Four Cutchogue East Elementary School second-graders gather around a table in the STEAM lab. With colored pencils and paper, the group designs a container that’s ideal for carrying potato chips — one that’s insulated and able to withstand heat, rain and other potential damage.
Then, the students – or, for that day, “packaging engineers” — bring their illustration to life using tape, plastic and aluminum to construct their package.
The lesson, led by STEAM coordinator Meghan Tepfenhardt, is part of a new district initiative to expand STEAM activities for K-6 students in the new lab.
Next month, Cutchogue East will showcase student work at its first-ever Family STEAM Night, Wednesday, March 4, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The district is following a new framework of STEAM practices, partially from the National Academy of Sciences. Ms. Tepfenhardt, who has been an elementary school teacher in the district for 18 years, said the instruction focuses on engineering design, science, technology, engineering, arts and math. It has shifted the curriculum to focus on “science and engineering practices,” “disciplinary core ideas” and “cross-cutting concepts.” In the past, Ms. Tepfenhardt said, the standards were content-driven.
“There was a lot of conversation in the beginning about the intention of the program and to really get kids excited about learning and to look at those skill sets that are needed for kids in the 21st century,” she said.
At the March event, elementary school science fair projects will be on display. The projects will be judged by high school AP Environmental students earlier that day, Ms. Tepfenhardt said.
STEAM stations for children, like pendulum paintings, will be set up throughout the cafeteria. Sixth-graders at the school are encouraged to sign up in advance for live challenges, Ms. Tepfenhardt said. Students won’t know the challenge — or their fellow team members — until they arrive at STEAM Night.
The BOCES Earth Balloon — a large structure that invites students and families inside to learn about astronomy, climate, habitat, geology and more — will be set up in the gymnasium.
The district is working to further develop the Makerspaces at the high school library and elementary school, Superintendent Jill Gierasch said in a November 2019 interview.
All STEAM programs in the district are funded through annual budgets, Ms. Gierasch said.
Mattituck-Cutchogue school district officials unveiled a proposed $41.4 million budget for the 2020-21 academic year at last Thursday’s school board meeting.
Like last year’s $40.78 million budget, this new financial plan is driven by employee salaries, at $20.30 million, and employee benefits, at $11.5 million. It’s a 1.69% increase over last year’s total budget.
“With diligent fiscal planning, this budget maintains all current programs offered to students and includes continuous implementation of safety and security measures as well as enhancement in areas of curriculum, mental health, the arts, clubs and athletics,” Superintendent Jill Gierasch said at the meeting.
This year’s proposed tax levy will rise by 1.90%, which falls below the district’s assigned allowable increase of 2.51%, according to district treasurer Frank Bacchi.
The cap on raising property taxes, imposed in 2012, limits tax levy increases for any given year to either 2% (with certain exceptions) or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.
Over the past few years, Mr. Bacchi said, the district has been “extremely resourceful” and generated substantial savings for taxpayers in the district.
The 2020-21 budget proposal is divided into seven categories: salaries, employee benefits, instructional and student services, central office, transportation, debt service and fund transfers, and facilities and security.
Ms. Gierasch also pitched long-term potential projects that could be funded separately through the district’s Capital Reserve.
Items up for consideration included new roofing and exterior building renovations, three athletic field renovations, new boilers, a multi-purpose room and a STEAM wing at the high school and new roofing and a pole barn for storage at Cutchogue East Elementary School.
Textbooks, instructional resources and technology account for roughly 3% of the budget. Administrator of curriculum and instruction Ilana Finnegan and technology director Gerri Doherty explained how the budget will fund curriculum and technology expenses, respectively.
Compared to last year’s budget, more funds will be directed to in-district and out-of-district professional development for teachers, Ms. Finnegan said. Curriculum writing, instructional resources, literacy and math intervention, and BOCES curriculum services are also supported through the budget.
In response to widespread pushback across the state , New York’s Board of Regents voted in 2017 to replace Common Core curriculum standards with Next Generation Learning Standards. At Mattituck, the math curriculum has shifted to align with these newer standards, Ms. Finnegan said.
On the technology side, Ms. Doherty explained that the proposed budget covers infrastructure changes, audio visual changes and new technology initiatives.
Compared to last year, she said, the biggest technology expense would be a switch from 300 Mbps internet to 1G internet service, which will provide students, teachers and district staff with a faster and more efficient internet connection.
Mr. Bacchi said the proposed budget is subject to change before it is adopted by the school board. The budget vote is set for Tuesday, May 19, from 3 to 9 p.m. at the high school gymnasium.
For over 20 years, a florist shop worker who once sang his demonic plant to life on the Mattituck High School stage was silenced. Audience members in the school auditorium couldn’t watch as teens in 1950s California fell in love. Dorothy never belted out chords alongside Munchkins with help from a lion, tin man and scarecrow.
That all changed a decade ago, when a trio of Mattituck High School seniors approached district officials to request that production of school musicals be revived.
To celebrate the 10th year since musicals returned, the Mattituck Musical Theater Company will perform “Into The Woods” Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
Co-director Anne Gilvarry said it’s rumored that around 1988, a new theater director who had more experience with straight plays put an end to the musical productions.
Three students who graduated in 2011 — Marissa Russo, Colin Keil and Becca Mincieli — began attending school board meetings regularly to lobby for the return of annual musicals. A musical was added to the approved school calendar for the 2009-10 academic year, but never materialized, Ms. Russo said.
“We had heard rumblings through the grapevine that there was going to be a musical,” said Ms. Russo, who spearheaded the effort. “But it just sort of came and went, and we never heard anything.”
In high school, Mr. Keil worked on school plays as an artist and set designer and Ms. Mincieli acted in every play from her freshman year on, according to a 2010 article in The Suffolk Times.
Mr. Keil recalled that he was passionate about providing a creative outlet for students.
“In high schools, there’s often a perception that sports are prioritized and there aren’t other options for those who want achievements in other areas,” said Mr. Keil, who today channels his creative energy into pursuing a Ph.D. in engineering. “The dramas we put on at the high school were great, but overall, the theater program was somewhat limited.”
Ms. Russo, who sang in chorus, danced and had directed the junior high plays, said the school board voted to bring musicals back to the high school in the fall of 2010. Though she was unable to attend that board meeting, she recalled the next day in school, when she was approached by now-retired English teacher Pat Arslanian.
“She walked by me and was like, ‘It happened!’ and she was like, ‘They voted!’ and from that point on, it was chaos of running to find each other and celebrate, and telling teachers,” Ms. Russo said. “And we went from there.”
By February 2011, then-chorus teacher Jacob Fowle asked Ms. Gilvarry, an English teacher, to join him in directing “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.” The duo has been directing every year since, Ms. Gilvarry said.
This year, Ms. Gilvarry — a self-identified “theater kid” and 1995 Mattituck graduate — has been contacting alumni who were involved in the last nine shows to spotlight “Into The Woods.” Some alumni now involved with North Fork Community Theatre have been rehearsing with current students, she said. Some school faculty are alumni, too.
The number of students participating in theater productions has increased in recent years, she said, noting that nearly 40 students are involved in “Into the Woods.”
