Manhasset students are passing Advanced Placement exams well above the state and global average, according to Director of Mathematics and Business Lauren Tallarine. 

On Thursday night Tallarine gave a presentation to the Board of Education that included a K-12 overview of mathematics in the district and included program goals alongside current statistics. Superintendent Gaurav Passi also updated the board with the budget schedule, which is voted on in May.

Advanced Placement, otherwise known as AP, courses are high-level classes that students can take and receive college credits for if they score high enough on the final exam. Scores are scaled on a range of one to five, with five being the highest. 

In Calculus AB, which is taken by 62 students in the district, Manhasset averaged a score of 3.63 while the state average was 2.85 and the global average was 2.99. The average Calculus BC score, which 53 students took, was 4.25 while the state and global averages were 3.71 and 3.75, respectively.

The average AP Computer Science score, taken by 20 students in the district, was 4.55 while the state and global average scores were 3.16 and 3.21, respectively. The AP Computer Science Principles, taken by 19 students, had an average score for the district of 3.95 while the state and global scores were 2.85 and 2.90, respectively. The AP statistics score, taken by 57 students in the district, was 4.21 while the state and global averages were 2.81 and 2.89, respectively. 

“These really are phenomenal results when compared with New York State and the worldwide population of students taking these exams,” Tallarine said. 

She said that there are a total of 296 students in the district who are taking AP courses, up from 211 last year. Students can take multiple AP courses during a semester, which are primarily taken by juniors and seniors, although they could be offered to freshmen and sophomores. 

Program goals include balancing conceptual understanding with procedural fluency in an engaging way, Tallarine said.

“The hope is that when the instruction is balanced with the ‘why?’ and the ‘how?’ students will be in a better position to have increased number sense and retention,” Tallraine said. She went on to say that the program can accomplish its goals through its curriculum materials, harnessing technology, professional development and student participation. 

In other district news, Passi said the budget development process for the next school year is currently underway and that he has received “key indicators” on what the budget is going to be able to accommodate. 

Passi said the district received its health insurance rates for next year, which include an average increase of 28% to the retiree health insurance rates for Medicare and family coverage. The superintendent went on to say that the rates for active employees are within the district’s 6.25% assumption for the 2024-2025 school year. 

“Just as was the case in ‘23-24, the ‘24-25 budget could be under pressure once again as a result of health insurance, but this time instead of for active employees it would be for our retirees with respect to Medicare,” Passi said. 

At every board meeting until Passi submits his preliminary budget in early March, the board will be having program presentations, such as Thursday’s math presentation, which include potential budgetary requests for the next school year. 

Between now and January, district administrators will continue to define and evaluate goals, issues and initiatives for the 2024-2025 budget and initial submissions on line items related to salaries, benefits, curriculum and services.

The next meeting of the Manhasset Board of Education will be held on Thursday, Jan. 4.