Tags Posts tagged with "Three Village Central School District"

Three Village Central School District

File photo by Greg Catalano

After turning down last year’s budget, Three Village Central School District residents said “yes” to the 2022-23 budget of $224,060,618.

The votes were close with 2,584 approving the budget and 2,518 voting “no.”

The new budget is $3,798,183 more than last year’s contingency budget of $220,262,435, reflecting a 1.72% increase. The proposed tax levy is $164,954,877.

Four candidates vied for two seats in this year’s race. Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) did not run for reelection after serving on the board since 2008.

Incumbent Vincent Vizzo and his running mate Jennifer Solomon won with 2,715 and 2,650 votes, respectively. Reanna Fulton received 2,283 of the votes and Evan Proios 2,122.

For Vizzo, a 34-year veteran of the school district, it will be his second term on the board. He has been both a teacher and administrator in Three Village and a few years ago retired as principal of R.C. Murphy Jr. High School. As someone who has worked, lived in the district and also raised children in Three Village, he said he decided to run again because the community is “his life.”

In a May 18 email, Vizzo thanked community members for their support.

“I want their children to have the same excellent education that our children had in Three Village schools,” he said. “Once again ‘thank you,’ and I will work my hardest over the next three years.”

Jennifer Solomon

He added, “I am excited to be working with my dear former student and good friend Jen. She will be an asset to our board of education. A special thanks to Reanna and Evan for running for the board.” 

Solomon, a former graduate of Three Village schools, who is raising four children in the district, ran for the first time. She has worked as a bilingual speech language pathologist in the Riverhead Central School District and is now an administrator in the Riverhead district.

Solomon said she was relieved when she heard she won.

“Last night a majority of voters, not only in Three Village, but across Long Island, affirmed that our public schools belong to all of us,” she said. “Still, there is a lot of work to be done to demonstrate how equitable and inclusive practices support students’ learning outcomes and add value to our school district. I’m looking forward to serving the community, and I am ready to do the work.”

Trustee terms begin July 1 and are for three years.

North Shore residents stopped by their local polling places throughout the day May 17 to vote on school budgets and for board of education members.

Winning candidates are in bold.

This story will be updated as more results come in. Last updated May 18 at 11:33 a.m.

Commack Union Free School District

$ 214,645,326 budget passed

Yes – 2,392

No – 815

Proposition 2 to decrease transportation limits in grades 3 through 5 from ½ mile to a ¼ mile, passed

Yes – 2,376

No – 814

Candidates, two seats 

Steven Hartman – 2,277

Pauline Fidalgo – 877

Justin Varughese – 2,247

Christopher Jurkovic – 893

Comsewogue Union Free School District

The budget passed.

Yes – 998

No – 427

Robert DeStefano and Francisca Alabau-Blatter both elected for three-year terms. 

Cold Spring Harbor Central School District

$73,420,423 budget passed

Yes – 817

No – 276

Candidates, two seats

Amelia Walsh Brogan – 496

Alex Whelehan – 888

Bruce Sullivan – 648

Elwood Union Free School District

$69,181,071 budget passed

Yes – 804

No – 396

Candidates, one seat

Deborah Weiss – 965

Sean Camas – 183

Harborfields Central School District

$92,895,995 budget passed

Yes – 1,655

No – 353

Candidates, two seats

Hansen Lee – 1,490 votes

Colleen Wolcott – 1,530

David Balistreri – 603

Hauppauge Union Free School District

$123,913,904 budget passed

Yes – 639

No – 300

Candidates, three candidates

Rob Scarito – 624

Michael Buscarino -651

David Barshay- 617

Huntington Union Free School District

$142,968,343 budget passed

Yes – 834

No – 150

Candidates, two seats, incumbents unopposed

Bill Dwyer- 823

Michele Kustera- 838

Kings Park Central School District

$102.24 million budget passed

Yes – 2,229

No – 1,125

Candidates, two seats

Patrick Hanley – 1,879

Shala Pascucci – 1,737

Jaime Lelle – 1,529

Douglas Cerrato- 1,490.

Middle Country Central School District

The budget passed.

