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If downtown housing development in Riverhead continues, its school district said it will be unable to handle the new student influx it will cause.
The Riverhead Central School District Board of Education met on January 26, later stating that it had “unanimously adopted a resolution expressing its concern” over the costs of expanding existing district boundaries. Board President Laurie Downs said that while she believes every student deserves an education, developers and town officials need to “ensure that our schools are right-sized for the population.”
The board feels that the continued development is “unsustainable” and that no developmental change should be made to existing zones without “feasible solutions” to improve the educational cost and burden on the school district.
As the school budget process gets underway for 2021-2022, Riverhead interim Superintendent Christine Tona warned that the road ahead will be challenging for the district as it navigates back from last year’s failed budget proposals.
“The impact of this year’s contingency budget is on my mind every day as we plan the next year’s budget,” Ms. Tona said during a Board of Education meeting Tuesday.
Voters rejected a $147.1 million proposal twice last year, forcing the board to make tough calls in order to shave $2.3 million from the plan.
Ms. Tona cited the loss of the year’s tax levy growth as the top challenge facing the district as they forge ahead with the planning process.
School districts face uncertainty as preliminary state budget shows cuts in aid A Southold school bus at the high school in the days prior to reopening. (Credit: Grant Parpan)
Nearly every local school district would face cuts in state aid under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed 2021-22 budget.
As the governor presented his budget proposal last week, two vastly different scenarios emerged, each of which hinges on the level of federal aid the state will receive.
While the governor remains hopeful that with new leadership in Washington, the state may get a fairer share, it’s unclear if forthcoming relief packages will be enough to address New York’s $15 billion budget shortfall.
Districts finding ways to keep students in classrooms newsday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newsday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Riverhead had switched to remote learning Thursday while most districts, including SWR, were fully closed.
The National Weather Service reported 5.2 inches of snow fell in Riverhead. An area in Calverton got 6.5 inches. County officials have cautioned some roads could be dangerous overnight due to the potential for black ice as temperatures remain freezing.
The forecast Friday calls for a high of 35 degrees with mostly sunny skies. Wind chill values are between 10 and 20.
Riverhead has been operating a hybrid model since the school year began.
Riverhead’s interim Superintendent Christine Tona also announced in a letter Wednesday to the community the latest positive COVID-19 cases, which included one transportation staff member. Three students at Riley Avenue Elementary and one each at the middle school, Pulaski Street and Roanoke all tested positive. A staff member at Phillips Avenue also tested positive.