Students from the Port Jefferson School District. Photo courtesy PJSD
In preparation for Port Jefferson’s Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 22, the varsity cheerleaders, along with coach Sharon Gatz, hosted a cheerleading clinic for students in grades 1-6.
More than 30 students attended the clinic on Thursday, Oct. 20, where they learned an exciting cheerleading routine. The cheer clinic attendees will show off their skills with a performance during halftime of this weekend’s Homecoming football game.
“The cheer clinic was a great idea of Coach Sharon,” athletic director Adam Sherrard said. “It helped promote the cheer program, fostered relationships between students of different ages in the school district and will add to the positive environment of Homecoming.”
Guiding the incorporation movement, in part, was a desire to extract value from the Port Jefferson Power Station, pictured above. File photo by Lee Lutz
On a snowy day, Dec. 7, 1962, Port Jefferson residents voted 689-361 to incorporate as a village. After court challenges, the vote was made official in April 1963.
But how did this vote affect public education in the village? Through the lens of the incorporation movement, village residents can better understand the local issues of their time.
In an exclusive interview, state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) for Assembly District 4, which includes Port Jefferson, explores some of these themes.
A vision for better schools
Decades before incorporation, the educational landscape was quite different than it is today. Contrasting the great variety of school districts along the North Shore, residents once belonged to one central school district, the epicenter of which was Port Jefferson.
By the early 1930s, Port Jeff High School was accepting students as far west as Stony Brook and parts of Smithtown and as far east as Wading River and Yaphank.
But in the spirit of local control characteristic of the times, that central school district began to unravel. Fragments of the district started to break away, forming districts of their own, guaranteeing greater control.
Fearing dissolution of their school district, local residents considered incorporating to counteract the trend of declining student enrollment. “They were motivated to make sure that the school district was not further depleted by actions beyond their control,” Englebright said. “There was a good deal of emotion in that incorporation involving the school district and the concerns of parents for the well-being of their children.”
Englebright regards the desire for quality public schools as one of the principal factors driving the incorporation movement. He added that proponents of incorporating viewed education as a priority for the Port Jefferson community.
This, the assemblyman maintains, holds true even today. “The reality is the parents and the community of Port Jefferson care deeply about their school district and their children,” he said. “They don’t want to lose that brand of excellence and the well-being of that school district, which has always been a superb place for education.”
Extracting value
A power plant was located at the water’s edge of Port Jefferson Harbor. Contained within that plant, locals saw a promise for better schools, according to Englebright.
“I don’t think it was a singular motive on the part of Port Jefferson to capture the tax base of the power plant, but it certainly was seen as important to maintain the infrastructure of the schools in Port Jefferson,” the assemblyman said.
Port Jefferson has enjoyed a largely subsidized school district for over half a century thanks to the power station. But as the world comes to grips with the danger of combustible energy sources, so is the village affected and, by extension, the local school district.
“The changing technology of energy production has been very much a part of the people’s consciousness, particularly the leadership of the school board and the village board,” Englebright said.
Despite its pivotal place in the cause to incorporate, the long-term future of the Port Jefferson Power Station, which is operated by National Grid USA, is undecided. The village government is already seeing declining subsidies from Long Island Power Authority, which supervises transmission and delivery functions. Whether the plant goes dark in the coming years remains an open question.
Englebright acknowledges this uncertainty and its impact on certain public school districts on Long Island. For him, the trends in New York state and around the globe point to a phasing out of combustion energy.
“The trend is to move away from combustion as the source of energy,” he said. “I do believe that it is likely that the plant … will prove to be less used going forward. The question of when that will happen, I can’t tell, but that is certainly the trend.”
Despite a cloud of uncertainty over this tax-generating facility, Englebright sees opportunities for community adaptation. Though the power plant may someday shut down, he foresees Port Jeff emerging as a local leader in renewable energy, becoming a central hub for offshore wind.