Yes – 2,036

No – 946

Robert Hallock – 1,500
Kristopher Oliva (Incumbent) – 1,452
Denise Haggerty (Incumbent) – 1,518
Leah Fitzpatrick – 1,440
Robert Feeney (Incumbent) – 1,513
Tifanny Lorusso – 1,434
Dawn Sharrock (Incumbent) – 1,481
Kimberly Crawford-Arbocus – 1,471

Miller Place School District

The budget passed. 

Yes – 1,394

No – 503

Proposition 2 (library budget) passed.

Yes – 1,590

No – 310

CORRECTION: It was originally misreported that Andrea Spaniolas received 628 votes. Spaniolas actually received 924 votes. 

Keith Frank – 830

Johanna Testa – 990

Andrea Spaniolas – 924

Jennifer Andersen-Oldenskov – 616

Kenneth Conway – 743

John Galligan – 625

Jenna Stingo – 782

Mount Sinai School District

 

Northport-East Northport Union Free School District

$177,856,084, budget passed

Yes – 2,285

 No- 1,674

 Proposition #2: Capital Expenditures: Passed

Candidates, three seats

Larry Licopoli – 2,528

Allison Noonan – 2,676

Thomas Loughran – 2,729

Frank Labate – 1,754

Port Jefferson School District

Budget passed: Yes – 642; No – 165
Proposition #2: Yes 673; No 130

Ellen Boehm – 550
Randi DeWitt – 563

Paul Ryan – 267

Rocky Point Union Free School District

Budget passed.

Yes – 1,017
No – 322

Proposition 2 – Capital Reserve
– 1,063 Yes
– 267 No

Susan Sullivan – 595 –  3yr term
Erin Walsh – 515 –  1yr term
Nick Contes – 514
Nicole Kelly – 485
Jason Ford – 221
Susan Wilson – 258

Shoreham-Wading River Central School District

Budget passed. 

Yes – 625

No – 167

Proposition #2

Yes – 652

No – 139

Tom Sheridan – 659

Meghan Tepfenhardt – 638

14 Write-in candidates received less than five votes each

Smithtown Central School District

$267,786,882 budget passed

Yes – 5,250

No – 2,241

Candidates, two seats

Michael Catalanotto – 4,582

Michael Saidens – 4,590

Charles Fisher – 3,201 votes

Angela Kouvel – 3,157.

Three Village Central School District

$224,060,618 budget passed

Yes – 2,584

No – 2,518

Candidates, two seats

Vincent Vizzo – 2,715

Jennifer Solomon – 2,650  

Reanna Fulton – 2,283

Evan Proios –2,122

 

Four candidates will vie for two seats in the Three Village Central School District Board of Education race, May 17.

District residents will also vote on a nearly $225 million budget for the 2022-23 academic year. The new budget is $3,798,183 more than last year’s contingency budget of $220,262,435, reflecting a 1.72% increase. The proposed tax levy is $164,954,877.

This year if the proposed budget is defeated, a contingency budget would be adopted and would be reduced by $2.95 million, creating a 0% tax levy. There will be no other propositions on the ballot.

Last year, although 57.7% of taxpayers voted in favor of a $222.6 million budget — 2,286-1,677 — it failed to pass. The proposed budget pierced the 1.37% cap on the tax levy increase, necessitating a supermajority approval, or 60% of the vote.

The district is poised to receive almost $49 million in state aid, a nearly 4% increase of $1.86 million.

Among cutbacks, the district projects that there will be a decrease of 8.6 full-time equivalent positions on the secondary level due to declining enrollment and class consolidation. Among the staffing reductions are the elimination of 4.5 FTE nurses in the wake of declining COVID-19 infection rates.

Candidate information

Four candidates will be vying for two at-large seats May 17. The Village Times Herald conducted phone interviews with incumbent Vinny Vizzo and newcomers Jennifer Solomon, Reanna Fulton and Evan Proios.

Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) will not be running for reelection after serving on the board since 2008.

Vinny Vizzo

Vizzo, a 34-year veteran of the school district, is running for the second time. Vizzo has been both a teacher and administrator in Three Village and a few years ago retired as principal of R.C. Murphy Jr. High School. As someone who has worked, lived in the district and also raised children in Three Village, he said he decided to run again because the community is “his life.”

