The Port Washington Union Free School District Board of Education reviewed its priorities for the new school year, including academic achievement, student support, technology use and facility improvements, during its Thursday, Sept. 17, meeting.

Superintendent Gaurav Passi introduced “building on excellence” as the theme for the school year and outlined six areas of focus for the district. The meeting also included an enrollment report, a proposed use of the district’s repair reserve and an update on potential changes to New York State graduation requirements.

Passi told the board that the state Board of Regents had approved a plan to end the requirement that students pass Regents exams to earn a high school diploma and move toward a single diploma beginning with the 2027-28 school year.

The change would first affect the class of 2028, which is currently in 11th grade, he said. However, the plan is not yet final.

“The change is not yet final,” Passi said, explaining that the state Education Department expects to present regulatory amendments in February. Those amendments would undergo a 60-day public comment period, with final action anticipated in June.

Regents exams would continue to be offered and could be used as criteria for seals or endorsements, he said. Districts, however, would no longer be permitted to require students to pass the exams to earn a diploma under the proposed changes.