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The science, technology, engineering and math program, in which students work with Stony Brook University professors to further their education, will return to the district. File photo

Students in the Mount Sinai and Port Jefferson school districts will keep taking their talents to the next level.

Thanks to state Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) securing more funding, the joint science, technology, engineering and math program will be staying around for another year.

LaValle got $25,000 for each district to continue its partnership with professors at Stony Brook University to further the students’ learning and better prepare them for the future.

“I think the world today and the jobs today are in the STEM areas,” he said. “So we want to make sure that they have a good running start so that they can, when they apply to college, have an easy transition.”

Port Jefferson superintendent, Ken Bossert, said he’s happy the senator has been a strong supporter of the program, and said that so far the partnership with the schools has gone seamlessly.

“I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for our students,” he said. “The program has been extremely well received and well attended. There’s been a good deal of collaboration and a good deal of learning is taking place. It’s given by Stony Brook professors and they use equipment in the labs and are exposed to higher levels of learning that we can’t replicate on the high school level.”

The Mount Sinai superintendent, Gordon Brosdal, said after meeting with the senator to discuss the future of the program, he found out that his district and Bossert’s would be able to receive the same amount of funding they’ve received the last three years, to be able to maintain it.

“I would like to praise Sen. LaValle for being on the ground floor of this program, encouraging and supporting those partnerships like the Mount Sinai-Port Jeff STEM project,” he said. “We’ll keep up the partnership. It’s very positive and he is very supportive.”

LaValle said he likes the enthusiasm for the program in both school districts.

“There’s interest — that’s why we’re going to continue it,” he said. “It’s popular with the administrators and, most importantly, with the students and their parents.”

Bossert appreciates the senator’s support.

“Without the grant money that Sen. LaValle has made available for us, we would’ve had a difficult time initiating any program like this,” he said. “I think it’s something that has gone very, very well and has the opportunity for even further growth, so I’m hoping that the positive trajectory continues.”

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Superintendent James Grossane file photo

Smithtown high school students may soon be collectively rejoicing everywhere.

A committee assembled in 2015 to examine the pros and cons of moving back the start of the school day for ninth-  through 12th-grade students provided an update to the board of education, district administration and the community on their findings at a meeting Tuesday.

The School Start Times Steering Committee is comprised of district administrators, parents, students and teachers. District Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Jennifer Bradshaw led the discussion Tuesday. Bradshaw said the committee watched a New York State School Boards Association webinar about the Glen Falls City School District’s shift to a later start time a few years ago and the drastically positive impacts it has had on student behavior. They also consulted with the district’s athletic director, guidance counselors, parents and principals from other schools who have made the change for their input on the impact of a later start time.

“We have an obligation to look at this for our students,” Bradshaw said. Currently Smithtown’s high schools start first period at 7:20 a.m. “Physiologically, biologically they’re not ready to learn.”

Bradshaw quoted a recent press release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that indicated two out of three high school students in the United States don’t get enough sleep.

Joanne Romanelli, a parent in the district who is on the start time committee and also works as a certified holistic health and wellness coach addressed the board during Tuesday’s meeting. She said that forcing teens to wake up as early as 6 a.m. creates a vicious cycle of stress, out-of-whack hormones and distorted sleeping patterns because their bodies cannot physically fall asleep before about 11:30 p.m.

“If you’re getting up earlier you’re feeling stress, you’re feeling tired, you’re not doing so well in school, you might be depressed or you have low serotonin,” Romanelli said. “There is more depression so now you’re feeling more stress. You’re having raised cortisol throughout the day. Raised cortisol makes you feel energized, it doesn’t make you feel sleepy. So now, you can’t go to sleep. So it causes more stress. It just cycles … A later start time is what’s best and it’s healthier for the students.”

School board members Louis Liguori and Joanne McEnroy said they’d like to see these updates fast-tracked from suggestions to a proposal and eventually a change because they’ve seen firsthand how difficult getting their teenagers out of bed really is.