With changes in the district, including the retirement of superintendent of schools, Cheryl Pedisich, Vizzo said it was important to run again.

“There are a lot of different things that are going to be put on the table, and I want to make sure, if I’m elected, that I’m going to keep what we need to keep and keep a good eye open for the kids in the community,” he said.

Vizzo called the Three Village school district programs “phenomenal” for all students.

“We offer an array of programs for our kids so they can take so many different courses, that they can flourish in many ways,” he said.

He would like to see a foreign language program in the elementary schools, something that he said is done in many districts. He would also like to see a home-based BOCES program.

Since he began his term in 2019, Vizzo has dealt with COVID-19 mandates and the requirement of the HPV vaccine to attend schools before the pandemic hit. He said he feels the board members usually are on the same page despite the challenges and criticism from some parents over the district following state COVID-19 mandates so as not to lose state aid.

He also feels that the board has done well in settling contracts and said they are mindful of saving residents money.

He applauds the new budget advisory committee which includes community members and would like to see it broadened in the future with administrators and teachers. He would also like to see more forums for residents where there can be an exchange instead of people submitting questions before a meeting and not being able to ask questions that they may think of after.

“They want to go back and forth,” he said. “I get it. They want to question the board and they want answers. They don’t want us to sit there mute.”

Jennifer Solomon

Solomon and Vizzo, her former Spanish teacher when in junior high school, are running mates. A graduate of Three Village schools, she is raising four children in the district and is running for the board for the first time. She has worked as a bilingual speech language pathologist in the Riverhead Central School District and is now an administrator in the Riverhead district.

“I am running because I’m a very strong believer in public education,” Solomon said. “I  want to make sure that every student has the opportunity to learn and grow and be prepared for life and to make the world a better place.”

She added sharing a range of perspectives and ideas can help children become more empathetic.

Solomon said she feels that her background as an administrator would be helpful on the board. Working in a district that has a high population of Spanish speakers and her experience as a speech pathologist helps her evaluate students to differentiate between learning disabilities and just needing to learn the English language and provide them with the proper programs they need.

“I’m very committed to making sure that every child has opportunities,” she said.

Solomon said she feels the district and community has done a solid job in supporting student’s mental health, but as a society there is a crisis for adolescents with them being addicted to screens and social media — and feeling isolated. Something that was exacerbated by the pandemic. She feels it’s important to prepare students by supporting their mental health needs before they can work on a rigorous challenging academic career.

She said she feels the community also shares a similar vision to her and described the district as “strong and wonderful.”

“I think that as a community, we, for the most part, share a common vision that we want our school district to continue as a stellar district, but I think that there are differences of opinion in terms of how we got there,” she said.

Reanna Fulton

Fulton is a familiar face in the Three Village community as post commander for the Veterans of Foreign War Post 3054 in Setauket. She is also junior vice commander of the Suffolk County VFW and soon-to-be senior vice commander. She served in the U.S. Navy and was on active duty during the 9/11 era.

Currently, she’s a supervisor of technology for a local school district, and she recently completed a doctoral program in leadership and organizational change.

With two children in the district, this is her first time running for board of ed, and she said she believes her various career and community experiences would be an asset.

“I just wanted to be helpful to the community with my experiences in schools as a teacher and administrator,” she said. “I thought maybe I could offer a perspective and really help to bridge the gap of what’s going on between the community and the district, and some of the differences of opinions and just the lack of conversation.”

She said she feels one of the issues is communication transparency.

“I think that people really need to understand and be able to share what they feel and get a response,” she said. “Sometimes communication is very one sided. So, people don’t trust when there’s no open dialogue.”

She said trust between the community and district has broken down a bit. She added budgets also need to be looked at closer and shouldn’t be “rubber stamped” too quickly.

“We want to be able to have that relationship where people will pass budgets because they trust that the district — and the board — has really overseen the process,” she said. “To say, this is what we’re purchasing, this is how we’re spending our money. And it’s OK, you can trust us that we’re doing what’s in your best interest. But it seems that trust between the community and the district especially is just broken down.”

