Parents spoke out last night against cuts to the Riverhead Central School District’s elementary dual language program and instructional staffing reductions proposed by the administration in its 2024-25 budget.
Most of the criticism of the proposal was directed at the district gutting its K-4 school dual language program, in which both native English and Spanish speaking elementary school students learn by taking courses in both languages. District officials said that instead of being offered in all four of the district’s elementary schools, the program will be consolidated at Phillips Avenue Elementary School, where the program began more than a decade ago. The program was expanded to include the other three elementary schools in the current school year.
“I keep hearing it being compared to clubs and sports, it’s not the same,” Stephanie Fedun of Baiting Hollow said. “It’s a program, these children have just entered school, they have a way of learning now that you are taking away from them. You’re taking away the opportunity for them to be able to communicate in two languages as well as non-native speakers to be able to communicate with them. You’re taking away a huge way for them to learn.”
“I think it would be beneficial for our students, which is what this is about, to find a way to make the program work in every elementary school,” Fedun said.
Fedun was one of several parents in the room last night who commented after Interim Assistant Superintendent for Business Marianne Cartisano outlined the administration’s proposed instructional staffing plan, which would eliminate 56.8 full-time faculty and staff positions from the district through layoffs and attrition.
“There was a commitment asked of us parents that we commit to seven years of this program,” Georgina Israel of Calverton said. “So where is the commitment from the district to the parents and to the children?”
Cartisano said the district is legally and contractually obligated to cut staff based on seniority, with the least senior staff members being laid off first.
“Excessing staff based on seniority does not allow the program to be offered in 24-25 as it currently exists,” Cartisano said. “The staffing plan for 24-25 does not have the faculty who maintain the specific certification that is needed.”
Enrollment in the program next year will be limited and based on a lottery system that will be available to elementary school students, Cartisano said. Students outside of the area designated for Phillips taking the dual language program will be provided transportation to the school, she said. The program will also be “reconstructed” to support additional English Language Learner students, Cartisano said.
Sanna Hagley of Calverton said she has a child currently enrolled in the dual language program. By cutting the program, she said, the district is taking away the opportunity for other children, including her other child, to enroll.
“Speaking frankly, why does it sound like the district is living paycheck to paycheck?” Diana Tanis of Wading River asked. “Why are you spending all your money upfront and not planning for later?”
Tanis, who said she has a child in the dual language program, asked why the district expanded the dual language program if it knew the funding wasn’t available for the program in the following school years.
“I don’t have a good answer for you, because I was not here… last year. I’ve been here since October 24,” Cartisano said. “And what I will tell you is anytime that you introduce a new program, there needs to be a financial plan that is going to support that,” she said.
“So I don’t have an answer for you because I don’t think there is a good one,” Cartisano said.
“You have every right to feel the way you do. I want to say that to you,” Interim Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich said. “But because as a parent, I don’t feel similarly. And so we’re not in any way marginalizing how you feel. And your child. It matters.”
Pedisich said in a response to another parent’s question that the district never should have expanded the program.
School board president Colin Palmer had no comment last night as to why the school board authorized the dual language program when it could not be funded in the 2024-25 school year. In a written statement today, Palmer said: “The decisions of the Board of Education, like the implementation of the Dual Language Program, are made upon the recommendations of the Superintendent at the time and the financial information that we are given.”
Last year, school district administration was led by former Superintendent Augustine Tornatore, with the business affairs of the district being led by former Assistant Superintendent for Business Rodney Asse. Tornatore left his position pursuant to a separation agreement with the district on Oct. 24, with Asse noticing his intent to resign and being “reassigned” at home the same day.
Pedisich and Cartisano — both retired former superintendents for Long Island school districts — were hired to replace both administrators in the interim. Pedisich and Cartisano will both stay with the district for another school year, Palmer said in a statement read aloud last night.
Krystle Weismiller of Calverton asked administrators how elementary school teachers will fare without the elementary teaching assistants being cut. The district has proposed cutting 18 teaching assistant positions. (Seven of the teaching assistant positions to be eliminated are currently vacant, Cartisano said.)
“If they don’t have the support, our children are set up to fail,” she said.
The district’s budget proposal would also eliminate positions in the middle school, which will require the Riverhead Middle School to change from a nine-period day to an eight-period day. Cuts to the high school require that courses with fewer than 15 students enrolled will not go forward, unless that class is required for graduation.The proposal keeps many programs intact.
Eliminating the positions mentioned last night allows the district to reduce potential expenditures for salary and benefits by $6.68 million, Cartisano said during her presentation.
The administration has proposed a $201.4 million budget for next school year — an increase of $9.4 million, or roughly 5%, over its current budget. The proposal would require a tax levy increase of 3.34%, the maximum allowed by the state-imposed tax levy cap in Riverhead next year. Several of the positions being cut were funded by a portion of roughly $20 million in federal coronavirus recovery funding the district received over the last three school years. The federal funding runs out this year.
The school board is scheduled to vote on adopting a budget on April 16 and hold a hearing on the budget May 14. The budget will be up for a vote by district residents on May 21.
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