“I have been very much involved with helping to advance offshore wind and, at the same time, to guide and nurture a relationship between a power-generating site that has been a part of our region for half a century now and more, and to the extent possible enable a sort of gas pedal and clutch transition to occur,” the assemblyman said.
Even in the face of possibly losing a significant tax base, village residents can be reassured that the transition of its energy economy is already underway.
Incorporation in context
Port Jefferson School District is nearing a public referendum scheduled for Monday, Dec. 12. This referendum, totaling approximately $25 million, may decide the future of facilities in buildings across the district, and possibly its long-term fate.
Compounding an already complex issue, PJSD, like many others throughout the area, is also experiencing a decline of student enrollment. “There’s no easy answer here, not just for Port Jefferson but for many school districts,” the assemblyman said. “The incoming population of youngsters entering first grade is significantly less than what the schools they are entering were built to accommodate.”
In the face of declining student populations, some are even suggesting the remerging of Port Jefferson with the Three Village School District, which broke away from Port Jeff in 1966, four years after the vote to incorporate.
Despite these calls, Englebright feels the overriding spirit of local control remains preeminent. If the community favors keeping its school district intact, the state assemblyman recommends making the proper investment in its facilities.
“At the moment, I just don’t see [merging with another school district] as a popular idea because people within their communities identify their sense of place through a mechanism of community and neighborhood identity, which is their schools,” he said. “It behooves the well-being of the children and the quality of the school district … to make the investments to keep that infrastructure in a condition that meets or exceeds all appropriate standards.”
Revisiting the village’s incorporation, we find that the issues of today are not unique to our time. Questions surrounding school infrastructure, energy subsidies and student enrollment have puzzled generations of Port Jeff residents. While these issues may seem problematic, public dialogue and an open confrontation with local history may offer a pathway to brighter days ahead.
This story is part of a continuing series on the incorporation of Port Jefferson.
Port Jefferson School District residents are confronting a major public referendum on Monday, Dec. 12.
Earlier this month, the district’s board of education passed two resolutions to put the combined $25 million in capital bonds projects out for a public vote.
Now district officials are making their pitch to the general public, with three bond tours scheduled for October and November. Approaching this weighty decision, the community is evaluating its options.
Highlights
Capital bonds vote to be held Monday, Dec. 12
Proponents of Proposition 1 say facilities improvements are necessary to draw families into the district and maintain property values
Critics question the environmental risks and cost effectiveness of artificial turf in Proposition 2, district stands by the measure
Proposition 1
The lion’s share of the two ballot measures will go toward Proposition 1, a $23.1 million infrastructure package to modernize the district’s aging and outdated facilities. Such improvements target heating and ventilation systems, renovations to the locker rooms and team rooms, and relocation of art, technology and music rooms, among other reconfigurations.
In an email statement from Jessica Schmettan, superintendent of schools, she outlined how infrastructure improvements will help the district meet its academic standards.
“Many of the existing items are original to the buildings, most dating back to the 1960s,” she said. “Our mission in Port Jefferson has always been focused on academic rigor and personalized instruction for all students. … In order to focus on these areas, we need to modernize and renovate aging facilities.”
Mayor Margot Garant expressed support for these investments. For her, it is prudent to invest now while district taxpayers are still subsidized by the Long Island Power Authority.
“We are in a position right now where we have five years left on our glide path,” Garant said, referring to the gradual decline of LIPA subsidies in the coming years. “For every dollar that we spend, LIPA is still picking up 50 cents on that dollar. These facilities need to be protected, and they need to be invested in.” The mayor added, “If we don’t make those investments, that’s going to start to have impacts on property values and on whether people want to come and live here.”
New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) has followed the matter closely. In an exclusive interview, he likened investments in school facilities to an oil change on a car: Residents can either pay now or pay in the long term.
“I think the mayor is right,” Englebright said. “This is a moment. If you miss that moment, then the buildings deteriorate and they become less appropriate for the next generation of students going into them.” He added failing to recognize these needs is “short-sighted thinking.”
‘There is still an open question as to whether these artificial fields are a) without biohazards and b) cost effective.’