“We pretty much have covered the gamut on all levels of educating children right down to nutritional changes that we have going on and [on a county and state level they’re] just not talking about, on a higher level, sleep deprivation or sleep patterns of our students,” Liguori said. “Who are we catering to? We’re not catering to the students at all by getting them up at 6 [a.m.].”

Some issues with pushing back the start of the high school day would include transportation, co-curricular athletics start times and changes to before and after care for elementary students if their times were affected.

Board member Jeremy Thode expressed concerns that if the high school day started later, kids would simply go to bed later and the problem would be shifted backward rather than alleviated.

“My concern as a parent and from an educational point of view is that we have some fool’s gold here in thinking they’re going to stay going to bed at 11 [p.m.] and now waking up at 9 [a.m.] or get up at 8 [a.m.], now they can stay up until 12 [a.m.], because kids are kids,” Thode said. “In an ideal world I think we’re talking about the right subject but there are some unintended consequences.”

Thode suggested that a next step could be to examine lateness patterns and grades for first and second period classes compared to the rest of the day for Smithtown high school students.

Bradshaw added she has been in contact with an organization called Start School Later Long Island, NY and that the best course of action may be for this to become a county or statewide discussion going forward. More discussion is likely to occur until the budget is adopted for the 2017-18 school year next spring.

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A scene from Friday’s Stony Brook University commencement ceremony at LaValle Stadium. Photo by Greg Catalano
Students graduating from Stony Brook University this year decorated their caps. Photo by Greg Catalano
Students graduating from Stony Brook University this year decorated their caps. Photo by Greg Catalano

Thousands of degrees were doled out on Friday as Stony Brook University said congratulations to the Seawolves’ class of 2016.

A total of 6,570 graduates made their final march into their futures at LaValle Stadium, marking the university’s 56th commencement ceremony, on May 20. University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. also conferred honorary degrees onto Eric H. Holder Jr., the 82nd attorney general of the United States, and Soledad O’Brien, an American broadcast journalist.

The university granted honorary degrees to Eric Holder and Soledad O’Brien (pictured with SBU President Samuel L. Stanley Jr.). Photo by Greg Catalano
The university granted honorary degrees to Eric Holder and Soledad O’Brien (pictured with SBU President Samuel L. Stanley Jr.). Photo by Greg Catalano

“This is a remarkable distinction for the class of 2016, to be joined by individuals who personify what Stony Brook embraces — the relentless pursuit of excellence and commitment to make a real difference,” Stanley said. “Eric Holder embodies the progress and values of our country through his strong leadership and legacy of justice and fortitude. Soledad O’Brien exemplifies the vision of our university as she is actively engaged in the critical issues of our time — initiating and exploring important national conversations.”

Graduates represented 41 states and 67 countries, and students ranged in age from 20 to 73 years old.

Students and their families packed out the stadium on Friday as the sun shone on them. Various elected officials and university administrators were also in attendance.

A scene from Friday’s Stony Brook University commencement ceremony at LaValle Stadium. Photo by Greg Catalano
A scene from Friday’s Stony Brook University commencement ceremony at LaValle Stadium. Photo by Greg Catalano

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By Victoria Espinoza

In the Northport-East Northport school district, change is coming.

Residents approved a $161 million budget on Tuesday night with 2,568 votes in favor to 687 against, ousted an incumbent from the school board and reduced the number of board of education members from nine to seven. The district clerk’s office said the latter change will go into effect next year. Trustees Regina Pisacani, Donna McNaughton and Jennifer Thompson will all be up for re-election next year, but only one of their three seats will be open.

Shawne Albero, left, hugs Allison Noonan after results are announced. Residents voted in Noonan but not Albero. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Shawne Albero, left, hugs Allison Noonan after results are announced. Residents voted in Noonan but not Albero. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

Northport’s budget stayed within the 0.55 percent tax levy cap, and a separate proposition for $2 million in capital improvements, which was approved with 2,848 to 390 votes, will include many athletic facility upgrades for the coming year, including a new gym ceiling and field repairs.

