Education

Taxpayers in at least three school districts in East Hampton Town — Amagansett, Springs, and East Hampton — could be faced with approving over-the-tax-cap spending plans in May for the 2024-25 school year.

The Level Playing Field Foundation, which first began granting scholarships to East Hampton High School students two years ago to defray the costs of college counseling, college visits, and test-prep tutoring, awarded another round of scholarships on Saturday, valued at roughly $3,800 per student.

East Hampton Town’s junior lifeguard training, evaluation, and testing in advance of the summer junior lifeguard program for kids 9 to 15 is underway at the Y.M.C.A. East Hampton RECenter on Sundays. All new and returning participants are required to attend.

“A vibrant display of student artwork from regional schools and our community” will be on view at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill through April 7. Plus: puzzles, grilled cheese sandwiches, St. Patrick's Day fun, youth soccer, a grandparents' play date, and more in store for kids and teens this week.

If the numbers shake out the way they were presented during Monday’s meeting of the Sag Harbor School Board, the district could see its 2024-25 budget top $50 million for the first time — but still stay under the state-mandated cap on tax-levy increases.

On Jan. 25, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released his list of schools that are under fiscal stress in the state. There was disturbingly high fiscal stress in Amityville and the New Suffolk Common School District, and Springs School was on the list for being susceptible to fiscal stress. 

Separate from all the strife that has surrounded the East Hampton Village Ambulance Association the last year and a half has been a discussion about how best to recruit new members to bolster an aging volunteer pool. One method of recruitment that could prove most successful is an emergency medical services club for students at East Hampton High School.

The curtain rises Friday on East Hampton’s production of the classic musical comedy “Anything Goes,” starring some veteran East Hampton theater performers as well as some fresh, new faces.

Whisker and Brush, an art school in Amagansett, has a new session of classes for kids starting on Monday. Plus: movies in two languages, origami lessons, science and technology activities, pottery for children, and more.

Have you ever juggled many different activities at one time? At Springs School the cast of the musical “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” has been feeling the pressure of managing play rehearsals, schoolwork, and attending school clubs they like to take part in.

For the remainder of the 2023-24 school year, the Springs School District will have help in its business office from two neighboring districts, coming at a critical time — budget development season.

Things are looking up for the Wainscott School District, which at this time last year was confronting a budget deficit of close to $1 million and floating an over-the-tax-cap spending plan for the 2023-24 school year. Board members and administrators said this week they may not need to pierce the cap this year.

Plenty of fun activities for kids and teens are planned for the coming week. From movies to crafts to science and even a teen "time capsule," here's the rundown.

Is there such a thing as being “too young” to learn about money? Not at the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, which is partnering with First National Bank on a financial literacy initiative for kids of all ages who are enrolled in its after-school programs.

Two local community organizations, LTV Studios and Concerned Citizens of Montauk, have announced that they are once again offering college scholarships to deserving high school seniors.

Many years of diligent academic efforts have paid off for Nicholas Cooper and Leah Fromm, who have just been named East Hampton High School’s 2024 valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively.

“It’s going to be a difficult process. A lot of things are really out of our control,” Adam Fine, the East Hampton School District superintendent, said during a Feb. 6 budget workshop that kicked off the school board’s discussion of the 2024-25 fiscal year budget.

For kids with earthy interests, Marders, the popular garden shop in Bridgehampton, has some unique upcoming offerings. Plus: dinosaur fun, children's movies, science activities, stories, and more family-friendly fun coming up.

As the town’s planning board continues to weigh Project Most’s application for redevelopment at 92 Three Mile Harbor Road, the site of the now-defunct East Hampton Neighborhood House, nearby residents are banding together in opposition, suggesting that the history of Freetown, their home values, and quiet enjoyment of their properties are at odds with the plan.

Springs School eighth graders are eagerly awaiting their field trip to Philadelphia at the end of this school year to celebrate their hard work in their last year of middle school. On March 3, the Springs Fire Department will host a community breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. as a fund-raiser for this trip.

Amagansett School District officials are anticipating some “big changes” in the 2024-25 school year budget, as they try to maintain a “fiscally responsible balanced budget” for the school’s Blue Ribbon academic programs, as well as a healthy and safe campus for students and staff.

Parents and a former Springs student aired serious concerns this week over the impact of bullying and harassment they say is taking place on buses and the playground, prompting pledges from school officials to follow up.

Starting in September, the Bridgehampton School District will offer its students a slate of new courses designed to boost academic rigor and prepare them for future careers. Its school board approved the curriculum offerings in January, and teachers and guidance counselors have already been talking them up, getting the kids excited for what’s in store.

Guild Hall’s Student Art Festival is ongoing through Feb. 26, but this weekend holds a special highlight: Viv Corringham, an artist and composer, will join Springs School fifth graders for a choir performance on Saturday at 3 p.m. Plus: stories, crafts, kids' movies and book clubs, social activities for pre-teens, and more.

Springs School is having a sneaker drive and will accept donations of gently used sneakers until Feb. 29. The drive was thought up and organized by the Diversity Club as a way to raise money for the school while also donating to a good cause.

The Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, which has operated the child care program at the Montauk Playhouse for 17 years, has announced it will cease operations there effective May 3, and while East Hampton Town is already seeking bids from other providers, many Montauk families are left coping with uncertainty.

The jazz band, camerata choir, and chamber orchestra of East Hampton High School will give a concert Thursday night at 6:30. Elsewhere, the Valentine's Day crafts and programs are picking up.

“I’m very happy to share, so the younger generation wouldn’t say that it never happened,” Judy Sleed of East Hampton, who escaped the Nazis in Budapest in 1944, told students at East Hampton High School. “I just hope you don’t have to experience anything like I went through.”

School districts in New York State are facing another difficult budget cycle for the fiscal year ahead, with inflation still at challenging levels, dramatic increases in health insurance costs, and Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent announcement of changes that could leave some South Fork districts coping with as much as a 20-percent decrease in state aid.

Springs School’s two robotics teams, along with their coaches, were all smiles Saturday because they received a total of three awards at the Long Island LEGO League Robotics Tournament at William Floyd High School.