— Steve Englebright
Proposition 2
The second ballot measure varies widely from the first in terms of scope and cost. It has also drawn significantly more opposition from the public and even members of the Board of Education.
Proposition 2 concerns the $1.9 million proposed crumb-rubber artificial turf field for athletic competitions. This proposal also comes with continual costs for replacement every eight-to-12 years, a sticking point for some.
Paul Ryan, a district resident and former BOE candidate in 2022, is among the most vocal opponents of this measure. “My position on Prop 2 is that it is financially irresponsible in this economic climate of high inflation,” he said. “It’s a heat sink and will fill our harbor with microplastics, less safe than grass and less enjoyable for most of our community to play on.” He added that the process to put out the turf field for public referendum was “conducted in an ethically dubious manner.”
Ryan is not the only one against the turf field proposal. During a special meeting of the BOE on Tuesday, Sept. 13, numerous other residents raised objections to Prop 2 on similar grounds.
Citing the potential for environmental or ecological harm, Englebright, a geologist by training, expressed in his interview reservations about using artificial turf.
“The underpinnings of the artificial turf is rubber, and it usually comes from waste tires,” he said. “That has proven to be a source of contamination.” The state assemblyman added, “In the universal sense — I don’t mean specifically for this school district — there is still an open question as to whether these artificial fields are a) without biohazards and b) cost effective.”
On the other hand, during the Sept. 13 meeting, many parents and students showed support for the turf proposal, contending that it would foster school pride and bolster a sense of community identity.
Regardless of the mixed reaction, the school district remains supportive of Proposition 2. “The district is equally supporting both propositions on the ballot that represent a variety of needs,” Schmettan said.
Long-term uncertainty
During this year’s trustee election for the Board of Education, candidates debated the topics of declining student enrollment and the chance that PJSD will merge with another school district in the coming years. [See “Port Jeff BOE candidates tackle the issues,” The Port Times Record, May 12.]
Though these debates remain unsettled, Schmettan holds that the capital bonds will help draw families into the district while meeting its academic aims.
“There is no doubt districts across Suffolk County are experiencing a decline in student enrollment,” she said. “However, merging with another school district erases our unique opportunities and increases school tax rates.” The superintendent concluded, “We need to improve facilities to match our outstanding academic programs and explore ways to attract families with children to the area.”
Garant spoke in similar terms. She believes Port Jefferson remains a desirable location to raise a family. However, preserving a high standard of living and quality public schools comes at a price.
“When you go for a bond initiative, it’s a project of significant proportions,” the mayor said. “I’d rather see us make an investment and secure the quality of life that we have. And that will be up to the voters.”
During a special meeting of the Port Jefferson School District Board of Education on Tuesday, Sept. 6, superintendent of schools Jessica Schmettan delivered a presentation on the proposed capital bond projects slated for a possible public referendum later this year.
During the upcoming meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 13, the board will vote whether to formally adopt two ballot propositions for an expected Dec. 12 vote. The special session included a lively discussion among board members and elicited significant feedback from members of the public. Village Mayor Margot Garant even made an appearance to share her own take on the proposed projects.
The meeting began with a detailed presentation of the proposed projects, followed by over an hour of deliberations during the public comments. Both ballot measures drew considerable public debate and diverse perspectives from both sides.
Above: Expected costs for Proposition 1 over the first five years, based on assessed home values throughout the district. For example, a home with an assessed value of $5,000 would spend a projected $564 during the first borrowing year, 2024-25, and $498 during the second borrowing year, 2025-26. Charts accessed through the PJSD website
Proposition 1
Proposition 1 encompasses a wide range of infrastructural improvements across buildings throughout the district. The estimated combined costs for Proposition 1 total $23.1 million.
The first item includes upgrades to heating and cooling within the high school and elementary school, upgrading the steam heating system and providing dual-use ventilators in the high school. The plans would also replace existing units in the elementary school with dual cooling units.