Board President Andrew Rapiejko did not support the reduction in board members.

“It was not a board-supported proposition,” he said. “I think nine members is more representation. It’s a very large district and if you look at even right now, we just have one board member who’s from East Northport out of nine people.”

Armand D’Accordo, a member of the United Taxpayers of Northport-East Northport, the group that introduced the idea for a smaller board, said he was pleased with the results.

“Clearly the nine-person board was not getting the job done,” he said. “Now we have an opportunity to break up the majority of incumbents that have been on the board for too long and get more independent and objective members. Most importantly, fewer members will provide more effective governance over the district and improve academic outcomes.”

Rapiejko and Trustee Lori McCue were both voted in for another term with 1,984 votes and 1,560 votes, respectively.

“I’m very grateful for the people who came out and supported me,” McCue said. She looks forward to finishing an energy performance contract with the district that aims to make it more energy-efficient.

Northport resident Allison Noonan came in first for the night, with 2,039 votes, and said she felt grateful and humbled by the results, and is excited to add a fresh voice and a fresh perspective to the board.

Incumbent Julia Binger came in fourth 1,543 votes and Shawne Albero collected 1,410 votes, so both fell shy in their bids for the board.

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Superintendent Diana Todaro and Assistant Superintendent Francesco Ianni were both delighted the budget passed. File photo

Tuesday night was a success for school districts in the Huntington area, with all budgets approved, including Harborfields’ cap-piercing $82.8 million budget.

Throughout budget season, Assistant Superintendent for Administration and Human Resources Franceso Ianni had presented the board with several options for the 2016-17 budget. Some stayed within the 0.37 percent state–mandated tax levy cap, but did not offer programs the community had been asking for, like full-day kindergarten. Others included such programs but went above and beyond the cap. After much debate, the board adopted a nearly $83 million budget with a cap-busting 1.52 percent increase to the tax levy.

Among the costs in the budget are $600,000 for full-day kindergarten, $70,000 for a BOCES cultural arts program, $52,000 for a third-grade orchestra program and $120,000 for an additional special education teacher and two teaching assistants.

Harborfields residents have been vocal about wanting full-day kindergarten on the budget and one group, Fair Start: Harborfields Residents for Full-Day Kindergarten, traveled to Albany to seek help from state legislators on making it possible.

Rachael Risinger, a member of Fair Start, said she and the organization are elated to see a budget pass with full-day kindergarten on the menu.

“We are extremely thankful the Harborfields community came together to pass this year’s school budget,” she said in an email. “Kindergarten orientation was this week and we’ve heard from so many parents how excited their young kids are to go to full-day kindergarten starting in September. Now they will have the same fair start as every kindergarten student on Long Island.”

The district needed a 60 percent supermajority to override the cap in its budget, and with 2,099 votes in favor and 1,017 votes against, the supermajority was achieved.

Superintendent Diana Todaro said she is pleased with the outcome.

“It’s a budget that supports and meets the needs of all of our children, from kindergarten through the high school,” she said. “We just want to thank our community, parents, staff members and especially the board of education who supported us throughout this entire process.”

Ianni, who will be taking over for Todaro in 2017 as superintendent, said he is excited to work with the programs in this budget next year. “I’m very exited and pleased for the students and the community, [for] all the programs that we’re going to have,” he said. “I’m really excited [to go] into the new school year as the new superintendent in January, [with] these kinds of programs in place.”

Incumbent Hansen Lee and newcomer Colleen Wolcott were also voted in as school board members for the upcoming year, with 1,569 and 1,301 votes, respectively.

“I am extremely excited about the passing of this historic budget, and how the community came together for all of our kids,” Lee said. “[And] I am excited about my second term and [am] looking forward to more exciting things to come at Harborfields.”