However, she added, every year’s musical is extra-special, since the students lobbied for it.
“Those kids from 2011 graduated, [but musicals] didn’t leave with them. It stayed, not because of me or Jacob, but because of the groundwork they laid and the enthusiasm we continue to cultivate,” she said.
Ms. Mincieli, who works as a flight attendant in Boston, said she misses the small-town feel of Mattituck.
“Everybody wants to make their mark on their community,” she said. “It felt really good, knowing it’s going strong.”
Ms. Russo said her experience advocating for the arts in high school led her to pursue a master’s at New York University and to her current job as an accessibility administrative associate for the New York City-based nonprofit Theater Development Fund, working to make theater accessible to all.
“Essentially what I do every day is advocate for people to be able to experience the arts or provide them with that experience,” she said. “I live in this world so deeply and it’s just so clear the impact the arts can have on young people. I’m just amazed that what some 16- and 17-year-old kids wanted was able to land and help create this community for students who I know really benefit from it.”
As school districts try to keep up with developments surrounding the coronavirus crisis, some districts on the North Fork may amend their school calendars, which have been disrupted by the outbreak.
In a letter posted to the district website Friday, Mattituck-Cutchogue Superintendent Jill Gierasch said that even if schools are directed to close until April 1, she would likely direct educators to continue digital learning through Thursday, April 2.
“My plan is to have the BOE approve a change to our calendar. Monday, April 13 was originally scheduled as a spring recess day. I am recommending changing this to Friday, April 3,” Ms. Gierasch wrote in the memo. “As well, my intent is to allow students, teachers, and staff to take advantage of spring recess,” she said, which is scheduled for April 6-10.
She said that to date, she has not received guidance or confirmation of the changes from the New York State Education Department and the district’s Board of Education would need to approve the calendar change.
Additionally, the district is surveying first responders to gauge interest in child care services throughout the ongoing crisis. The program will tentatively begin on Tuesday, March 24, at Cutchogue East Elementary School, according to a post on the district website. It will be managed by Champions, the district’s before and after care provider, and run Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Interested first responders can access the survey until Sunday, March 22, at 10 a.m. or email Gretchen Chapman at gchapman@mufsd.com for more information.
Riverhead officials announced Saturday that due to the outbreak, they would likely be seeking BOE approval to amend the school calendar to have spring break March 26-31, instead of April 6-10. School would still remain closed April 10 in observance of Good Friday, officials said.
Southold and Greenport school districts also have spring break tentatively scheduled for April 6-10, but it’s unclear what will happen there. Superintendent David Gamberg said in an interview Saturday that he and other district officials would be taking a closer look at the school calendar in the near future. “At this point it is a little uncertain,” he said.
Mr. Gamberg posted a video message to check-in with students online Friday. “We are facing a challenge that no one expected,” he said, reassuring students and parents that school officials are working together to provide education and other resources throughout the community.
Spring break isn’t the only change that will impact students.
State education officials announced Friday that they will suspend all elementary and intermediate level State assessments for the remainder of the school year.
In a press release issued by the state education department, officials said the unprecedented decisions are tied to the school closures happening throughout the region and that the NYSED has applied for federal waivers for testing, accountability and reporting requirements.
“It is most important that during the time of closure, schools are able to continue to focus their efforts toward local school and community needs, as they have been doing, and not be concerned about state assessments,” the notice, issued by Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa and Interim State Education Commissioner Shannon Tahoe, read.
The tests, which were scheduled to take place in April, May and June, include the English language arts and math assessments for grades 3-8, fourth and eighth-grade science exam, English as a Second Language Achievement test for students K-12 and New York State Alternate Assessment for students with severe cognitive disabilities in Grades 3-8 and high school.
Mr. Gamberg applauded the decision—one he urged state officials to make in a letter sent to the NYSED Monday.
“How much are our students going to be in a position, given that this is a worldwide, global pandemic, that they should just come back and just pick off where they left off?” he said. “This is not just a snow storm where they miss a couple of days. It’s a once in a century occurrence.”
He is calling on state leaders to take the next step and suspend the rating system used to classify districts based on those assessment scores. “The entire accountability metric needs to be scrapped right now, certainly for this year,” he said.
Looking ahead to when students will eventually return to their physical classrooms, Mr. Gamberg said the path forward will be challenging. “We don’t have any script that we can look back to,” he said of the unprecedented nature of the virus outbreak. He said educators will have to be mindful of the myriad ways this pandemic is impacting students from mental health and wellness to financial hardships faced by their families.
The students, he said, are watching the adults and decision-makers. “They’re absorbing this and it’s impacting them,” he said. “We have to be aware of that.”
As the coronavirus spreads across the North Fork, schools and day care facilities have shut their doors, leaving children at home. Their parents, in most cases, remain home with them under an executive order issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week.
But for parents working in “essential” fields: health care, first responders, grocery store employees and so on, the question of who will watch the kids remains.
Local school districts, in a partnership with Southold Town, are stepping up to ease that burden.
Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free School District, together with Champions, the child care provider for the district’s before- and after-care program, will launch a child care program for the children of doctors, nurses, police and first responders within the district on Tuesday. The program, held at Cutchogue East Elementary School, will run on an as-needed basis — if they have 10 or more students — from Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“The school put a very good structure in place to offer child care for school-age children of first responders, medical professionals and others who work in fields vital to the response to combat this current crisis,” Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said.
The district is providing the staff and facility and the town is covering the cost per child, which is $35 per day, Mr. Russell said. The town may partner with Southold and Greenport on a similar program for families in those districts.
Greenport-Southold Superintendent David Gamberg announced Monday that the districts are surveying parents in those districts to gauge interest in a similar program.
“We are seeking to be responsive to the needs of essential personnel in our respective communities,” Mr. Gamberg said, adding that he hopes to collect responses by Wednesday. In the meantime, he said he is working with state agencies and exploring options with two providers to see what options are available for the districts.
To access the surveys for Southold and Greenport school districts:
Voters in the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District approved a $41.4 million budget for 2020-21 by a wide margin, the district announced Wednesday afternoon.
The budget received 1,660 yes votes compared to 754 no votes. Two additional propositions on the ballot were both approved.
Pat Arslanian, 65, a retired Mattituck English teacher, and Mary Lynn Hoeg, 53, who currently works as an office manager at the Hoeg Dental Group in Mattituck, were elected to the Board of Education in the only contested race among the five North Fork districts. Ms. Arslanian was the top vote getter with 1,461 votes and Ms. Hoeg was second with 1,451.
Brian Mealy finished third with 1,381 votes.
The results were announced nearly 23 hours after the counting began on Tuesday evening. All budgets were approved on the North Fork.
Mattituck voters approved spending $650,000 from the capital reserve fund on a new boiler at Cutchogue West, a new roof at Cutchogue East and a multipurpose room renovation at Mattituck-Cutchogue Jr./Sr. High School. There were 1,895 yes votes and 517 no votes.
The second proposition approved will establish a repair reserve fund that can be funded up to $750,000 from annual budgetary appropriation or money remaining in the general fund and would be used for repairs and renovations. There were 1,646 yes votes and 752 no votes.
