Proposition 2 in East Hampton
The East Hampton School Board has agreed to add a second proposition to the school budget ballot asking for voter approval to spend $2.2 million from a capital reserve account for a commercial kitchen at East Hampton High School. During a virtual meeting on April 1, board members pointed out that the measure would not increase taxes because the district already has the money set aside.
The new kitchen would be the site of an in-house culinary arts and hospitality program, eliminating the need to spend money on tuition and busing for high school students taking that program through the Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Services. “This is something that the community wants,” said J.P. Foster, the school board president. “We’re bringing it to the next level.”
The proposition will appear on the ballet below the school budget. The vote and board elections have been moved from May to June by executive order of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo as part of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
New Assistant for Business
The East Hampton School Board also voted on April 1 to hire a new assistant superintendent for business. Keith Rugen will start in his new post on July 1. The previous business official resigned in October of 2019, and Isabel Madison, who served in that capacity for many years at East Hampton, returned from retirement for several months until a permanent successor could be found. Mr. Rugen has been an intern and consultant for the Amityville and Hampton Bays school districts.
According to Richard Burns, the district superintendent, Ms. Madison will conclude her service sometime after Mr. Rugen starts, allowing him to get acclimated. “His primary work experience is in the banking world as a senior financial professional,” Mr. Burns said.
Spring Break Goes Away
School districts that had not already moved up their spring recess, which would have been this week, have had those vacation days canceled by Governor Cuomo. South Fork districts affected by the decision include Amagansett, Bridgehampton, and Sag Harbor.
“I am aware that many students and staff were looking forward to spring break. . . . However, I am also aware that some students benefit from the structure of the lessons provided by our teachers,” Seth Turner, the Amagansett superintendent, said in a letter to the community. “During these trying times, the continuity of instruction can potentially help to reduce anxieties among children.” He also encouraged families to “feel free to relax.”
In Sag Harbor, the school board has signed an agreement with its teachers to give them one personal day in exchange for each day worked during what would have been spring break.
State Mental Health Funding
In New York State’s recently released budget, legislators included $175,000 to continue the South Fork Behavioral Health Initiative, which is a partnership among the state, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, the Family Service League, and local governments and schools to expand access to mental health services for youth. Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. said in a statement that the program has led to fewer referrals to the comprehensive psychiatric emergency program at the main campus of Stony Brook University Hospital.
“We still have a long way to go to provide the full range of help and services needed on the South Fork to treat mental illness,” Mr. Thiele said. “This program has shown tremendous success toward meeting the mental health needs that exist in our community.”