Wolcott said she is eager to get started.

“I’m very excited to serve my community more than I have already been doing,” she said. “It is my honor. I’m excited to have a voice on the board of education and to work collaboratively with the district to make it better than it already is.”

Challengers Chris Kelly (1,001 votes), Marge Acosta (992 votes) and Joseph Savaglio (571 votes) fell short in their own bids.

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Tuesday night was a good one for school boards across New York State, as residents cast their ballots overwhelmingly in favor of district budgets.

According to the New York State School Boards Association, almost all of the school districts that had adopted budgets within their state-mandated caps on how much they could increase their tax levy had their voters stand behind those budgets. For those who pierced the cap, almost 78 percent of those budgets were approved — still a much larger approval rate than in previous years for such budgets. The approval rate for cap-busting budgets last year was about 61 percent.

“School districts managed to put together spending plans that in some cases restored educational programs and services, thanks to a large infusion of state aid,” NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer said in a statement, referring to an increase in aid included in the state’s own budget that legislators recently approved. “The question is, will the state be able to sustain that commitment going forward?”

Here’s how school districts on the North Shore of Suffolk County fared:

Cold Spring Harbor
Residents approved the budget, 527 to 132, and a Proposition 2 regarding a capital reserve fund, 520 to 132. Vice President Amelia Walsh Brogan and Lizabeth Squicciarni, a member of the Citizen Faculty Association, a parent-teacher association at the CSH Junior/Senior High School, were elected to the school board with 469 and 455 votes, respectively. Lloyd Harbor resident George Schwertl fell short with 313 votes.

Commack
Commack voters approved the budget, with 1,837 to 536 votes. Hartman won with 1,703 votes while Verity received 1,167 votes to beat out challenger Hermer, who had 916.

Comsewogue
The Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association reports that the two incumbents who were running unopposed for re-election, Rob DeStefano and Francisca Alabau-Blatter, were returned to the school board with 895 and 785 votes, respectively. The district’s cap-compliant $87.2 million budget passed with more than 80 percent voter approval, with 828 votes in favor to 194 against.

Harborfields
Harborfields voters approved a cap-piercing $82.8 million budget at the polls tonight, the only one on the North Shore, 2,099 to 1,017. Incumbent Hansen Lee and Colleen Wolcott were elected to the board of education with 1,569 and 1,301 votes, respectively. Challengers Chris Kelly (1,001 votes), Marge Acosta (992 votes) and Joseph Savaglio (571 votes) fell short in their own bids.

Hauppauge
The $108 million budget passed, 1,066 to 363. A Proposition 2 regarding a capital reserve fund passed as well, 1,050 to 361. Rob Scarito, Gary Fortmeyer and David Barshay were all elected to the school board with 1,053 votes, 1,050 votes and 1,006 votes, respectively.

Huntington
According to results posted on the school district’s website, the community approved both a $123.1 million budget and a proposition to use almost $2.5 million of the district’s building improvement fund, or capital reserve, to update eight Huntington schools and make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Incumbents Bari Fehrs and Bill Dwyer were re-elected to the school board, while challenger Carmen Kasper fell short in her bid for one of the two seats.
Kasper said, “I am sorry to say I lost, but my desire to be involved with the schools and students has not been lost. There is always next time. I congratulate the two incumbents; I wish them the best.  We all work for the same cause: to improve education for our students.”
Dwyer said he looked forward to “continuing to work with the board and administration to expand our educational programs in a fiscally responsible manner.”
For her part, Fehrs noted the margin of approval: “I believe it shows a trust from the community that they are very supportive of our district and are confident in the way administration and the board of education are managing the education for the students in the district.”

Kings Park
Voters passed the budget, 1,544 to 615, and Prop 2, regarding vehicles, 1,603 to 544. Pam DeFord was re-elected with 1,629 votes, Dan Tew elected with 1,522 votes. Francis Braun and Juan Pablo Andrade fell short of their bids, with 554 and 293 votes, respectively.