She added that she would like to see the elementary STEM program be brought back to the district. Fulton said the earlier students start, the more likely they will pursue STEM-related careers.

Fulton’s running mate is Evan Proios.

Evan Proios

Proios has lived in the district for seven years and has a daughter in the district.

A professor and an IT administrator for Suffolk County Community College, he decided to run because he moved to the district due to its great reputation. He said he believes the district could even be better, especially when it comes to communication.

“I do think the connection between the district and the community is lacking,” he said, adding that many parents feel they aren’t heard regarding contentious issues.

“I think everyone wants what’s best for their kids, but I think we do a poor job of communicating everything,” he said. “I don’t think the community feels as involved as they should. I don’t think the parents feel as involved as they should.”

He said as someone who has been in academia for his entire career, sometimes tracking down district information is even difficult for him.

Proios said he understands that the district needed to follow state mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic because it would lose state aid if it didn’t, but he felt that wasn’t communicated to families correctly and therefore caused confusion. However, he was pleased that Three Village was able to return to in-person learning sooner than other districts.

“I really have to commend Three Village for staying open through this,” he said.

The candidate said he also feels when a large number of parents want to attend a board of ed meeting, it should be held in a larger space such as an auditorium instead of the board room. While it has been stated that it’s difficult due to technology issues, he said based on his experience at SCCC he believes a way can be found to accommodate everyone and any technology needed can be provided.

Proios said he believes in curriculum transparency but is not associated with the national movement. Regarding curriculum transparency, he said to him it “means I want to know everything my kid is learning,” adding that parents should be able to question teachers and be happy with the answers.

“Are we making sure that the parents are comfortable with what their kids are learning? I’m not saying burning books,” he added.

Voting information

Voters will be able to cast their ballots Tuesday, May 17, between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. at Ward Melville High School.

On March 30, 500 students and family members attended the Multi-Industry Career Exploration Fair at Ward Melville High School.

The event was organized by the Three Village Industry Advisory Board with tremendous ongoing support of Alan Baum, Three Village school district executive director for Human Resources and Secondary Curriculum, who along with 3V-IAB oversees the development and implementation of our programs.

As chair of 3V-IAB, I was thrilled to see a terrific turnout.

After the event, Ilene Littman, 3V-IAB co-chair and Ward Melville High School business teacher, and I were pleased to receive positive feedback from many who participated.

The advisory board has hosted the event for students in grades 7 through 12 for four consecutive years. After being held virtually last year, it was satisfying to see the career fair continue and take place in person, providing plenty of opportunities for students to interact with more than 80 businesses and organizations from various industries.

Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich called it a “valuable partnership” for students and community members.

“It was evident that this was a tremendous undertaking involving hours of time and effort,” she said. “However, what was most clear was the enthusiasm and passion that the two of you and your student leaders exemplified in executing the program.” 

The number of students who helped organize the event this year was impressive. The committee members and I appreciate the volunteers from Student Government, DECA and the Robotics Department, as well as members of the Business, Family and Consumer Science, and Guidance departments. They played a big part in the career fair’s success.

Kevin Scanlon, assistant superintendent for educational services, said it best after the fair: “The students’ organizational abilities rivaled any Fortune 500 company.”

One of the young people involved was 3V-IAB student liaison Savanna Pineros who said she felt this year’s career fair was a success.

“Many students were able to meet with a diverse array of businesses, representing a wide variety of fields,” she said. “Students were able to ask many questions and explore several career opportunities in a unique way.”

Grace Smrek, 3V-IAB student president for 2021-22, said, “Walking around this event, I could see our community coming together to support the students in discovering potential career paths. As the student president of this board, I am honored to have been a part of the most successful career fair yet.” 

Incoming 3V-IAB student president Justin Moore noted that this year’s career exploration fair “doubled any other career fair in the past, making it the largest one yet.” 

Since its inception, the 3V-IAB mission is to prepare teenagers for the careers of the future. Career exploration fairs have featured businesses from fields such as technology, finance, engineering, health care, hospitality, government and more. The advisory board feels it’s essential to educate students on all the opportunities available to them to prepare for their futures.

“By bringing together a wide spectrum of industries, we showed the innovators of tomorrow all of the varied opportunities that are possible for them,” said Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn.

Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich said, “I appreciate so many local professionals taking the time to help demonstrate the wide variety of options available to our students.”

One of those professionals, Vinny Menten, manager of Gabrielli Truck Sales and 3V-IAB board member, said the career exploration fair is “a huge value to students who are trying to make their way through life and gain the information necessary to make a good personal decision.”

Stan Abrahamsen, Chick-fil-A franchisee, said, “My two GMs really enjoyed all the interaction with the students as well as parents.”

I’m looking forward to the next 3V-IAB event, Money Talks, to be held May 25 during the school day. Colette Frey-Bitzas, director of financial planning for PPS Advisors, and Nicole Sarno, Webster Bank business managing director, will be heading up the presentation and interactive conversation with the students.

Frey-Bitzas describes Money Talks as the “secrets of success.” It’s not so much what you make but what you save.

“‘Save’ means so much more than what is put in the bank,” she said. “It’s understanding taxes and best places to put your money, so it works for you.”

There will be more to come next school year, and the board is looking forward to these events and planning them with the students. 

Michael Ardolino is the founder/owner-broker of Realty Connect USA.

by -
0 1132
The Three Village Central School District held a town hall Jan. 26. District administrators, including Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich, answered questions that had been submitted ahead of time. Screenshot from Three Village Central School District YouTube

By Andrea Paldy

In a departure from its normal meeting format, the Three Village Central School District held a town hall last Wednesday, Jan. 26, that gave the public an opportunity to ask administrators a broad spectrum of questions that included the budget and enrollment, COVID protocols, mental health support, DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) and school start times. 

The town hall, which was held in-person at the Ward Melville High School auditorium, also offered a virtual component. More than 100 viewers tuned into the two-hour-long YouTube livestream. District administrators answered questions that had been submitted ahead of time. 

Alan Baum, executive director for human resources and secondary curriculum, facilitated the town hall. While the district was open to various structures for future forums, Baum said the benefit of pre-submitted questions was that it ensured that answers given were “accurate, comprehensive and detailed.” Administrators, he said, had the benefit of being able to gather the necessary information. 

Concerns about the ongoing pandemic prompted an expected avalanche of questions about procedures, masking and vaccines and represented both the sentiments of parents who felt the district was being overly cautious, as well as those who believed it could do more. Questions about this dominant topic included whether the district had looked at studies related to the psychological and learning effects of masking and distancing on students, and whether the district would take legal action to end the mask mandate. Concerns were also raised about masking requirements not being enforced and why students and teachers were not mandated to take the vaccine.  

Executive director of student and community services Erin Connolly fielded many of these questions. She said the district would not take legal action against the mask mandate, and that due to the newness of masking and social distancing there have been no studies available about their long-term effects. She added that concern about possible effects is behind the district’s implementation of “extensive” SEL (social emotional learning) programs targeted at mitigating issues related to COVID-19.  

There has been no decision to mandate the vaccine for students, but if there were one, it would be made by New York State and not by the school district, administrators said. Teachers, on the other hand, are required to be either vaccinated or to test regularly, said Dawn Mason, executive director for pupil personnel services. She added that vaccination is a personal decision to be made with one’s doctor.  

Pandemic-related questions also included whether the district would go remote again or offer a remote learning option. Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich said the district would not offer a remote learning option, though it did offer livestreaming for secondary students and tutoring for elementary students during the omicron surge. The decision to go remote would be based on local infection rates and availability of teachers and staff. Such a decision would be made “with careful consultation with the board of education, with our administration and the department of health,” Pedisich said.  

“We view our schools to be the central pillar to the infrastructure of our community and, as such, schools are critical. They are essential to student learning, social and emotional and psychological growth, and so we feel very, very strongly about the importance of in-person learning, and we’ll do everything we can to keep our schools open, healthy and safe,” the superintendent said. 

Administrators also spoke about the district’s ongoing focus on student mental health, saying district programs focus on “the whole child” — academic, as well as their social, emotional and physical health and well-being.   

