Push on school board to revisit funding for sports, extracurricular programs

Now that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said some fall sports may resume competitive play as of Sept. 21, at least three members of the Riverhead school board want to revisit the question of restoring funding for athletics, music, theater and extracurricular activities — even though that would mean drawing from funding set aside to hedge against cuts in state aid of as much as 20% expected during this fiscal year and next.

Trustee Christopher Dorr, who has opposed cutting funding for sports and other extracurriculars, asked that “dipping into reserves to fund sports and music and extracurricular activities” be put on the school board’s agenda at its next meeting.

“Now that the governor has allowed sports to continue, I think this is something that we owe to our students and our children of Riverhead, to educate the whole child, not just in the classroom but also what they get through music, art, theater and sports,” Dorr said.

Cuomo on Monday announced that “lower-risk” sports — tennis, soccer, cross country, field hockey and swimming — may begin to practice and play beginning Sept. 21.

Riverhead, the only district on Long Island with a failed budget, will be the only district on Long Island without a sports program this fall.

Trustees Therese Zuhoski and Brian Connelly supported Dorr’s request, while Trustee Susan Koukounas said she could not.

“Gov. Cuomo is already saying that he will most likely decrease at least 20% of our state aid,” Koukounas said. “To dip into reserves would be like cutting off our foot for next year.”

The school board placed unspent funds from the 2019-2020 school year in reserves to make up for cuts Cuomo warned would be coming unless the federal government provided a comprehensive coronavirus relief package to help states and municipalities recover from the economic devastation wrought by the pandemic. Thus far, partisan differences have prevented the Democrat-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate from agreeing on a relief package.

Connelly pointed out the governor has only cleared competitive play for certain “low-risk” non-contact sports. Football may practice but there won’t be competitive play, at least not at first.

“If that small amount out of reserves is something that’s going to keep this district afloat, we’re really in — we’re in some serious trouble,” Connelly said.

“I’m going to agree with Mr. Dorr — it is the whole child. It’s giving these kids hope. It’s giving these parents, these kids, our community hope, to do these things,” Connelly said. “Our job is to find that money. Our job is to find a way to get it done, no matter how it is.

“You talk about it being a rainy day fund. You talk about it being an emergency,” he saiid. “This is the rainy day. This is the emergency. This is the time to step up and be brave. This is one of those moments.”

Connelly said the board has “an opportunity to do something great” and must do so. “We’ll worry about next year’s budget, through transparency, being more transparent and explaining things better,” he said.

He asked that the district office prepare a comprehensive breakdown of the cost of all clubs, activities and athletics at all levels, so that board members have a clear picture of the actual cost of each and can “make a better decision.”