Middle Country
Voters approved the budget with 1,924 votes in favor and 337 against. The elected school board trustees were Robert Feeney, Dawn Sharrock and Kristopher Oliva.

Miller Place
The community passed the budget, 1,064 to 236, and a Proposition 2 regarding the library, 1,153 to 141. Two school board trustees were elected, Johanna Testa (876 votes) and Noelle Dunlop (737 votes). Candidates Michael Unger and Michael Manspeizer fell short of board seats with 533 and 198 votes, respectively.

Mount Sinai
Residents approved the budget, 1,150 to 275.  On proposition 2, it passed with 1,266 votes in favor and 159 against. Lynn Jordan was re-elected to the school board with 726 votes, while Kerri Anderson won a seat with 733 votes.
“It shows that people have been satisfied with what I’ve been doing,” Jordan said. “It’s a true honor to serve and I love the work.”
Anderson said: “With my personal background in education and as a teacher, I’m hoping to bring some of my experience to help with Mount Sinai schools and things that we can maybe do differently to make it better.”
But Superintendent Gordon Brosdal was not as enthused: “I’m not so pleased with the turnout since we have 9,500 registered voters and annually we bring around 1,500 and we’re even a little below that. That’s a little disappointing when you have five good people running for the board.”

Northport-East Northport
Voters approved a $161 million budget (2,568 to 687 votes), a proposition on $2 million in capital improvements (2,848 to 390 votes), and a proposition reducing the amount of board members from nine to seven (1,881 to 1,294 votes). Allison Noonan (2,039 votes), Andrew Rapiejko (1,984 votes) and Lori McCue (1,560 votes) were elected to the school board while Julia Binger and Shawne Albero fell short of seats with 1,543 and 1,410 votes, respectively.

Port Jefferson
Incumbents Kathleen Brennan and Ellen Boehm ran unopposed for their third terms and were re-elected with 348 and 347 votes, respectively. Residents also approved a cap-compliant $41.4 million budget with 353 votes in favor and just 55 vote against.

Rocky Point
The school district proposed a $80.6 million budget that residents approved, 720-322, and a proposition on capital projects that was approved, 654-387. Susan Y. Sullivan was elected to the board of education with 823 votes.

Shoreham-Wading River
The school budget passed 855-545, according to results posted on the district website. Kimberly Roff and Michael Lewis were elected to the board of education with 957 and 792 votes, respectively. Richard Pluschau fell short, with 621 votes.

Smithtown
The $236 million budget passed 2,665 to 921.
Challenger Daniel Lynch defeated incumbent Theresa Knox with 2,171 votes to her 1,197, while Michael Saidens won the second available seat with 1,870 votes, compared to challengers Robert Foster (734 votes) and Robert Montana (657 votes).

Three Village
Voters approved a $198.8 million budget (2,603 to 997) and a Proposition 2 on transportation (2,154 to 1,404). Incumbent Jonathan Kornreich and Angelique Ragolia were elected with 2,401 votes and 2,379 votes, respectively. Andrea Fusco-Winslow missed her target, with just 1,314 votes.

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Stony Brook University has changed its class policy during the coronavirus outbreak. File photo

Stony Brook University is steps ahead of the nation on its public restroom policies.

Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama required all public schools to provide restroom facilities for all students, including those who identify as transgender. But at Stony Brook, plans are already in place to accommodate students of any identification, making it the first school in the SUNY system to offer up all-gender restrooms and changing rooms.

Timothy Ecklund, dean of students at SBU, said the university introduced a draft diversity plan in December in an attempt to attack persistent issues of inequality affecting society as a whole. In an interview, he said the university’s plan to address gender and inequality, specifically pertaining to the transgender community, included requiring all new and renovated buildings on campus to have all-gender restrooms included in construction plans and installing at least one all-gender restroom in each existing campus building.

“As long as we have transgender people at our university, our perspective is they’re a member of our community and we need to support them,” he said.