“The board of education and administration wish to thank all those who voted,” Superintendent Jill Gierasch said in a statement. “We are grateful for your continued support. Together, we will continue to provide our students with the quality education and services they need to be successful in the future.”
Similar to other districts, voter turnout was up sharply compared to recent years. The total of 2,414 votes was more than double last year’s total (1,180). And last year’s total had represented a 35% increase compared to the prior year as turnout increased due to a turf field proposition that was ultimately rejected.
The voting was done entirely by mail-in absentee ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Kelsey Bundrick had been one of the top students in her grade when attending Bishop McGann-Mercy High School in Riverhead. When the school closed its doors for good in June 2018, Kelsey transferred back into her home district, Mattituck-Cutchogue, from which her older siblings had all graduated.
As she transitioned into a new school to start her junior year, Kelsey thought about the possibility of earning one of the coveted top two spots as valedictorian or salutatorian. But she didn’t know how she would stack up against a new group of students, or how different teachers and their grading styles would line up to her learning.
“I figured I was just going to try my best at Mattituck,” she said.
Shortly before the pandemic closed schools across New York, Kelsey received a notification to stop by the principal’s office. Around the same time, Shelby Dufton received a similar notification. Shelby was hopeful it had to do with the class rankings. Her second-oldest brother, Jack, had earned salutatorian honors at Mattituck in 2016 and pushed her to follow in his footsteps.
“I usually don’t get called down to the principal’s office,” Shelby said with a laugh.
High school principal Shawn Petretti had welcome and surprising news for both. The were co-salutatorians, following valedictorian Jessica Scheer.
It’s the first time Mattituck-Cutchogue has awarded the title of salutatorian to two students, school officials believe. Across Long Island this year, Mattituck is the only district to have co-winners. (Brentwood, the largest district in Suffolk, awards a valedictorian and salutatorian for both its Ross Center and Sonderling Center).
Both girls said they were honored to share the title.
“I think it’s really nice because Shelby worked really hard for these four years,” Kelsey said, adding that she didn’t know when the announcement would be made, so she was surprised. “It makes sense. We had these different teachers and different grading. … We had similar GPAs and it’s like, how do you compare them when you come from a different school.”
Mr. Petretti said Kelsey and Shelby were “really neck and neck. All three were, really.” He added that the students and their families were supportive of the move.
When the girls talked about their accomplishments in March, Shelby noted how she was hopeful that they would both give a speech during commencement and share that community moment. At the time, she couldn’t have predicted the strange turn of events their senior year would take, ultimately leading to a split commencement ceremony Saturday to limit the size of the gathering and follow state guidelines.
Kelsey will give her speech during the first ceremony at 9 a.m. and Shelby will follow during the second ceremony.
“I think the three of us, we’ve really tried to build each other up — there’s no competition here,” Shelby said.
Jessica, who will speak at both ceremonies, agreed. “Yeah, we’re not out to get each other. We all just do our work, help each other and try to be the best we can be.”
Kelsey said she plans to draw on her experiences from leaving Mercy to how the class adapted during these past few months in her speech.
“I think I’m going to be talking about how change can actually be a really good thing and teach us a lot of lessons,” she said.
Shelby said on Monday her speech is still a bit of a work in progress. She said the last few months will influence some of what she says, but she also wants to remember the entirety of the Class of 2020’s time together. She said the last six year have been “really special and really great.”
The final few months of distance learning didn’t present too much of a challenge for Mattituck’s top three students, since their high school academic careers were largely winding down already. Jessica will attend Cornell University to major in biology. Kelsey plans to major in chemistry at Liberty University. Shelby will attend Dartmouth University to study music. She said the pandemic has actually given her more time to focus on music. She performs in a band called Audawind with her 16-year-old twin brothers, Ben and Sam. They record music at home and just released a single on streaming services Tuesday called “Dream You Have.”
As Saturday’s ceremonies, all three of Mattituck’s top graduates will represent a unique class that has experienced far more than most.
“Everyone really supports you in this community,” Jessica said. “It’s this whole family thing, because most of us have known each other since we were in kindergarten, or even before that. It builds this family for you so you feel supported.”
A Cutchogue East Elementary School teacher who was temporarily removed from the classroom in 2018 is suing the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District, alleging the action was taken by administrators after she disclosed an illness, according to a civil rights complaint filed in federal court last month.
Donna Finnigan, a fourth-grade teacher and 22-year veteran of the district, said in a 28-page discrimination complaint filed June 26 in Eastern District Court of New York that administrators removed her from the classroom in part because they believed she had a mental disability after she disclosed a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. The lawsuit states Ms. Finnigan’s disciplinary issues arose after she had problems with a student who exhibited frequent “inappropriate behavior” and that she was treated differently than other school employees who faced discipline over interactions with students, including a Board of Education action that required her to undergo psychiatric evaluation. The suit names superintendent Jill Gierasch, principal Kathleen Devine and Dr. Randall Solomon, a Port Jefferson psychiatrist who evaluated Ms. Finnigan on behalf of the district, as codefendants.
Attorneys for the school district made an initial appearance on the case Wednesday. The district declined comment for this story through a media relations firm. Ms. Finnigan is represented by attorney Scott Michael Mishkin of Islandia.
Ms. Finnigan claims in the lawsuit that issues with administrators at the school, where she still teaches, began during the 2017-18 school year when her classroom of 20 students included one boy who “it was known within the district to have a bad reputation due to his consistent inappropriate behavior.” She said she met with Ms. Devine on several occasions throughout the school year to address the student’s behavior — which, according to the suit, included pulling down the pants of another student, using derogatory slurs and “repeatedly slapping the girls in the classroom on their foreheads telling them that he was saying ‘hello’ Egyptian style.” Ms. Finnigan said administrators declined to take action.
During an April 2018 meeting with the mother of the student, who was named only through initials in the lawsuit, Ms. Finnigan advised her that with her son’s approval she allowed the girls in the class to “say ‘hello’ back to him Egyptian style.”
“Although this may have seemed like an unusual response to [the student’s] behavior, without the guidance from the district, Devine or Gierasch, plaintiff was running out of strategies,” the lawsuit states. [Editor’s Note: Ms. Gierasch was employed in another district in April 2018. She was hired as Mattituck-Cutchogue superintendent that June.]
Ms. Finnigan claims in the lawsuit that the meeting with the student’s mother was followed by several appointments with administrators in May 2018 that led to a memo being generated for her personnel file documenting the incident. She declined to sign the memo because it said the student “tapped the girls’ foreheads,” but that they were allowed to “strike” his forehead. She disagreed with the use of the word “strike.”
That August, administrators called a meeting with Ms. Finnigan to discuss a letter she later sent to the student’s parents in which she referred to him as a “bully.” On Aug. 16, 2018, the Board of Education voted to have her undergo psychiatric evaluation the following month. She was then removed from her teaching position prior to the start of the school year and the evaluation, according to the complaint.