“If this bond was to be approved, we could say that all three of our schools would be heated efficiently and cooled efficiently,” Schmettan said. “I know there has been some conversation about cooling and the need for that. It is a modern convenience, but it is also a comfort. … It is tiring to be in the heat that long, and our students do learn best when they are in the most comfortable conditions.”
The proposal would also renovate the existing locker room and team room facilities surrounding the high school gymnasium. These facilities are used by physical education classes from grades 6-12, supporting the nurse’s office and the well-fit rooms.
The proposed renovation to the nurses’ office would remove an existing wall, adding a waiting area, a resting place, an ADA-compliant toilet and sink, and a resting area for the nurses.
The ballot proposal also seeks to reconfigure the girls locker room and team rooms, repurposing some of the existing showers as additional locker room space. The proposal would link the girls locker room with the team room and an ADA-compliant bathroom.
“Additionally, there would be access from the Wall of Fame hallway so that children could get into the team room, get into the locker room, without walking through the gymnasium when classes are in session or games are in session,” the superintendent said.
The proposal adds plans for a wellness room, which will open up storage space for the physical education department. A wellness room, according to Schmettan, would centralize equipment storage while accommodating office space for PE teachers and coaches.
“It centralizes everything,” Schmettan said. “Right now, our boys team room is upstairs and our girls are downstairs. It centralizes all our staff in one spot for supervision, which is ultra-important.”
Transitioning to the boys team room, Schmettan expressed disappointment and embarrassment at the existing facilities. She indicated that this space is “old and decrepit,” with a “long, dark hallway.” The current layout has the added disadvantage of separating the boys and girls team rooms between separate floors.
The proposed renovations would bring the boys team room downstairs. Similar to the layout for the girls, the boys team room would conjoin the team room with the locker room while providing access from the hallway.
Currently, the school trainer uses a closet as an office space. Under the plans, the trainer would move out of this location into a repurposed and renovated well-fit room. “It has access from the hallway and can be a proper room for the students to see the athletic trainer for any of their injuries,” Schmettan said.
Another aspect of this bond proposal centers around the two areas where the students have to leave the main building to access a portable that houses art, technology and music programs. To get to the portable, students must exit the building and mount a steep set of stairs, often encountering inclement weather.
“It is a huge safety and security issue,” Schmettan said. “It also presents a problem when you’re talking about students with disabilities, or with short- or long-term injuries.”
The bond proposal would demolish the portable music room, outfitting the upstairs space that supports the boys team room with a new tech education room and music room.
The existing band and choral room would also improve, with proposed renovations to the storage areas for equipment and musical instruments.
The final item within Proposition 1 is the renovation of approximately 14 bathrooms within the elementary school. These upgrades include tiling, plumbing, toilets, sinks and water fountains.
Above: Expected costs for Proposition 2 over the first five years, based on assessed home values throughout the district. For example, a home with an assessed value of $5,000 would spend a projected $46 during the first borrowing year, 2024-25, and $41 during the second borrowing year, 2025-26. Charts accessed through the PJSD website
Proposition 2
The second ballot proposal, if approved, would replace the existing grass athletic field with an athletic turf field. A projected $1.88 million project, Proposition 2 would add a five-sport lined crumb rubber surface, which has an expected lifespan of eight to 12 years.
Schmettan said a turf field would promote playability for the district’s athletic teams. She added that despite some speculation from members of the public, there are no plans for either field lights or a comfort station for the turf field.
Proposition 2 is a contingent ballot measure, meaning it cannot pass on its own. If the first proposal were to fail come December, then the second proposal would fail automatically regardless of its vote.
Cost estimates
Joining Schmettan was deputy superintendent Sean Leister, who presented multiple financial models to prepare district residents for the expected costs for these projects.
Leister said his estimates generally swayed on the conservative side so that he does not underrepresent the expected costs. His models assume construction will begin in 2023-24 and that the district will borrow funds from its reserves to cover the expenses for the first year of the bond.