Ecklund said Stony Brook University has a total of 24 all-gender restrooms, including three recently reassigned restrooms in its Student Activities Center building, which have multi-stall facilities.

“When we changed our restrooms to all-gender in the Student Activities Center, the feedback from our students was overwhelmingly supportive and positive,” he said. “I spend a lot of time on campus and I see students in and out of the restrooms there without any hesitation. It’s not an issue, for our students, at least.”

As for the students’ perspective, sophomore Sydney Gaglio, president of the campus’ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance, said the all-gender restroom discussion was long overdue, as it has always been a primary concern of her group.

“We are of course super excited about the all-gender restrooms on campus and it is definitely a point of pride on our campus,” she said in an interview. “As students, there has been some concern mentioned in that when it comes to social media sites like Yik Yak, where things are anonymous, commentary on the all-gender restroom policy on campus can get extremely transphobic, hurtful and invalidating. So there is concern for student health because of social stigma but, all in all, the conversation from members of LGBTA centers on excitement and validation.”

The issue has become a hot topic across the North Shore and greater United States. Last month, Port Jefferson school board members approved a policy for how district officials should interact with and accommodate transgender students, including on the way those students are referenced in school records and what bathroom and locker room facilities they can use. Other school districts on the North Shore have also tried to make rules for transgender students in recent years, but faced backlash from the community.

“Gender-specific restrooms still exist and if you feel more comfortable in those spaces, then that is okay,” Gaglio said. “But things like going to the restroom are personal things; let people do their business in peace and you do yours in peace and everyone will be happy. Allow people to occupy the space in which they feel comfortable in.”

But the university’s support for all of its students does not stop at the label on a bathroom door, the dean said.

Ecklund said the university is home to a number of transgender students, and the school is taking strides to accommodate them and be sensitive to their preferences.

“We are working now as a university at providing the opportunity for our transgender students to change their names,” he said. “We’re trying to make sure the places at which their names are present — especially on a daily basis — they’re able to use the name they prefer or the name that they have taken.”

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Assistant principal Tim Russo smiles at the board of education meeting before his appointment as principal is announced. Photo by Alex Petroski

The Tornadoes have a new leader.

Assistant Principal Tim Russo was appointed principal of Harborfields High School Tuesday night at a board of education meeting.

Russo has been a part of the district for 15 years now, holding several roles over that time as an athletic coach, social studies teacher, student manager, and assistant principal.

“I think my experience in the district, being here so long, gave me an understanding of the culture of the district and the school itself,” Russo said of why he thinks he makes a good fit for the job.

Russo said he’s enjoyed his time at Harborfields and he feels like his time spent there has been an ideal scenario.

“This is the first district I ever worked in, and I couldn’t really see myself ever leaving the district,” he said. “I’m just so happy here. And this is a perfect fit for me; it felt like everything kind of aligned. You’re in the spot that you’d love to be, you get the opportunity to move forward professionally and continue to work still with all of your closest friends and colleagues.”

Current Principal Dr. Rory J. Manning is leaving the position to take over for Francesco Ianni as assistant superintendent for administration and human resources next year. And Ianni is leaving his post to become superintendent of the district, as it was announced earlier this year that Diana Todaro would be retiring in 2017.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Mr. Russo these past years in his roles as teacher, student manager and assistant principal,” Todaro said in a letter to the district. “I wish Mr. Russo much success in his new role and I am extremely confident that he will lead the high school through many new initiatives, in addition to ensuring the high standards of excellence.”

Ianni has been working with Russo for years, originally when Ianni was an assistant principal at the high school and Russo only just a social studies teacher there.

“He’s a great guy with an outstanding personality that works well with kids and the faculty,” Ianni said in a phone interview. “He’s been a great teacher, and coach, and in all of the communities here, he is very well respected. It’s always difficult to bring a great school to next level, but he has the ingredients to be successful and to provide students with the necessary support to go to the next level.”