Ms. Finnigan also said Ms. Gierasch tainted Dr. Solomon’s view of her by discussing the matter prior to her scheduled evaluation and by writing “in all capital letters the diagnoses she wanted [him] to determine.” In October 2018, Dr. Solomon concluded that due to Ms. Finnigan’s “neurodegenerative disease, she was experiencing subtle cognitive changes” that might prevent her from exercising “good judgement,” the lawsuit claims. He also allegedly recommended she receive treatment for mental health issues and called her conduct “a safety issue for the entire school environment.”
Ms. Finnigan was kept out of the school building until November 2018 and only returned to her regular teaching role last September, according to the complaint.
District residents defended Ms. Finnigan at several meetings in late summer and fall 2018. A change.org petition to have her reinstated generated more than 700 signatures.
She is seeking unspecified monetary damages to be determined by a jury for discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act and emotional damage.
Mattituck-Cutchogue students in grades K-8 will return to classrooms if schools can reopen in September, while high school students will begin a hybrid model of in-person and remote learning, according to a plan released by the district Monday.
Each school district in New York is required to submit a reopening plan by July 31 and Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to make an announcement during the first week of August as to whether schools can reopen in the fall. The plan submitted by the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District is contingent upon the state allowing in-person learning.
Specific plans have not yet been released in the Southold and Greenport districts.
All districts are required to submit plans with specific procedures for full in-person learning, a hybrid model and full remote learning. Mattituck Superintendent Jill Gierasch said in a letter to parents Monday that as circumstances or guidance from the State Education Department change, the district could have to adopt a hybrid or remote learning model for all or some grades district-wide.
“Given the adjustments to create small class sizes and modifications to classroom design, we feel confident that with adherence to strict sanitizing and social distancing protocols and procedures we can provide a safe environment for our staff and children,” Ms. Gierasch wrote.
The district released a 63-page document that outlines specific procedures for social distancing, sanitation practices, transportation policies, health questionnaires, student meals, child care, social and emotional well-being and more. The plan was created based on the State Education Department’s guidance issued earlier this month as well as from input received in a re-opening survey that nearly 500 families, representing 725 students, responded to.
The initial plan calls for high school students to remain in a hybrid model of an A/B schedule until further notice to decrease the number of students in the building at one time. That means students in Group A-L would attend all classes on Tuesday and Thursday. Students in Group M-Z would attend all classes on Monday and Wednesday. The groups would then alternate Fridays in school after the first week of school. Students and teachers would work in Google Classroom when not physically in school. Consideration would be given to keep siblings schedules aligned where possible, according to the plan.
“The health and safety of our students and staff will require on-going communication, collaboration and patience from all of us,” Ms. Gierasch wrote.
The district’s initial plan is to operate a hybrid model for all grades for the first week of Sept. 8-11. Beginning Monday, Sept. 14, full in-person learning would begin for grades K-8.
If K-8 students need to switch to a hybrid model, the district will implement a similar schedule to the high school. Special considerations will be given to early learners, students with disabilities, English Language Learners, siblings (where possible) and transportation needs, the plan says.
If the district must switch to a full remote model for any grade level or school, “plans will be created with the feedback from parents and teachers in mind. Teachers who teach the same subject and/or grade will make every attempt to plan collaboratively. The full academic program will be delivered; however, schedules may be modified and/or adjusted based on the subject area and unique needs of the overall academic program.”
For in-person learning, classrooms and other instructional areas will have adequate spacing to maintain social distancing and to keep students six feet apart. The classrooms will be equipped with either a sink and/or hand sanitizer. Decals will be placed on hallway floors to direct traffic, the plan says.
A health screening questionnaire.
All staff and contractors working on cleaning and sanitization will be required to wear PPE at all times, the plan notes. Students are expected to come to school wearing a mask or face shield. Students will have their temperature checked by a staff member and if it is 100 degrees or higher, the student will be directed to the health office for further assessment. Parents are encouraged to check their child’s temperature before they leave for school.
Faculty and staff are required to submit a health screening questionnaire prior to arriving at work each day.
The superintendent and/or the COVID-19 safety coordinator will oversee a building level Pandemic Response Team that will be created “to support all planning, management and decisions making related to the district’s COVID-19 response actions.”
The plan also outlines procedures for when a student, teacher or other staff member or a member of their household has symptoms or sick with COVID-19 and has exposed others at the school. The superintendent or the COVID-19 safety coordinator will notify the county health department of any suspected or confirmed cases. Designated isolation rooms in the building will be available for staff and students until they can safely leave the building. The school nurse will record all locations that the symptomatic person has visited. Additional policies for both Cutchogue East and the junior/senior high school are outlined for how parents can pick up their child if they become sick.
The plan notes that regardless of which learning model is ultimately implemented, the curriculum and instruction “will be structured to account for the potential loss of learning that may have resulted from extended school closures. To accelerate students’ progress, administrators and educators will identify what unfinished learning standards need to be addressed.”
Plans for Mattituck students in grades K-8 to return to class in-person full time this fall appear to no longer be feasible.
In a letter to parents Sunday night, superintendent Jill Gierasch announced that due to space restrictions, all students will return to school in split sessions in September.
The district was originally preparing for K-8 students to return to class five days a week and instituting a hybrid model for high school students. All K-12 students will now be split into two groups according to their last names: A-L, M-Z, and will either attend Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays and alternating Fridays.
“Our hearts sank for many reasons this weekend when we had to make the final call … we know what it means for our children and our families.”
Jill Gierasch
Officials said the decision was made based on updated guidance issued by the state regarding social distancing in classrooms. The rules now state that six-foot distance must be maintained between the edges of each desk. Previously, districts interpreted the guidance as measuring from child to child or chair to chair.
“While this may not seem like a significant change, it actually causes almost all classrooms to lose an entire row, approximately 4 desks,” Ms. Gierasch wrote to families. “We planned for class sizes of around 15 with schedule adjustments, building reconfiguration, and adding teachers. Taking a row out or four students, even with the prior adjustments makes it impossible to meet the regulations for K-8 in person instruction, every day.”
She said that since learning about the updated guidance last week, officials worked to reconfigure classrooms that had already been stripped of bookshelves, teacher desks, cabinets and other furniture in order to meet the requirements with no luck.
“Our hearts sank for many reasons this weekend when we had to make the final call … we know what it means for our children and our families,” Ms. Gierasch wrote. In a statement Monday, the superintendent described the recent development as devastating.
“We had planned to fully return students to school and share our parents’ frustration. The health and safety of our students and staff are the driving forces behind all of our decisions regarding the reopening of our schools. We are working to create the safest environment for our students and staff, and we look forward to welcoming them as they return to school in September,” the statement read.
The news blindsided parents who have just three weeks to come up with a plan.
“It’s definitely a blow to parents who were happy with the original reopening plan,” said Lauren Gilbert of Mattituck. She has two sons entering fourth and seventh grade who are impacted by the change. “If there’s anything we’ve learned throughout [the pandemic] it’s that things can change in an instant. Parents as well as the school have been kept on their toes as the goalposts are constantly changing,” she said.
She was quick to note that administrators and teachers want to be back in school full time just as much as parents and students. “They worked endlessly to try and make in person learning work. This is a huge setback for not only parents, but also the school,” Ms. Gilbert noted.