The district’s enrollment has seen a decline over the past 15 years. When asked to compare current enrollment and staffing — 5,651 students and 589 instructional staff members — to those of the 2012-13 school year — 7,307 students and a staff of 591 — it became clear that staffing levels, which include some “COVID hires,” are virtually the same at present, despite the almost-2,000 student decrease over the years.  

In addition to reduced class sizes and more electives, Jeff Carlson, deputy superintendent, said Three Village is providing more services to students and has added more social workers and psychologists to the staff over the years after having cut staffing down to 545 full time equivalents in 2013-14.

“Every school district has social workers and psychologists,” he said. “We have more than most. We’ve worked hard to build those numbers back up in staffing.”

Pedisich later said current enrollment numbers do not include the district’s prekindergarten students, which can range between 180 and 200 students. Though the district saw a decrease in the secondary populations, it is currently seeing a bump in elementary students by 105 students, which Pedisich attributed to changes in the housing market and families moving from the city because of the pandemic.  

Paul Gold, director of social studies and assistant principal of Ward Melville, answered questions about the district’s DEI committee, which he chairs. The district is not teaching critical race theory, widely known as CRT, which he said is taught in law schools and “has no place in K-12 schools.” Gold added that what the district does teach about race and racism is “through the lens of history” and that teaching “does not come with blame or shame. It comes with context and conversations about how over time so many Americans have worked to promote equity and equality for so many groups that have been historically marginalized.”

In addition to clarifying that equity and inclusion go beyond race to include gender, physical and intellectual ableism and sexuality, Gold responded to questions about funding for the district’s committee. The committee is populated by teacher, parent, staff and administrator volunteers who are not paid. He also explained that professional development is among the committee’s priorities and that one of its subcommittees is working on professional development opportunities for staff.

Questions were also asked about the district’s commitment to finding a way to implement a later start time for secondary students. Pedisich, who acknowledged the health benefits of a later start for students, said the board of education would have to discuss reinstatement of the late start time committee, which has been on hold since the pandemic.  

A recording of the forum, which also covered transportation, testing and school lunches, can be viewed on the Three Village Central School District YouTube page. 

This year as students returned to the classrooms full time, school officials are facing problems hiring enough faculty members.

Even before the pandemic, organizations such as New York State United Teachers, known as NYSUT, addressed the decline of people enrolling in the state’s teacher education programs. According to its website, enrollment has declined by more than 53% since 2009.

Gary Dabrusky, Three Village Central School District assistant superintendent for human resources, said the district “has experienced a shortage of teachers, which is reflective of regional and state trends.”

He said there has been a general decline in “the number of employees who have chosen to seek employment in the educational field. This includes areas such as tech, family and consumer science, global languages, substitute teachers, monitors, aides and food service workers.”

Smithtown Central School District is also experiencing shortages of certified and noncertified staff members, according to Neil Katz, assistant superintendent for personnel. In the Cold Spring Harbor district, Superintendent Jill Gierasch said her schools are also among the ones facing hiring issues. The superintendent said while they haven’t had major problems with their teaching staff, finding substitute teachers, special education and library aides has been a challenge for the district that has 1,700 students, which she added is small compared to others.

“We even increased the salaries to try to draw more folks for the first time,” she said.

Reaching out

Gierasch said while they have advertised in local publications, the district has also taken out ads in The New York Times “to try to spread our scope.”

Dabrusky said he “created a human resources Facebook page to help cast a wider net in an effort to reach a greater number of potential candidates.” The search has also led to the Three Village assistant superintendent revamping the human resources tab on the district’s website and using other sites such as the BOCES online application system, SchoolFront and Indeed.

In addition to online and social media, Katz said the Smithtown district also seeks “new and creative ideas on how to promote our vacancies in an effort to attract the most highly qualified candidates to join our staff.”

He added recommendations are also welcomed.

“While many online sources attract candidates, referrals from current staff are also very helpful,” he said. “The use of virtual interviews has also allowed us to meet with candidates from a farther distance more easily and to interview more candidates quicker in order to expedite our onboarding process.”

Solutions

Katz said the district has been utilizing all staff members.

“Many part-time aides are working double shifts and covering various positions as lunch monitors and classroom aides,” he said. “We have hired a number of full-time aides to provide the necessary support. Teachers are covering classes during their lunch and preparation periods. Other certified staff are providing coverage in classrooms, as necessary.”

