Riverhead school budget

The fate of sports, musical performances and clubs in the Riverhead Central School District remains up in the air after a divided school board last night voted to wait to make a decision until it receives an auditor's report later this month.

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.

The Riverhead school board made 'painful' cuts totaling more than $2.4 million from the proposed budget twice rejected by voters this year — to arrive at a spending level allowed by law for a contingent budget.

Riverhead's proposed budget was defeated by a slim 59-vote margin in a re-vote on Tuesday, leaving disappointed officials to ponder next steps.

A second school budget failure would not only portend steep spending cuts to sports and clubs, but further restrict the district’s resources as it confronts the enormous task of safely sending children back to the classroom in September.

The budget hearing is the second hearing on the district’s proposed $147.1 million operating budget, which is scheduled for a second vote on July 28 following its rejection last month by district voters.

Riverhead High School students and football players Andrew MacGray, right, Mike Pace, left, and Mike McLean are organizing a rally July 25 to urge voters to pass the school budget.

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.

With its first failed budget in more than a decade, the Riverhead school board must decide whether to submit the budget to voters again or live with a $144.8 million contingency budget. In a June 9 executive order, the governor said school districts will be allowed a revote next month, with date and process to be determined by him.

Riverhead’s school budget proposal was rejected by voters 3,173 to 2847. Incumbents Therese Zuhoski and Christopher Dorr were returned to office and newcomer Virginia Healy was elected to the Board of Education.