“We would borrow money for a 15-year bond,” he said. “Once again, that could be variable, but we’re using an estimate of 15 years. The debt service on that bond would run from 2024-25 through [2038]-39.” He added, “In my models, I also estimated that state aid would not begin until the third year. … I also estimated on the low side that 87% of the project will be eligible for state aid.”
Leister gave a detailed estimate of residents’ annual contributions to paying down the bond based on the assessed values of their homes. Since the project’s first year will be self-funded, borrowing will kick in for 2024-25. See figures above for expected costs from 2023-28.
Following the presentation, a spirited discussion ensued during the public comments when district residents, parents and students raised several arguments for and against the two ballot measures.
To watch the public comments (starting at 46 minutes, 10 seconds), click here.
The Port Jefferson School District will hold a special board of education meeting to discuss the proposed capital bond projects slated for a Dec. 12 vote.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m. in the Earl L. Vandermeulen High School auditorium.
This meeting will be an opportunity for community input as it is anticipated that the board of education will approve a resolution for the bond vote at its Tuesday, Sept. 13 meeting.
Community members are encouraged to attend and participate in this open forum. For more information, visit:portjeffschools.org/bond/home
Declared candidates for trustee. (Left to right) Rebecca Kassay, Bruce Miller, Gerard Gang, Ana Hozyainova and Lauren Sheprow.
Photos of Kassay and Miller from the village website, all others courtesy of the candidates
As the June 21 election day nears, village trustee candidates had an opportunity to state their positions on a number of pressing issues. Candidates elaborated on their positions on issues ranging from the East Beach Bluff to the school district’s declining student enrollment to public engagement.
Would you vote to appropriate any funding to any upland project to protect the Port Jeff Country Club without a voter referendum?
Gerard Gang: It really depends upon what type of project is needed. I think if it involves the safety of the people and the village, the trustees were put in place by the people to make certain decisions, especially if it’s a safety issue. If it’s something of a large percentage and it’s within the code and regulations then, yes, it should be brought up for a referendum.
Ana Hozyainova: Absolutely not.
Rebecca Kassay: No, I would not vote to appropriate funding for an upland project at the country club without a voter referendum. At last Monday’s board meeting, I challenged my fellow board of trustee members and the mayor to consider passing a resolution at the coming June 20 board meeting to reduce the amount of the bond from $10 million to $5 million because that $5 million has already been spent on the lower wall. My challenge to them is to reduce the current bond amount and, in that, whichever step that the village would like to look at next — whether it’s an upper wall or upland improvements — the village board would need to involve the residents with a public hearing and my hope would be a public referendum for the work that comes next. The residents would need to be on board in order to approve the funds for the next project.
Bruce Miller: No.
Lauren Sheprow: That has already been done. There has been a vote to appropriate funding for the upland projects. They had a vote. I think that what the board of trustees did back at the end of 2021 when they unanimously agreed to fund the preservation of the East Beach bluff was exactly their responsibility. It was not an easy decision. I think it was a very difficult decision, but it was the decision that they were charged to make when they took their oath as trustee.
Aside from redistricting, how would you help boost student enrollment at Port Jefferson School District?
Gang: You could boost student enrollment in the school district outside of redistricting by bringing in new programs that may encourage other school districts to send their students to our schools for a special need, a special program, a special talent or craft or trade. Truly, the more programs we can create, the more parents will try to move into this village. I would love to bring back the sailing team. The elementary school through the high school had an incredible sailing team. If we can set ourselves apart from another school, they will come.
Kassay: It’s a very difficult challenge for districts nationwide and even worldwide in developed countries. For me, I would like to look into what has worked and what is working for districts that are also facing this challenge, and look for the proven solutions before guessing at what might actually help our school district.
Hozyainova: I am certainly open to exploring different ways in collaboration with the schools, which would require a number of studies to understand what is causing the decline in enrollment. We, as a government agency, are not able to mandate people to have children, and for us to attract more student populations requires an in-depth understanding of the factors that drive the decline in student enrollment. Only after we have understood those factors can we develop appropriate policies to encourage greater student populations.