Kerri Chituk of Mattituck said she was disappointed her children won’t be able to return to school full time. “I was looking forward to the kids being taught in classrooms, by an actual teacher,” Ms. Chituk said, explaining the challenges and meltdowns felt last spring as she navigated the world of distance learning with a kindergartener and second grader at home.
She feels the district is doing the best they can despite all of the guidelines in place. “It’s just frustrating for everyone that just when they think they have things figured out and have a good, safe plan in place…they need to rework plans.”
While currently able to stay home with her boys, Ms. Gilbert feels for parents who may not have family to watch their kids and the financial implications child care may pose to families. And while not ideal, she said she was impressed with the district’s distance learning model used last spring.
“There is no ideal situation,” Ms. Gilbert concluded. “We can all get through this, and need to get through this for the kids, as long as we work together.”
District officials said that children will be sent home with instructional materials to aid in their distance learning and class sizes may be reduced in order to provide more individualized attention.
The first of three virtual parent information sessions was held Monday morning to discuss reopening for junior/senior high school students.
Two additional sessions are planned for Tuesday, Aug. 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for elementary parents and a joint family session will be held Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The sessions are being conducted through the Webex platform and district officials noted that the app must be downloaded in order to participate.
More information on the meeting sessions can be found on the district website at www.mufsd.com.
The Mattituck-Cutchogue School District has received word from the state that it can have in-person instruction in grades K to 8 this fall, according to Superintendent Jill Gierasch. The move brings the district’s reopening plan back closer to what it had originally proposed, but believed it needed to change.
In a letter sent to parents Wednesday, Ms. Gierasch said that after speaking with New York State Regent Roger Tilles Sunday, she subsequently received the necessary state guidance relieving the district of what’s known as the “the edge of desk to edge of desk requirement.”
The “edge of desk” rule requires the 6-foot social distancing spacing to be the edge of the desk to the edge of an adjacent work desk, according to an Aug. 16 letter Ms. Gierasch sent to parents.
Previously, this guidance was interpreted by districts as being “chair to chair” or “child to child,” she wrote. “While this may not seem like a significant change, it actually causes almost all classrooms to lose an entire row- approximately 4 desks.” .
The dropping of the “edge of desk” requirement changes the landscape in classroom and will allow a return to in-person instruction. “Yes, this is great news!,” Ms. Gierasch wrote in the Aug. 26 letter. “We can open K-8 full in-person.”
School officials have also made further changes for classrooms by purchasing desk barriers – 3-sided polycarbonate desk shields – for grades K-6.
“Purchasing these will allow about 5 to 6 feet distance between each child’s workspace,” Ms. Gierasch wrote. “We had recently placed a small order for special circumstances, but understood they were on back order. I anticipate these shields will arrive between September 10-September 14.”
Ms. Gierasch said the following will apply:
• From Tuesday, Sept. 8 to Friday, September 18, grades K-12 will be taught in hybrid instruction, a combination of in-person and virtual.
•On Monday, Sept. 21, K-8 begins with full in-person instruction.
• And on Monday, Sept. 21, grades 9-12 will continue with hybrid instruction.
“I recognize the last week must have been extremely stressful and challenging for families attempting to plan for childcare on alternate days, but the sooner I provided notice, the more time given to plan accordingly,” Ms. Gierasch wrote on Wednesday.
“This type of pre-planning may be indeed necessary down the road, at just a moment’s notice, including that of returning to full remote if the Governor shuts down Long Island schools (he has said this is one region) or a case breaks out locally and requires instituting alternate plans as outlined in our Continuity of Learning Plan,” she explained.
There are currently no plans to offer a full remote option in Mattituck-Cutchogue, according to Ms. Gierasch. She said very few families were interested in that option and the costs would be “exorbitant.”
A small group of student-athletes gathered in front of Mattituck High School Friday evening to deliver a big message: Let us play!
Following the lead of larger rallies held around Suffolk County, the group’s message was for Section XI to allow high school sports to resume this fall, as it can for other sections in upstate. Section XI, the governing body for high school sports, announced Sept. 11 that sports would be delayed until Jan. 4. Section XI opted not to begin a fall season on Sept. 21, as allowed by guidance from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association.
“If they won’t let kids play cross country and tennis and golf in the nice fresh air, what are they going to do in January?” said Lisa Fox, who has two sons currently in the district who both play sports. “They’re really going to let kids play basketball inside a gym? It just doesn’t make sense.”
The Mattituck-Cutchogue Athletic Booster Club helped organize Friday’s rally, which was held on the sidewalk near Main Road with participants wearing face coverings.
Ms. Fox said the goal was to take a stance against Section XI and “let them know we’re not happy this decision and that it doesn’t even really reflect the wants of the parents and players.”
Her oldest son, Connor, is a senior who plays golf in the fall and his primary sport is baseball in the spring. Her youngest son, Justin, is in eighth grade and plays soccer, basketball and lacrosse.
Ms. Fox said her sons played sports all summer. Connor played in baseball tournaments and Justin played in lacrosse tournaments. She said everyone followed the guidelines at that time and she didn’t know of anyone contracting COVID-19 from playing.
“We followed all the rules, there was no problems,” she said. “They changed the rules in baseball a little bit with no umpire behind the plate.”
She said they’re fortunate that their sons can still play on various club teams. But not every family has the means to sign their kids up for various travel leagues that often aren’t local to the North Fork. She said Justin plays lacrosse in East Islip three days a week.
“Not everyone can do that,” she said. “It’s a disadvantage to a lot of people who don’t have extra money to put into sports and don’t have the ability to get to these far away locations.”
To help fill the gap with no prep sports, Mattituck plans to start an intramural program where students can form teams and play against each other. Athletic director Gregg Wormuth presented the proposal to the Board of Education during Thursday night’s virtual meeting.
The program would run from Sept. 29 to Nov. 19 and allow students to play soccer, cross country, flag football and tennis. He said teams could possibly be co-ed.
Since the school is operating under a hybrid plan, the students would only be allowed to play on days they attend school, he said. The program would be for high school students as well as those in seventh and eighth grade. The middle school students would play separately from the high school kids.
The games would run from Monday-Thursday from 2:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., mirroring the time that kids would typically be playing their junior varsity or varsity sports. Mr. Wormuth said he expects many of the current coaches to participate as supervisors, but other teachers or staff members would also be welcome to help. He estimated needing 15 staff members to be responsible for organizing and running the events.
“I do think our coaching staff from the fall would be ready and willing to jump into those positions,” Mr. Wormuth said.
An athletic trainer would be staffed during those hours, he said.
The BOE voted unanimously to approve a motion to allow the intramural program.
Saying one student has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, Mattituck-Cutchogue School District notified parents Thursday night on a robo call that grades 7-12 will be remote learning only on Friday.
“I have one positive student. I was notified late today. No details from the SCDOH [Suffolk County Department of Health] yet so I’m closing as a precautionary measure,” said Superintendent Jill Gierasch.
The Mattituck-Cutchogue school district informed students’ families Tuesday night that grades 7 through 12 will move to remote learning Wednesday after another student tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Full-time, in-person learning will return for Mattituck High School students. COVID-19 permitting, of course.