Russo said is he up to the challenge of bringing the high school to that next level.

“I’ve been given the opportunity to take the school from being outstanding to maybe just a little bit more outstanding,” he said. “I want to be a guide, to lead the faculty and let them understand that we’re confident in everything we do in the buing and we just want to continue to do the right thing for the kids and make sure we continue to be great.”

Alex Petroski contributed reporting.

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By Alex Petroski

Election night for the Smithtown board of education is approaching quickly.

The Suffolk Region PTA introduced Smithtown residents to five board of education candidates at the district’s Meet the Candidates night Wednesday, May 4, at the district headquarters on New York Avenue.

The terms of Smithtown school board trustees Theresa Knox and Louis Liguori conclude this year. Knox, who served on the board from 2000 to 2006 then again from 2007 to the present, will run for another term; Liguori was first elected in 2006 and will not seek a fourth term.

Michael Saidens photo by Alex Petroski
Michael Saidens photo by Alex Petroski

Elementary school principal Michael Saidens with director of finance of a Fortune 500-associated company, Robert Montana, and retired resident and active school community member Robert Foster will run for Liguori’s seat. Carpenter and father of four Accompsett Elementary students, Daniel Lynch, will challenge Knox.

During last week’s event, the candidates were allotted a three-minute opening statement, two-minute closing statement and one-minute responses to several questions provided by audience members.

Knox has been a Smithtown resident since 1987. Her three children attended Smithtown schools. She attended Stony Brook University and later worked for Citibank on Wall Street. She served as the PTA president at Nesconset Elementary School in 1990 and held a similar position in Smithtown High School in 1998. She said as a board member she’s served on every board of education committee possible, and has focused on college scholarships during her time on the board.

“College scholarship has become a mission,” Knox said May 4. “Any of you who know me for more than 20 minutes know that is my mission.”

Theresa Knox photo by Alex Petroski
Theresa Knox photo by Alex Petroski

Knox voted for the closure of Branch Brook Elementary School earlier in 2016, though she called it one of the hardest decisions she’s ever had to make. Knox explained why she’s running again, despite the fact that her friends think she’s crazy, she said.

“I think it’s the best place for me to use my talents to make a positive impact on the community,” Knox said.

Knox’s competitor, Lynch, said he is a lifelong resident of Smithtown. He grew up in Nesconset and attended multiple Smithtown schools, including High School West. He said after he graduated high school he put his passion for construction and talent working with his hands toward a career building homes for several different companies. Today he holds a leadership role with the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters union. He and his wife rented their first apartment in St. James, though they now live with their four sons in Smithtown.

“I want to be involved and address the issues that face my children today and all of your children as well,” he said about his reasons for running. “I offer perspective and an open mind, and I understand that I may be the new kid on the block but if elected I will absolutely commit to understanding and addressing all of these issues.”

Robert Foster photo by Alex Petroski
Robert Foster photo by Alex Petroski

Foster has lived in Smithtown for 27 years. His two children also attended Smithtown schools and have gone on to successful business careers after college, he said. Foster attended the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University, and then went on to the military after graduation. He spent a long career in marketing and sales and has since retired. He was a member of the last housing committee conducted in 2015, which ultimately provided data used in the decision to close Branch Brook. He has been an adviser to robotics teams in the district and has attended school board meetings for the past seven years.

“By not having children in the district, I really care about all 9,000 students,” Foster said. “They need a quality education. A quality education can only come from a district that is in balance financially. Unfortunately this district is starting to get unbalanced.”

Foster said a lack of too many other obligations, like a job or a family to raise, makes him an ideal candidate.

“I have time to spend on what is a very complicated job being on the school board,” he said.

Robert Montana photo by Alex Petroski
Robert Montana photo by Alex Petroski

Montana also grew up in Smithtown. He currently has two children in the district, including one at Branch Brook. He is currently a financial analyst at Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services, where he is responsible for budgeting and financial planning. Montana said his business background would serve him well during Smithtown’s tough financial times which might lie ahead.

