Schools

Riverhead unveiled an extensive plan for reopening school to some in-person instruction, with staggered schedules, strict mask requirements and daily temperature checks among the changes the district is planning to bring students back to school safely this fall.

Riverhead High School has been named a 2019-2020 Scholar-Athlete School of Excellence by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. It is one of 15 Suffolk schools to receive that honor.

Riverhead is planning to implement a “hybrid model” combining in-person and remote learning, for the return to school in September, since social distancing restrictions will make it impossible to have all children attend school every day, Interim Superintendent Christine Tona said at Tuesday night's school board meeting.

Schools find themselves planning for multiple potential scenarios in the new school year: students in classrooms, remote instruction or a new, hybrid model — with state guidelines still in flux.

New York State will allow schools in regions with low infection rates to bring students back to the classroom this fall, with a number of restrictions.

Former school superintendent Aurelia Henriquez was paid half her base annual salary in a lump sum upon her resignation last month and may be paid the other half in monthly installments beginning in January if she is not otherwise “gainfully employed” from January to June, according to the terms of an agreement approved by the school board June 29.

The school board voted unanimously to schedule the revote on July 28, the date established by Gov. Andrew Cuomo for school budget re-votes across the state.

The public is invited to attend tomorrow’s Riverhead school board meeting for the first time since the coronavirus crisis began in March.

Contingency spending plan, said to be a stop-gap until revote on failed budget, cuts nearly $1M from athletics programs, makes steep cuts to music performances and clubs, electives, elementary literacy and more.

Riverhead School Superintendent Aurelia Henriquez has resigned her position effective June 30. The board of education accepted her resignation this afternoon at a special board meeting and appointed Assistant Superintendent Christine Tona as interim superintendent effective July 1.