Students in grades 9-12 will make a staggered return to the classroom for five days a week of instruction under a plan approved by the Mattituck-Cutchogue Board of Education at its monthly meeting Thursday night.
The school district has been providing in-school instruction for students from kindergarten through eighth grade on a full-time basis while the high school students have been working within a hybrid model. Under the scenario outlined by the administration, the anticipated timeline for the full-time return of these students would be Nov. 23 for 10th- and 11th-graders, Nov. 30 for ninth-graders and Dec. 7 for 12th-graders. District officials noted that changes in reported COVID-19 cases could alter plans.
A district survey of parents of students in grades 9-12 conducted two weeks ago found 78% percent of them in favor of full in-person learning compared to 22% who prefer the hybrid system.
Currently, about 400 students attend the school on a given day. The addition of the grades 9-12 students would raise that number to 600, said high school principal Shawn Petretti. “It’s still only about a third of this facility’s capacity,” he said.
Parents are being given the option of having their children participate in livestreamed remote learning five days a week for core classes such as English, math, science and social studies. Those students would be permitted to join in the full in-school instruction at the start of the third and fourth quarters in February and April, said officials.
District officials said safety measures had given them the confidence to consider the proposal.
“When you look at, you know, the safety protocols that we have put in place, a lot of safety protocols are really the reason why we are considering bringing back the 9 through 12, and the students following the safety protocols,” superintendent Jill Gierasch said before the vote. “That’s really a big component of all of this.”
Mr. Petretti, referring to things such as temperature checks upon entering the school building and one-way stairwells, said: “The students here at the junior and senior high school have been incredibly cooperative. I think they understand the importance of the safety protocols that have been put in place and they really have been helping it to run smoothly.”
Desk barriers are being installed for mask-wearing students and an improved, antimicrobial surface protectant has been purchased for all of the district’s schools. The product is said to create a microstatic coating on both porous and non-porous surfaces, inhibiting growth of bacteria, fungi, mold and the like.
When it came time for the vote on what one trustee called a “thoughtful and thorough” plan during the livestreamed meeting, not a single voice in opposition was heard.
That, of course, doesn’t mean there are mixed feelings about the change, which comes at a time when positive COVID-19 tests are on the rise on Long Island. One of the concerns the district heard from parents was the possibility that bringing the high school students back full-time raises the potential for the school being closed because of an outbreak.
Mr. Petretti said teachers are reporting that “the level of engagement for students at home [during remote learning] is beginning to drop … and that’s concerning.”
After the vote, Ms. Gierasch said: “I know some parents are very frustrated, but I can’t thank them enough for the respect that they have shown us and really trusting us that this is the way we needed to do this at this point in time, but it’s during these difficult times that we grow closer together, looking at our setbacks and opportunities, and there are many opportunities, very bright spots in some dark times.”
One of those bright spots is senior Jillian Tuthill, who was presented with a certificate for being a National Merit Scholarship Program commended student.
“Everything is kind of day by day, you know,” she said, speaking of her school experience. “I think everyone here has been experiencing that as well, taking it by the hour, seeing what’s going to happen next, but I think it’s really admirable that we’re all coming together as a community to figure everything out and do the best that we can. I think it’s going really great for Mattituck, and I’m glad to be a part of this community.”
As longtime educators in the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District, Scott and Patti Verity would often be recognized around town as “the music teachers.”
Mr. Verity was a chorus instructor at Mattituck High School and Ms. Verity taught music at Cutchogue East Elementary School. Both are now retired.
“We are no longer called the music teachers,” Ms. Verity said. “We are called Kyle’s parents.”
Standing next to his mom and dad in their kitchen Friday evening, Kyle thought about his mother’s statement and said: “It’s kind of like I’m in L.A. or a TV star,” he said.
Kyle’s effusive personality and dedication to customer service has made him the most popular fast food restaurant worker on the North Fork. He’s worked at McDonald’s since 2007, when he was 16, and has approached the job each day with unbridled enthusiasm. He holds the door for customers as they walk in and remembers every face he greets.
Anyone driving along Main Road in Mattituck would recognize the familiar tricycle, with an orange flag waving in the wind, that Kyle — a Mattituck High School graduate who has autism spectrum disorder — has used to go back and forth to work over the past decade.
Andrew and Amanda Haupt, who live in Mattituck and had come to know Kyle from McDonald’s, were sitting on their porch one day last fall and were talking about him after they’d seen him riding that day.
Kyle hops aboard his new ride for the first time. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)
“We basically said, we need to do something,” Mr. Haupt said. “There’s got to be an easier way.”
They started looking online at electric bikes, something that Kyle, 29, could possibly use that would be easier than peddling back and forth on the nearly five-mile round-trip from his home to McDonald’s.
After some searching, they found a model that seemed ideal for Kyle: a 500-watt electric-powered tricycle.
Mr. Haupt created a GoFundMe page to see if the community would crowdsource the $1,700 cost. It started with a single share on Facebook and it “just snowballed,” he said.
On the GoFundMe, Mr. Haupt wrote: “Kyle is truly an inspiration. He works and does the job to the fullest. He is always happy and smiling or dancing. He should be looked up to, kids and adults should take notice that not every job is perfect or fun, but it’s how you handle yourself. To make the best of everything that comes your way.”
In just one day, the GoFundMe reached its goal. Mr. Haupt even posted an update telling people no more donations were needed. But still some more came in, bringing the total to $2,175.
Mr. Haupt ordered the electric bike, using the additional money for some accessories, such as a canopy that will provide Kyle added cover during poor weather. And Mr. Haupt outfitted with the bike with lights, including a pair of bright headlights for added safety at night. He also bought Kyle a heavy duty waterproof jacket.
The new bike was outfitted with lights to make it stand out. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)
The Veritys learned of the fundraising effort when Kyle’s older brother, Mark, who’s an elementary teach in the Shoreham-Wading River School District, saw the GoFundMe on social media.
Kyle said he was shocked to find out so many people were donating money on his behalf.
“I’ve never had that,” he said. “This is a first.”
Mr. Haupt placed the order in November, but the ongoing pandemic delayed shipment. The big moment finally arrived Friday evening, when Mr. Haupt backed his pickup into the Veritys’ driveway and unloaded the bike.
Kyle excitedly stood at his front door as the truck pulled in. He wasn’t 100% sure who was behind the effort, but knew he’d recognize the faces once he saw them in person.
Wearing a gray McDonald’s shirt and face mask with the famous golden arches logo, Kyle said, “I knew it!” as Ms. Haupt came to the door.
“I thought it was you!” he said.
He darted off to grab a jacket so he could go outside and see his new ride up close for the first time.
“Wow, I’m impressed,” Kyle said.
Andrew Haupt of Mattituck organized the GoFundMe. (Credit: Joe Werkmeister)
“The whole community chipped in and bought it for you, even people who don’t live in Southold Town anymore,” Ms. Haupt told him. “They all know you and love you from working at McDonald’s.”
Mr. Haupt gave Kyle a breakdown of how the bike operates and showed him the two small remotes that control the multi-colored lights: one on a flagpole on the back of the bike that featured an American flag and another the controls flashing lights along the back wheels and the frame.