“I think that experience will be an asset to the board and to the school district,” he said. “My main issue is the declining enrollment. It definitely directly affects my family because we are Branch Brook people so we’re facing a school closing in the next year. I just want to be a part of the decision-making process.”

Montana and Foster both suggested that the school board going forward looks for a way to reduce contracted commitments to teachers in the district, which is an expense that accounts for the vast majority of the district’s budget.

Daniel Lynch photo by Alex Petroski
Daniel Lynch photo by Alex Petroski

Saidens is currently the principal at Tamarac Elementary School in the Sachem School District. Sachem is encountering a financial crisis of their own, with multiple schools set to close in the coming years. Saidens, the Smithtown resident who also taught elementary school in the district and sends his 6-year-old son to Tackan Elementary School, said his perspective witnessing the financial stress in Sachem could be helpful for Smithtown. He has a business management degree from Clemson University to go along with his education background.

“The No. 1 issue that makes me want to run for the board of education is helping to ensure that students are getting the best practices in our classrooms,” Saidens said. “Another concern that I have is making sure Long Island, specifically Smithtown, starts getting what they deserve. The amount of money that we send from this community up to Albany and the return that we get back isn’t equitable, and Smithtown needs their fair share.”

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Superintendent Robert Banzer speaks about the three propositions on the ballot for next week’s budget vote at last Thursday’s board meeting. Photo by Victoria Espinoza

Northport-East Northport residents must support or deny three major proposals next week: a $161 million budget,  $2 million in capital improvements, and reducing the amount of board members from nine to seven.

The 2016-17 budget includes an American sign language elective at Northport High School, an elementary special education program and the purchase of a new school bus.

“This really emphasizes what this budget and what this school is all about,” Vice President David Badanes said at the May 5 meeting. “At the end of the day, it’s about students — there are students who are great in robotics, students who are great in music, students who are great in foreign languages. From A to Z, students in this district continue to shine.”

Northport proposes collecting $140.9 million in taxes, a 0.55 percent increase to the tax levy from last year’s budget, which will raise the average home’s taxes assessed at $3,800 an additional $56.40. This budget meets the state-mandated tax levy cap of 0.55 percent.

The second $2 million proposition on the ballot includes boiler replacements and a new gym ceiling at Northport Middle School, with funds taken from the 2008 general construction/electromechanical capital reserve and the 2012 capital reserve fund.

The district’s Athletic Facilities Citizens Advisory Committee first introduced many of the capital projects in a presentation led by trustee Regina Pisacani last December, after the committee conducted tours of the district’s facilities to see what improvements were needed.

Members of the United Taxpayers of Northport-East Northport presented a petition at a school board meeting last June, with more than 300 signatures, asking for the board size to go down by two members.

Armand D’Accordo, a member of the United Taxpayers of Northport-East Northport who presented the petition at that meeting, said he’s seen a number of issues with the current board size.

“I have gotten the sense at board meetings, both through watching and interacting, that it seems a bit dysfunctional, due to the makeup of how many members and how long they’ve been around,” D’Accordo said.

According to the district clerk’s office, if the proposition passes, it will go into effect in next year’s election. Trustees Pisacani, Donna McNaughton and Jennifer Thompson will all be up for re-election next year, and only one of the three seats would be open.

Board members have said they disagree with the proposal, arguing that a larger board size means more representation for the district.

“I’ve always liked the idea that the community has this degree of representation with nine members,” trustee Julia Binger said in a phone interview.

Trustee Lori McCue echoed her sentiment: “The downside for the community is a lack of representation,” McCue said in a phone interview. “I don’t feel this would benefit the community.”

The Northport-East Northport budget vote will be held from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. next Tuesday, May 17 at Dickinson Avenue Elementary School, Fifth Avenue Elementary School and the William J. Brosnan Building.

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