Miller: I have 40 years of experience looking at this stuff. More condominiums mean more permanent residents and, therefore, a potential for more students. We’re having a lot of apartments instead. There are a lot of studios and one-bedrooms coming in — not typically the profile for families to stay and raise their kids long term.
Sheprow: This goes back to the affordability of living in Port Jefferson and trying to keep taxes down. The school district is out of the purview of the board of trustees, although there is a strong relationship there and a collegial relationship right now, which is good. There are a couple of steps that would have to be taken in order to help make living in Port Jefferson more affordable and attractive for young families. One of the things I have talked about is taking a look at the efficiency of operations. Are we being as efficient and as effective as we can operationally to keep our budgets under control? Are we being creative enough to help keep our finances in check and reduce our expenditures so that we aren’t reliant on taxpayer revenue to operate efficiently?
How can the village government be brought closer to the people?
Gang: Through communications. Communication is key. We’re talking about the possibility of changing the website once I’m in the office. Any way we can involve the residents and entice them to show up to meetings will also help the relationship between the village and the residents.
Hozyainova: The village government needs to go and speak to the people. Setting up various events that are dedicated specifically to the discussion of Port Jefferson’s issues — that are outside of business hours and that include younger children, older children, teenagers, and various levels of the population would be useful in making sure people have ample opportunities to engage the government.
Kassay: I think that having residents feel more confident that the village is seeking a dialogue — as opposed to the village moving forward on agendas that the public hasn’t been consulted about or given feedback about — is a really important first step. I think that the government — the board of trustees members and the mayor — are perhaps looking into ways to engage residents, similar to the new “residents night” that they will host usually once a year, where it’s a more informal way for residents to just discuss what’s going on in the village, any questions they may have, and feel that their voices are truly being heard.
Miller: One of my suggestions — and I’ve been insisting on this for quite a long time — is to have public meetings at Village Hall, but also to have them on Zoom where people can actually participate. I think the trustees on the board today are open. If you call them, it’s not like you will get put off. There’s another question of openness, which is a transparency issue, but that’s tangential. That was my position regarding the bluff, which is that you needed a public hearing on that.
Sheprow: If you have public forums at the Village Center or at the country club, you have ready-made facilities that you can benefit from. Even bringing in a representative to the board of education meetings once a month or so would be a good idea, whether it’s the mayor or a liaison from the board of trustees. I think that would be something that would also help to create more exposure and engagement from the community. Again, the community has to be interested and take that responsibility on, too.
If elected, you will be serving alongside one other candidate in this race. What is your message to your fellow candidates and do you have any concluding comments on this election?
Gang: My message to all the other candidates is to continue to be honest and to put your best foot forward for the good of this village. Everything in my campaign is based around increasing revenue and being there for the residents — a reach-out program, fuel assistance, health screenings, durable medical equipment that can be loaned, health insurance issues just to help our seniors have clarity, swimming programs, a calendar of events. I would love to see a program implemented that would help with tax abatement for our seniors, where they can work within the village for a minimum wage. Just imagine what this village could offer, if I became a trustee, to all of the age groups for additional amenities in this village.
Hozyainova: During my canvassing, the two biggest issues that came to the fore were government transparency and government accountability. My hope would be that whoever gets elected would engage with the people and their needs and that all of the policies put forward would reflect the wishes of the people of Port Jefferson to the greatest benefit of everyone involved. I believe that I have the skills to do so, but even if I am not elected I will continue pressing and advocating on behalf of my fellow neighbors and residents.
Kassay: I hope that if I am elected, whichever other candidate is elected will join me in asking questions, having deeper conversations about village actions, about the future of the village regarding large infrastructural planning, and generally engage in more dialogues between board members. I think that one of the most important takeaways from my first two years as a trustee is that we need a culture — both on and beyond the board of trustees — of conversation. That includes listening and sharing perspectives.