Gierasch said the Cold Spring Harbor district has put together skeleton crews to ensure each space is covered. In the past, for example, when the school librarian would go to lunch an aide would cover the break. Now, the library is closed during the librarian’s lunch period.

The superintendent said they have also looked at the IEP [individualized education program] aides for students who need them to see if they require someone for all periods or just certain ones so they can adjust who the aides work with throughout the course of the day.

Dabrusky said Three Village has been resourceful in managing the shortage as he described student instruction and supervision to be of “paramount importance.”

“For example, in our elementary schools, every teacher volunteers for two coverage periods,” he said. “In the secondary schools, extra class coverage is offered to our teachers to cover a class during their lunch and preparation periods. In addition, we employ permanent substitute teaching staff, and human resources leadership has expended robust effort to recruit and maintain substitute teaching staff.”

Possible reasons

Gierasch said some of the faculty positions aren’t always high paying and many people take them for health insurance coverage. With COVID-19, she feels many are hesitant to take a position due to health concerns.

“I don’t think it’s just germane to school districts,” Gierasch said. “I think, in all industries, staffing is an issue.”

Dabrusky agrees that many may be reluctant to return to the field due to the health crisis.

Katz also pointed to the overall decline.

“It appears that fewer people are entering the profession and that has caused some difficulty with securing teachers in certain areas of certification,” he said. “The number of vacancies that are posted for school districts throughout NYS is much greater now than I’ve seen in years. There definitely seems to be a supply and demand issue.”

Hundreds of smiling faces filled the front lawn of Ward Melville High School as the Class of 2021 received their diplomas Sunday, June 27.

Valedictorian Chana Lyubich and salutatorian Allen Hu were among the speakers at the commencement event. Both said they were grateful that there was only one graduation ceremony this year. Last year, the high school held 11 separate socially distanced graduation ceremonies in July to comply with New York State COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines.

Lyubich and Hu thanked their teachers and administrators for helping students navigate the various challenges during the last two academic years. Lyubich said during the pandemic the graduates learned that plans can change in an instant, and “it’s OK to not know where the future will lead us.”

“Now it’s a good time for us to learn and explore because as we mature we not only learn more about the world, but also about ourselves,” she said. “And in the past year, a lot of national issues have been brought to the forefront of discussion, and we might be under the misconception that if you don’t follow a specific path, you won’t contribute to the solution. It can be seen in order to make an impact you need to make grand gestures and bring immediate change. In actuality, lasting change is often more gradual and is brought about through the actions of everyday people. All of us — regardless of our future careers and trajectories — can make the difference in the world through the small choices that we make.”

During the ceremony, Principal William Bernhard gave out two awards. John Woram was recognized for his bravery and courage in fighting cancer. Connor Hughes received a perfect attendance award for all 13 years of school.

After the graduates received their degrees, as the bells rang from the school’s tower, they threw their caps in the air.

by -
0 1101
Ward Melville High School. Photo by Greg Catalano

By Kimberly Brown

At Three Village school district’s board of education meeting Tuesday, one of the agenda items was the Anti-Racism and Social Justice Task Force formed to address diversity, equity and inclusion.

The responsibility of the task force is to work with students, staff and the community to educate, work collaboratively and understand the importance of why a social justice task force, such as their own, is essential.

“Our job in this committee is to recognize our children that walk into our buildings every day and perceive themselves to be not part of the makeup of what could be — and is — a beautiful Three Village school,” said Paul Gold, director of social studies and committee chairperson.

According to Gold, the long-term goal of the task force is to make every child feel included, no matter their race, ethnicity, religion, academic ability, gender or sexuality.

Some parents, as in other school districts, are concerned that the task force applies critical race theory. The academic movement has been criticized for creating divisiveness.

Another concern is that the task force would eventually be consumed by special interest groups.

“I was told there was no CRT in our school district, yet we are hiding it as DEI,” parent Tara Geruso said. “Make no mistake, when you click on the [Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion] link on the Three Village homepage, the resources are all from those who support CRT.”

