MASSENA — Few residents suggested ways for the Board of Education to spend the extra $1.4 million in state aid the district received this year through the Contract for Excellence.

The district is receiving the additional money because the junior high school did not meet all of its annual performance goals, as determined by the No Child Left Behind Act. As a result, the school was listed as a "school in need of improvement."

The board held a public hearing Monday night at the high school library on use of the extra money.

Anne C. Root, the family and consumer science teacher at J.W. Leary Junior High School, and Rhonda Rodriguez, a parent, were the only two with program ideas, should the district find itself with additional funding again.

Mrs. Root asked that the district reverse cuts to programs like hers. She pointed out that she is now the only teacher for what used to be known as home economics and is forced to do a 30-week program in 16 weeks.

"I just want to make the board aware" of the problem, she said. "It's a good curriculum, but so much has been cut and I'm frustrated."

The board promised to look into the course, which should be taught over 30 weeks, according to the state.

Ms. Rodriguez requested a gifted education program for the junior high school to accompany the international baccalaureate one, which teaches college level courses, in the high school. Gifted education programs are more interactive and give talented students an opportunity to work on additional projects.

The board pointed out that the additional funds have to be used for specific purposes, as stipulated by the state. The district is focusing on five performance targets, to be instituted this academic year.

They are: reducing class size; increasing the amount of time spent on specific tasks through things like additional tutoring and instruction time; improving teacher and principal quality through professional conferences; restructuring middle and high schools via alternative education programs, and instituting a prekindergarten program.

One of the goals of the district is to get all students reading at grade level by second grade. It hopes to improve graduation rates by focusing on at-risk students, who can be identified as early as elementary school, said Judy O. Leary, director of curriculum. Mrs. Leary presented the spending plan to the board.

"Seeing money come back into the school is nice," Mrs. Root said.

In other news:

■ The district discovered it is not allotting enough time for elementary physical education, as mandated by the state. To fix the problem, Julie L. Reagan, board president, suggested the board get creative about how to restructure the day to insert the extra few minutes before it sends off a report about it to the state.

"We're doing well otherwise," she said. "It's just a matter of adding a few minutes per day."

■ The capital project continues on schedule. The Churchill Avenue approach to the high school and the parking lot behind the band wing will be closed in a week to create a staging area for construction. It will remain closed at least until the end of the construction in 2010.