As it has for so many other people, the pandemic has altered the workplace for Kyle. His hours were scaled back as the dining room closed. He currently works three days a week and is still brightening customers’ days as he carries out food for curbside delivery.
He had a few days to practice with the new ride to get a feel for how it operates before his next work day. And with a snowstorm due Sunday, he was eager to get that practice in right away Saturday.
Kyle and his father wheeled the new ride into the garage Friday evening, where it was parked next to his old bike. He wasn’t ready quite yet to say goodbye to it, so he explained to his father how they can bring it down to the basement for storage.
The generosity bestowed upon him made Kyle think about philanthropy. He wanted to pay it forward and begin contributing to charity himself. The Ronald McDonald House Charities, a family and children’s charity dedicated to helping sick children, immediately came to mind.
“It’s a lovely charity,” he said. “Any charity for children, adults, anything.”
A familiar theme began to emerge in the stories students shared as they remembered their friend, classmate and teammate.
Ryan Oliver, who stood about 6-foot-2 and carried himself as if he were older than a high school sophomore, was a young man so many looked up to at Mattituck High School.
“People at the services kept coming up to us and saying Ryan was their protector,” said Ryan’s father, Michael Oliver, in an interview Tuesday. “He was a shoulder for his friends. … Friends kind of gravitated toward him.”
Ryan was remembered Saturday at a Celebration of Life in Southold as a standout athlete and tremendous friend who was polite, caring and funny and who brought joy to the lives of everyone he met. Ryan died suddenly on Jan. 28. He was 16.
“He had a big heart,” Mr. Oliver said. “He was friends with everybody.”
When he wasn’t racing up and down the lacrosse or soccer fields, Ryan enjoyed playing video games with friends, spending time with his girlfriend and enjoying the outdoors on family trips. His passing sent a school community and beyond into mourning. The Mattituck-Cutchogue School District collaborated with the Community Crisis Action Team from the Family Service League to provide support for grieving students.
In a Jan. 29 letter to parents, district Superintendent Jill Gierasch, principal Shawn Petretti and director of pupil personnel services Meredythe Alliegro provided a list of resources to help families through the unexpected tragedy.
They said students had met that day with the crisis team and “shared their fears, concerns and sympathy toward the Oliver family. Many children began sharing the need for continued support along with speaking about Ryan and his wonderful and caring qualities.”
As an outpouring of support began to come in to the Oliver family, who had lived in Aquebogue for about 18 years until Ryan finished elementary school, Mr. Oliver kept hearing from people asking what they could do. So on Jan. 30, he created a GoFundMe page where he set a $5,000 goal for people to donate to local charities that support children and their families. The donations, he wrote, would be in Ryan’s memory “to spread love all around.”
“The $5,000 was a legitimate goal,” Mr. Oliver said, adding that he was “blown away” by what happened next.
Within minutes, the GoFundMe hit its goal. Gary Lukachinski, executive vice president of the The Simmons Point Group — a financial adviser firm based in Riverhead — matched the goal with a $5,000 donation. Mr. Oliver works alongside Mr. Lukachinski as associate vice president.
An anonymous donor contributed an additional $5,000. As of Wednesday morning, with more than 750 contributors, $77,322 had been raised.
Many of the donors were people Mr. Oliver said he didn’t even know. What really struck him were some of the smaller donations — $5 and $10 gifts from people, including some teenagers, who wanted to help, however small the contribution.
Ryan Oliver pictured with his travel lacrosse team. (Courtesy photo)
Mr. Oliver said he knows some of those people may not be in a position to donate a lot of money, yet they’re still doing it “to honor [Ryan].”
“That kind of gets me,” he said.
The past 10 days had been such a whirlwind, Mr. Oliver said, that he hadn’t begun to sort through how the money will be donated. The family is considering starting a scholarship fund or foundation, but no formal plans have been made yet.
“It would be local, impacting the community,” he said.
Mr. Oliver said the community’s support for his family, including his wife, Kristen, and their 13-year-old daughter, Kate, has been overwhelming.
He said the school officials have been in constant contact and have been “fantastic” in supporting students with the Family Service League and that Joe Grattan, funeral director at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home, has been “beyond.”
“He has made this process, as difficult as it is, as easy as possible,” Mr. Oliver said. “Ryan was friends with his son and my daughter is friends with his daughter, so I know it’s tough on them.”
The support from the community — whether it be prayers, thoughts or comfort food — has been nonstop, he said.
“It’s amazing,” he said.
Ryan grew up playing lacrosse and participated on travel teams and traveled all over for tournaments. Mr. Oliver played lacrosse himself at Wittenberg University and loved to watch his son play the game. When he wasn’t coaching himself, he would be on the sidelines snapping photos of Ryan and his teammates.
This past spring would have likely been Ryan’s first on the varsity at Mattituck. But the pandemic forced the season to be canceled. He had played junior varsity lacrosse as an eighth-grader.
“Lacrosse was a big part of him,” said Mr. Oliver, who is the founder of Mattituck/Cutchogue Athletic Booster club. “He was a big kid who could run.”
At the services Saturday at True Light Church, photos of Ryan filled the large room as mourners gathered to remember him. A large board with “#3,” Ryan’s jersey number, was placed next to the casket. Teammates sat together, all wearing white jerseys. A livestream of the service was broadcast via Zoom, allowing an additional 175 or more people to watch safely from home.
Alyson Wood, Ms. Oliver’s sister and Ryan’s aunt, spoke at the service, saying, “the love and grief in this room is palpable.”
She recalled how Ryan was the oldest grandchild on her sister’s side of the family, so every milestone in his life was celebrated along the way.
“First step, a lost tooth, a first soccer game, we soaked it all in,” Ms. Wood said. “I could go on and on about what a great nephew he was and wonderful he is to his cousins, but there’s no love like a grandmother’s love.”
She proceeded to then a read a letter prepared by her mother.
“You are the light and the love of our lives,” she read.
Mr. Oliver said he will remember his son as a special kid.
“We loved him and he loved us,” he said. “It’s a hole that will never be filled.”
Mattituck-Cutchogue School District officials proposed a preliminary $42.2 million budget for the 2021-22 school year at last Thursday’s Board of Education meeting.
According to Superintendent Jill Gierasch, the proposed spending plan maintains current programming levels with a few add-ons. Ms. Gierasch said priorities included safety and security, infrastructure upgrades and expansion of some courses, fine arts and club and athletic programs.
“This was a year like no other, I think that goes without saying,” she said as she unveiled key details of the proposal. “But we kept our focus on student and staff needs.”
The district is proposing a 1.42% tax levy increase, which translates to a total levy of $38,028,742 — or $382,892 less than the allowable state-calculated increase cap of 2.44%.’
The $42.4 million proposal represents a 1.93% increase over the current $41.4 budget.
As budget planning begins, Ms. Gierasch cautioned that the board must be mindful of balancing improvements to district operations with the communities’ ability to fund the initiatives. “These are challenging times for everyone,” she said.
The cap on raising property taxes, which dates back to 2012, limits tax levy increases for any given year to either 2% (with certain exceptions) or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.
