Education

The New York State Education Department has deemed the Bridgehampton School District a 21st Century Community Learning Center, awarding it a grant of approximately $2.5 million spanning the next five years.

Monday is the deadline for voters to request an absentee ballot for the annual school budget vote and board member elections. Voters must request them from their respective school district clerks; applications for such ballots are generally available on the schools' websites or in person in the administrative offices.

Through SoFo, kids and teens can take a full-moon hike, help tag horseshoe crabs, learn about snakes, or help with a beach cleanup. Plus, library activities and fun with Project Most.

For the first time, the Wainscott School District and the Bridgehampton School District have come together to put a contract on the ballot that would offer a third choice for Wainscott families with children in fourth grade and up: the option to attend the Bridgehampton School.

In the race for two open seats on the Sag Harbor School Board, four candidates — including three who are running write-in campaigns — have aligned themselves into two slates. Initially there was only one candidate, which surprised many in the village, where school board races usually have multiple people running.

Residents of every public school district in New York State will head to the polls on Tuesday to weigh in on budget plans, propositions, and school board candidates. Most South Fork districts are staying within state-mandated limits on tax-levy increases, and only two districts have contested school board races.

This year's race for two seats on the Springs School Board features four candidates, none of them incumbents, meaning that two newcomers are destined to be elected.

On Wednesday at 7, the Noyac Civic Council will host a virtual Meet the Candidates night to give community members a chance to get to know the four people seeking seats on the Sag Harbor School Board.

Meet the Candidates

On Wednesday at 7:30, the Noyac Civic Council will host a virtual Meet the Candidates night to give community members a chance to get to know the four people seeking seats on the Sag Harbor School Board.

Grainne Coen will be the only candidate officially on the May 17 ballot, as she was the only one to formally file a nominating petition. She will be joined by Ronald Reed, Janice D’Angelo, and Heather Hartstein, who are mounting write-in campaigns. Two board seats are open this year.

Acknowledging that bilingualism can play a vital role in encouraging flexibility of mind and empathy within a multicultural community, Project Most is now offering Spanish language classes for students in kindergarten through fourth grade.

A spring-themed party, "High School Musical Jr.," Comic Book Day, and more for kids and teens.

The region’s two smallest school districts, Wainscott and Sagaponack, are once again proposing over-the-tax-cap budgets, with rising costs primarily attributed to enrollment changes.

Weeks after its request for $250,000 to support day care and prekindergarten for its 100-plus students was rejected by the East Hampton School District, representatives of the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center talked with the East Hampton Town Board about the center's need to expand its funding sources.

Recognizing that a pandemic, remote learning, stay-at-home rules, and an overreliance on technology has taken a toll on schoolchildren, East Hampton High School held its fifth annual forum on addiction last week, at which presenters addressed substance abuse and screen addiction.

The Bridgehampton School on Wednesday warned families about a troublesome TikTok account called "bhssecretspy" that has been "disseminating videos that are derogatory in nature," according to an email from Michael Miller, the school principal.

Appreciating Moms in May

The East Hampton Library has lined up crafts for kids and teens that will be sure to impress their moms, just in time for Mother’s Day, which is Sunday, May 8.

Kids in grades six through eight can make pounded-flower handkerchiefs on Tuesday from 4 to 5 p.m., using fresh flowers and a hammer. On Wednesday, children ages 3 to 6 can make sunshine-theme cards from 4 to 5 p.m., and next Thursday, kids ages 7 to 10 can take a turn, making pop-up Mother’s Day cards, also from 4 to 5 p.m.

Springs educators and administrators are hoping voters will say "yes" to a proposal for a new playground geared toward kindergarteners and first graders. A preview of the playground design was offered on Tuesday.

Springs School District voters will elect two new board members from among four candidates on May 17 after two sitting board members opted not to run for re-election. The race will be the only contested one on the eastern part of the South Fork this year, while two districts, Sag Harbor and Montauk, are facing a shortage of potential board members.

In Springs, the candidates are Summer Romeo, Hella Drew, Emma Field, and Erik Fredrickson. Ms. Drew ran for a board seat last year but was not elected. Dave Conlon and Amy Rivera are not seeking re-election.

Not only have Abigail Corish and Eve Iulo spent many hours volunteering, but their commitment to academics has also paid off. Abigail and Eve have earned the ranks of valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, of the class of 2022 at Pierson High School in Sag Harbor.

Elijah Jones, a middle schooler who found his way to the cello while in fourth grade at the John M. Marshall Elementary School, will play at Carnegie Hall on Sunday with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra.

Talking to young people about sex and related issues is rarely easy, but a new series of programs hosted by OLA and Planned Parenthood aims to change that.

Waking “Sleeping Beauty”

The Hampton Ballet Theatre School will perform “Sleeping Beauty,” featuring talented students alongside professional dancers, plus original choreography and hand-sewn costumes, for four shows starting on Friday, April 29.

Finding itself at least $300,000 short on revenue, the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center petitioned the East Hampton School District to add $250,000 to its upcoming budget vote to support day care and prekindergarten for its 100 students, most of whom will one day attend school in East Hampton.

Springs Adopts 2022-23 Budget

On May 17, voters in Springs will cast their ballots for or against a $32,888,886 spending plan that stays within New York State’s cap on tax-levy increases.

The school board adopted that budget proposal at its April 12 special meeting. The year-over-year spending increase is $2.088 million, or 6.78 percent. The associated tax-levy increase is 5.46 percent. According to budget documents shared last week, if approved, the school tax on a house with a market value of approximately $1 million would rise by about $366.

At precisely the moment last Thursday when the United States Senate voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, about 45 female students from nine East End high schools were gathered in the cafeteria of the Stony Brook University Southampton campus to learn about the roles of female elected officials in politics.

The Sag Harbor School District introduced a full-day prekindergarten program for the first time this year, receiving a glowing report card this week from school board members, educators, administrators, and parents.

“It’s so well rounded. It’s incredible,” said Jakki O’Neill, a mother of two, in a phone interview. She said her daughter, Lilah, is getting a solid foundation in letters, numbers, and other skills, and that she is thriving in general there. “The program that they are presenting is just phenomenal.”

When the fire alarm went off at Southampton High School at 9:24 on Monday morning, it was not a drill. Everyone was evacuated safely in three minutes and 34 seconds as firefighters rushed to the school: A burning smell had been reported in the building, a fire department official said afterward, attributing it to a burned-out motor in a heating and ventilation unit. That incident was hardly major, but it underscored the importance of safety codes and procedures in schools.

The South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton has lined up some seasonal outdoor activities for kids and teens next week, plus a big celebration of Earth Day.

A deep dive into expenses and revenues over the last four months culminated Tuesday night in the East Hampton School Board’s adoption of a $76.5-million budget plan for the 2022-23 school year.

The proposed budget adheres to New York State’s rules for tax-levy increases, with a 1.75-percent increase, for the tenth time over the 11 years that the tax cap has been in place. The district will need a simple majority of voter approval on May 17 for the budget to pass.

Here’s the buzz out of Bridgehampton High School this week: Ayanna El has been named its 2022 valedictorian and Grace Turza its salutatorian.

By this year’s graduation ceremony, Ayanna will have completed nine Advanced Placement, honors, and college-level courses. She is a consistent member of the high honor roll and the recipient of a perfect attendance award. A skilled volleyball player, she received a Suffolk Zone Award for achievement in physical education and a Thomas Cutinella Memorial Foundation Service Award, which goes to athletes showing high character.