutkoske, our Assistant Superintendent for Business, at lrutkoske@herricks.org or me at tsinanis@herricks.org. 

As we head towards the budget vote on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, please keep the following important information in mind:

• For anyone who wants to engage in this year’s Budget Vote, the last day for prospective voters to register with Ms. Lisa Rutkoske, District Clerk, is May 14, 2026.
• The Budget Vote takes place on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 from 7am to 9pm in the Community Center Gymnasium, which is near the intersection of Searingtown Road and Herricks Road.
• In addition to Proposition 1, which is the proposed budget for the 2026 - 2027 school year, voters will also be asked to vote on two additional propositions:
  • Proposition 2, which comes at no additional cost to the tax payers, is asking the community to allow the district to use money in the 2019 Capital Reserve Fund to replace 1 boiler at Herricks High School, 1 boiler at the Community Center, and enhancing the lighting on the turf field at HHS. 
  • Proposition 3, which also comes at no additional cost to the tax payers, is asking the community to allow the district to establish a new reserve fund - the 2026 Capital Reserve Fund. 
• On Tuesday, May 19th, voters will also be asked to vote for Board of Education Trustees as two seats are up for election; there are 3 candidates for one seat and 2 candidates for the other seat. 

 Other Important Updates

• FLYERS: As you know, community information can be found under the FLYERS tab on the homepage of the district website. For example, you can learn more about the Herricks Community Fund Carnival by clicking here where you can see the latest community updates!
• VIDEO UPDATES: If you missed any of our Herricks’ Happenings Video Updates, click here to find that video.
• HERRICKS HERALD: You can check out all the editions of the Herricks Herald here.
• BOARD NOTES: Click here to view the Board Notes for all of our Board of Education Meetings.
• IMPORTANT DATES:
  • Our next Board of Education Meeting will take place on Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 7:30pm at the Community Center. We encourage you to join us for this special meeting because we will be honoring the educators in our district who are being recommended for tenure!

Thank you for taking the time to read this update - I appreciate your engagement and partnership. 

Have a wonderful rest of your week!

Sincerely,
Dr. Tony Sinanis
Superintendent of Schools
Herricks School District 
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