Miller: My message to whoever wins is that I hope we can cooperate, get together and just work for the betterment of Port Jefferson. There’s much to do in the village and we all need to try to get on the same page on many of the issues. We’re going to have differences on some of them, and that gets handled by a vote. We need to cooperate with one another. I think we’ve always been civil toward one another, and I hope we will continue with that as well.
Sheprow: I have a lot of respect for everyone who’s vying for this position. I learned a lot about them through the candidates forum. I feel like it would be a pleasure to serve with any one of them. I would just reiterate that it would be an honor and a pleasure to serve at the behest of the residents of our community. I would do all that I am able to do to make sure that my door is always open. I really look forward to serving my community and will be a responsible steward of the people of Port Jefferson, the infrastructure of Port Jefferson — and the whole environment of Port Jefferson.
Voting information
Voting will be held at the Village Center on Tuesday, June 21, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Aidan Kaminska (right) played attack for the Port Jefferson Royals boys lacrosse team. Photo by Bill Landon
Aidan Kaminska, graduate of the Port Jefferson Class of 2020, died unexpectedly on Monday, May 30.
District superintendent Jessica Schmettan discussed the impact Kaminska had on the Port Jeff community and the coming challenges the community faces in mourning this difficult loss. The following is a letter sent to parents and staff on Wednesday, June 1.
Dear Staff, Parents and Guardians:
It is with great difficulty that I share this sad news with our community.
Earlier today, the District was informed of the sudden passing of one of our alumni from the Class of 2020, Aidan Kaminska.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the former student’s friends, family and loved ones during this difficult time.
In a small school, we recognize the passing of a recent alumnus can have a profound impact on our students and staff.The District has been working today to enact our emergency crisis plan. Tomorrow, our support staff will be ready to assist anyone who may need it.
On behalf of our Royal family, I offer my deepest and most sincere condolences to the family, staff and friends who suffered this great loss earlier today. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our principals or team of guidance counselors, social workers and psychologists individually if you have specific concerns for yourself or a student.
Earl L. Vandermeulen High School, above, will serve as the polling site for this year’s board of education election. File photo
By Raymond Janis
As election day approaches, candidates for the Port Jefferson School District Board of Education had an opportunity to share their thoughts on the major issues facing the district.
During a virtual panel on May 9, candidates Ellen Boehm, Randi DeWitt, Paul Ryan and write-in candidate Don Pollard each spoke in turn. The candidates covered a wide range of subjects from declining student enrollment to possible redistricting schemes to infrastructure investments and more.
Ellen Boehm
Boehm has served on the Board of Education for 10 years and is currently president. Commenting on her many family members who graduated from Port Jefferson schools, she said, “The royal blood runs thick in our family.”
Throughout her time on the board, Boehm has maintained active involvement in several clubs and volunteer organizations. She has taught religious classes at the Infant Jesus R.C. Church, planned the centennial celebration of Port Jefferson High School and is a self-proclaimed sports mom, arts mom and class mom.
“Volunteering really has given me enjoyment while connecting with the students and other parents in the community,” she said. “I am running again to continue to serve the students and families of Port Jeff and to help keep our great programs great.”
Boehm said building a consensus among community members will be the biggest obstacle facing the school board in the coming term. Although some have suggested a possible merger with another school district, Boehm sees opportunities for district expansion through redistricting.
“If we can somehow redistrict, we increase the [number of] families and potentially increase our enrollment,” she said, adding, “We have to start thinking bigger than how we are falling apart. There are things that have to be done with the infrastructure … but we have to identify the things we treasure in Port Jeff.”
Boehm favors the redistricting approach over any potential merger with a neighboring district. If Port Jeff were to merge, Boehm believes the district would lose much of its identity. “We all know what happened when Mount Sinai pulled out,” she said. “To me, a merger would be the last thing I would want to do, but I would really like to look into expanding the district.”
Randi DeWitt
DeWitt has been a teacher in the Mount Sinai School District for 24 years, teaching a first grade inclusion class for the bulk of that time. She has been on the Port Jefferson school board for three years.
