From left, Riverhead High School seniors Stephanie Falisi and Ceaser Chabla-Sarmiento with assistant principal Sean O’Hara at the Feb. 12 Riverhead Rotary Club luncheon. Both students were listed on the school’s top 15 students list.
(Credit: Riverhead Rotary)
The Riverhead School District announced Monday the class of 2014’s top 15 students.
Riley Avenue Elementary School. Barbaraellen Koch photo
Two Riley Avenue Elementary School students who brought a knife to school and were accused of plotting an attack on a fellow second-grader in November are now back in class following a three-month suspension — despite a code of conduct that calls for a minimum one-year suspension for incidents involving a weapon.
A Riverhead School District-owned school bus. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)
A lot of questions and concerns bounced around this little brain of mine after hearing that the River-head School District is looking to purchase the TS Hauler property on Edwards Avenue in Calverton for the future location of a bus lot and garage.
Laurie Downs
JENNIFER GUSTAVSON FILE PHOTO | Riverhead superintendent Nancy Carney speaks at a school board meeting.
While an overall increase in Riverhead School District’s 2014-2015 budget remains unknown at this time, Superintendent Nancy Carney reported that “the bulk” of the budget — regular school day expenses, transportation and facility costs — is expected to increase just over 3 percent next year.
During Tuesday night’s school board meeting, Ms. Carney gave her second presentation on part of the district’s budget, following a meeting in the middle of February about the debt obligations the district is facing. She has stated that her main goal in crafting next year’s spending plan is to stay under the state-mandated two percent tax levy cap.
Most of the budget is in general classroom teaching, instruction and support expenses, she said, which are projected to total $38.4 million in 2014-15. That’s a nearly a 3.23 percent increase over the current school year, she said.
“We’re in good place going into the 2014-15 school year,” the superintendent said. “I appreciate all the work the staff has done in the district in being very fiscally responsible and trying to present a budget that is very fair to the taxpayers, as well as preserving our programs.”
Although most of the increases are contractual, Ms. Carney said the Riverhead Charter School budget line is expected to increase by about 18.5 percent, totaling about $2.5 million in tuition costs. The spike is the result of the charter school receiving approval in March to expand its K-6 program through eighth grade.
Under the curriculum, instructional administration and state-mandated testing budget, Ms. Carney estimates about $4.1 million in expenses, a nearly .35 percent decrease compared to the current spending plan. Most of the decrease is a result of more projects in house as opposed to contracting out for services. Another cost savings projected for next year is with material and supplies because the district is using more digital materials as opposed to printing them on paper.
The facilities and security budget is up slightly by .84 percent, totaling about $8.1 million, and transportation expenses will realize a 2.4 percent savings over the current $5.8 million budget due to the district reorganizing its bus routes.
The school board is expected to adopt the spending plan on April 22. The budget vote is set for May 20 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at local polling locations.
Jennifer@timesreview.com
Riverhead Middle School principal Andrea Pekar at Tuesday night’s school board meeting. (Jennifer Gustavson photo)
Riverhead Middle School teachers are continuing to intertwine the state’s recommended curriculum into their own lessons plans in order to ensure that their students achieve Common Core standards.
The Riverhead school board is expected to vote on change order for construction work at Aquebogue Elementary School (pictured above) and the high school. (File photo by Joe Werkmeister)
The Riverhead school board is expected to discuss the preliminary 2014-15 budget, Common Core practices in the middle school and ongoing capital improvement projects at Tuesday night’s regular meeting, according to the agenda.
BARBARAELLEN KOCH FILE PHOTO
Whooping cough cases have once again been reported in Riverhead schools, the district confirmed yesterday.
The district notified parents on Monday, stating in a message that “we continue to have new cases of Pertussis in the Riverhead Central School District. The cases are not limited to one school.” (more…)
The Riverhead School District has just announced the school board will hold a special meeting Thursday to discuss “personnel” in executive session, according to a notice.
The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in the district office. No other details about the meeting were immediately available. (more…)