As in years past, salaries and employee benefits account for the largest portion of district expenditures at $20.5 million and $11.8 million, respectively. Other categories included in the proposal are instructional and student services, central office, transportation, debt service and fund transfers, and facilities and security.
The superintendent also presented a shortlist of potential projects that could be funded separately using funds from the district’s Capital Reserve.
Voters in 2020 also approved the creation of a repair reserve fund that can be funded up to $750,000 from annual budgetary appropriation or money remaining in the general fund and to be used for repairs and renovations.
“We hope to be able to continue to fund that with any excess funds again this year,” Ms. Gierasch said.
Capital projects included in Ms. Gierasch’s list of considerations are a renovation of the high school athletic fields, a districtwide solar project, roofing upgrades at Cutchogue East and the high school, creating a STEM wing at the high school, lighting and bathroom upgrades at the elementary school, addressing issues with the current heating system at the junior high and replacing windows and roofing at the Cutchogue West building.
Compared to last year’s budget, funding was cut for many travel and mileage lines in light of the pandemic. An additional $30,000 is proposed to be allocated for internal audits of the district’s finances, which officials said will make the district more efficient.
Technology director Geraldine Doherty explained that the proposed budget focuses on enhancing and maintaining the current technology initiatives, including an emphasis on remote learning capabilities.
Ms. Doherty said the district is “very fortunate” to have been implementing the use of technology over several years across all grade levels. “It really put us in an exceptional position,” she said, when schools shuttered last March and virtual learning began. “We were really able to get a lot of devices into the hands of these kids.”
With no major technology upgrades to fund for the year ahead, Ms. Doherty said she’s planning to continue the initiative to connect K-1 students with iPads and 2-12 students with Chromebooks and provide teachers with professional development for all the new software that’s come into play.
In addition, the proposed budget continues to plan for upgrading student furniture, a walking trail at the elementary school and infrastructure upgrades, Ms. Gierasch said.
Preliminary presentations on the 2021-22 budget can be found on the district website and Ms. Gierasch noted that items may be added or removed as the budget process continues.
Several factors will depend on the state budget adoption expected April 1. “Some of the state aid and those things are a little bit in flux,” Ms. Gierasch said. “While I don’t expect a significant change, we’re hearing that there may be additional stimulus money, or things that may be added.”
The district is also awaiting word on how the budget vote, currently scheduled for May 18, will be conducted. Three Board of Education seats are open this year as the terms of president Barbara Wheaton, vice president Doug Cooper and member Jeffrey Connolly are set to expire in June.
According to Ms. Wheaton, information on petitions to run for a school board seat will be available on the district website; petitions must be filed with the district clerk by April 19.
Ms. Wheaton said the board is also awaiting guidance from the governor’s office regarding any changes to petition signature requirements due to unprecedented voter turnout levels in 2020.
After just three years on the job, the superintendent of the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District has resigned.
Superintendent Jill Gierasch announced her decision in a letter to families Wednesday morning.
“An opportunity has been presented to me and will take me onto the next pathway in my educational journey,” she wrote, explaining that she was appointed Tuesday night as superintendent in the Cold Spring Harbor School District.
She was hired as Mattituck’s superintendent in June 2018 at a base salary of $204,321 in the 2018-19 academic year, according to data from the New York State Department of Education.
During the 2019-2020 school year, a Board of Education decision to increase her salary by 11.4% rather than the 2% set forth in her contract incensed some community members, though Board of Education officials have reasoned that at the time, Ms. Gierasch had one of the lowest salaries for superintendents across Long Island.
Contract information for her new position in Cold Spring Harbor was not immediately available.
Ms. Gierasch said she feels “heartfelt gratitude” for the opportunity to serve as superintendent in Mattituck.
“The past year is an example of our community pulling together and setting the example for others to follow. While it was not easy at times, it was your commitment to the Mattituck-Cutchogue faculty, staff and administration that allowed us to achieve such progress in difficult times,” she wrote.
Her resignation will go into effect at the end of the school year, though she assured to work with the Board of Education on a smooth transition.
“There is still a lot to be done prior to my departure from the district, including making sure that the district continues on its course of excellence,” she said.
The Board of Education meets at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the high school library.
The Mattituck Board of Education meets at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
The Southold and Greenport school districts both recently hired new superintendents after David Gamberg retired at the end of the last school year. Ms. Gierasch had been hired at Mattituck to succeed Anne Smith, who had been hired in 2014 as the district’s first female superintendent.
Dozens of brightly colored robots whirred around the cafeteria floor at Cutchogue East Elementary on Wednesday as fourth grade students put their coding skills to the test.
The room was transformed into a robotics arena where students split into two teams, competing against each other to score — or steal — the most points.
“It’s really a cumulative celebration of all the code we’ve learned,” said STEAM coordinator Meghan Tepfenhardt, who helps lead a district-wide initiative to expand science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics activities for K-6 students.
From their own iPads, students in Catherine Duffy and Dan O’Sullivan’s fourth-grade class battled it out, cheering each time a robot functioning as either a gripper, launcher or helper, helped move a colored block into the end zone to score a point.
Students used a series of apps to control their bright blue Dash robot complete with a cyclopean eye, by writing and executing code sequences on the spot.
Ms. Tepfenhardt said programming and working with robots fosters problem-solving skills, creativity and collaboration.
And, besides, it’s fun.
“Whether it’s high-tech or low tech, we make sure it’s centered around ‘here’s a problem, how am I going to solve it?’ It’s trying, attempting, adjusting and trying again,” Ms. Tepfenhardt said of the process.
While students would typically work in groups to control one larger robot, Ms. Tepfenhardt said the pandemic led to a more independent approach. “We had to think about it in a very different way,” she said, adding that the district and Board of Education lent their support through funding and purchasing additional robots for the one-to-one experience.
Teamwork and strategizing were still evident as students worked together during Wednesday’s session.
“The idea of persevering and revision, having to go back at something to really accomplish a task in itself is amazing,” Ms. Tepfenhardt said. “STEAM just lends itself to that.”
At the end of the week-long competition, the team with the highest score will be named Cutchogue East BattleBots Champions.
Learning to code is now just as commonplace as learning multiplication or the scientific method and educators say they’re already seeing the benefits.
“They’ve learned so much doing this program,” Ms. Duffy said. “The thing I’m starting to notice is the crossover into math class.”
“We just started introducing geometry and angles and even today, the students are like ‘Oh! That’s a 90-degree turn,’ so it’s nice to see that carryover,” she added. “It’s making the terms that we teach become real and tangible for them, which is pretty neat.”
Mattituck-Cutchogue Superintendent Jill Gierasch said the third- and fourth graders have been looking forward to the BattleBots unit for weeks. “Who doesn’t love to battle their peers using robots?” she said.
The STEAM program was introduced at the elementary school level two years ago and Ms. Gierasch said it’s only the beginning. Next school year, the program is expected to be fully funded and expanded at the secondary level through a robotics club.
“When we purposely tap students’ interest with high level, engaging and challenging curriculum, the opportunities await for children at all levels,” she said.