DeWitt has served on the policy and curriculum committees of the school board and this year chaired the facilities committee. Currently she serves on the executive board for the Port Jefferson prom, which she said jokingly is “probably more time consuming than anything that I have ever done in my entire life.”
A long-time resident of Port Jefferson, she described the many ways in which she has immersed herself into the community culture. “I enjoy playing softball on Tuesday nights and volleyball and golf … and tennis,” she said. “That’s something that I really enjoy doing and that I love about our community.”
DeWitt considers declining enrollment and aging infrastructure to be the two greatest problems facing the district.
Declining enrollment is an issue which affects the community as a whole, she said, adding that infrastructure investments are necessary to keep the district competitive.
“We have a school with an outstanding reputation, but I really do think that our facilities are in need of some modernization,” she said. “We have some [Americans with Disabilities Act] compliance needs that have to be met, some safety concerns across our buildings and grounds and … in order to draw those young families we really need to look at the exterior and interior of our schools and we really just need to be appealing.”
On the topic of a possible merger, DeWitt concurred with Boehm. “I went to Port Jeff and have a very strong sense of passion for our district,” she said. “I just couldn’t imagine a Port Jeff student or athlete wearing anything other than Port Jeff. That would be tough.” She added, “I definitely would never want to lose our sense of identity.”
Paul Ryan
Ryan went to Scraggy Hill Elementary and Port Jefferson Junior High before attending The Stony Brook School. For nearly 20 years, he was away in China studying to become a practitioner of Chinese medicine, then returned to Port Jeff.
While Ryan was in China, he taught English to Chinese students. When he returned to the United States, he filled a vital need during a critical time in the community’s history, serving as polling inspector when some seniors had left their posts in fear of the COVID-19 virus.
“When there’s an opportunity, I do my best to step up and that’s why I’m stepping up for the school board,” he said.
Ryan said building a relationship between the community and the school will be essential to keep the school district operating through this period of declining enrollment. He hopes to identify a prospective niche that will help the district draw more families to the district.
“We know that people move to Port Jefferson for the special needs program,” Ryan said. “So is there a way that we can build off of something like that?” He added that additional language programs would represent another possible niche and could offset some of the diversity and inclusion problems that the district is also facing.
Ryan considers redistricting unrealistic. “The people that I have talked to about redistricting say it’s very unlikely that it would happen,” he said. “I don’t think there’s another school district around us that is going to give up its student population.” He added, “As far as mergers go, we can avoid a merger if the school and the school board … have strong community support.”
Don Pollard
Relatively new to the district and the area, Pollard has lived in Port Jefferson for six years. His background is in finance and he now runs a small brokerage firm.
Before he moved to Port Jeff village, Pollard volunteered at Habitat for Humanity. He was active in Caroline Episcopal Church of Setauket, working to grow the parish and its finances. He helped to successfully organize a Halloween dance for the school and has served on the parents advisory board for sports, helping to expand the district’s athletics program.
For Pollard, the greatest obstacle facing the district is declining enrollment. “In three years, when we have 60 kids in a class, everything else is really secondary because we won’t have a school district, or it’s going to be really difficult to maintain a school district,” he said.
Pollard proposed creating a task force between local government and the school district to map out a course of action which can better address the enrollment dilemma. He said mitigating the enrollment problem will require joint efforts between the school board, local government, village residents and parents. Pollard also suggested that strengthening the athletics department could help to curb declining enrollment as parents would have less incentive to send their children off to private schools with stronger sports programs.
On the question of a possible merger, Pollard said the board must find ways to prevent this scenario. “That should be first and foremost,” he said.
Boehm has served on the Board of Education for 10 years and is currently president. Commenting on her many family members who graduated from Port Jefferson schools, she said, “The royal blood runs thick in our family.”
Ryan went to Scraggy Hill Elementary and Port Jefferson Junior High before attending The Stony Brook School. For nearly 20 years, he was away in China studying to become a practitioner of Chinese medicine, then returned to Port Jeff.
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