Several parents such as Shoshana Hershkowitz, who is also a member of the task force, praised Gold for creating “an authentic space” for children to express themselves, as the intention of the task force is to collaborate as a community.

“I have never heard of critical race theory until a few months ago, and I had to Google it as I imagine many people did,” Hershkowitz said. “When I went down that rabbit hole, it never led me to educational websites, it led me to legal ones. So, I want to make the point that this is not a mainstream educational issue.”

Hershkowitz added the CRT debate is a distraction from the real issues that need to be discussed in the district, especially since Long Island is among the top 15 most segregated areas in the country, according to her.

Despite the differences, the parents, task force and board of education plan to work collaboratively to resolve any further issues.

by -
0 1090
Stock photo

In the Three Village school district, the $222.6 million budget did not pass a second time with a larger turnout.

On June 14, a district official said 2,027 voted in favor of the budget, while 3,211 rejected it.

Back in May, the budget did not pass (yes – 2,286, no – 1,677) as 60% approval was needed to approve the budget that pierced the 1.37% cap with a proposed tax levy increase of 1.85%.

The second rejection of the budget means the district now goes to a contingency budget and there will be no increase to the tax levy.

In a statement, Three Village school district officials said,  “While disappointed in the defeat of the proposed budget, the district respects the voice of the community and the voter response received at the polls. In the coming days, the district will finalize a plan for our contingency budget that has the least impact on student programs and services.”

During an interview with The Village Times Herald in May, Jeff Carlson, deputy superintendent for business services, said if the budget failed it would mean a shortfall of about $3 million and that major construction or improvements to district property would not take place. He also said during the interview that it would not be disastrous and the district would “make it as painless as possible for the kids.” He also said the district would then use all of the federal money for the coming year. The district is receiving $1.85 million in federal aid, which is earmarked for COVID-related expenses.

 

by -
0 1155
Stock photo

The Three Village Central School District Board of Education will put its rejected budget up for a second vote. At its May 25 meeting, the board elected to resubmit the failed budget unaltered for taxpayers’ approval. 

“Since this is what the majority supported, this is what we should put forward,” said Jeff Carlson, deputy superintendent for business services, during a phone interview last week. 

Although 57.7% of taxpayers voted in favor of the $222.6 million budget — 2,286-1,677 — it failed to pass. That was because the proposed budget pierced the 1.37% cap on the tax levy increase, necessitating a supermajority approval, or 60% of the vote, to pass.

The failed budget has a tax levy increase of 1.85%, which officials say would bring in an additional $777,000 in revenue and represents a tax levy difference of $58 per year for the average taxpayer.   

“We want to get back on track” and position the district for long-term financial stability, Carlson said of the decision to pierce the cap.  

After spending close to $7 million from district reserves to enable a full reopening last September, the district needs to start paying itself back. It has budgeted about $800,000 to do so in the coming year.

Carlson added that the district needs to have flexibility in its budget in case there is a resurgence of COVID-19 in the fall. After a year of having schools open to all students every day, “we don’t want to go backward,” he said.   

The district is receiving $1.85 million in federal aid, which is earmarked for COVID-related expenses. While some districts received much larger allocations and must spread out their spending, Three Village does not have such restrictions, Carlson said. District officials would like to use the money over the next two years. Carlson explained that a one-time use would create a gap in the budget that would then need to be filled in the following year.

If the budget fails again, there will be no increase to the tax levy. That would mean a shortfall of about $3 million and that major construction or improvements to district property would not take place. Carlson said during the interview that it would not be disastrous, and the district would “make it as painless as possible for the kids.” He also said the district would then use all of the federal money for the coming year. 

Cuts would likely be made to some electives, and class sizes might increase on a district level, Carlson said. He added that funds budgeted for capital projects, which under a passed budget could only be used for building repairs and other maintenance and improvements, could be shifted to other areas of the budget. 

“Our buildings are in good shape,” he said, and it would be better to put capital projects on hold for a year rather than adversely impact academic programs.

The budget hearing was due to be held Wednesday, June 2. The revote will take place, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday, June 15, at Ward Melville High School located at 380 Old Town Road. The vote will take place in one location to make it easier for community members to know  where to go, Carlson said.