Two Riverhead school district retirees and one current employee sit side by side in the high school auditorium, facing the board members at the front of the room. The auditorium is silent. Most board members are smiling.
When the trio is called to the front of the room by board president Susan Koukounas, they’re met with a standing ovation from roughly 60 audience members. READ
The Riverhead Board of Education named a new president and vice president at Monday night’s meeting.
The board elected Susan Koukounas as president by a vote of 5-2. Board members Laurie Downs and Therese Zuhoski abstained. READ
To the Editor:
Riverhead Central School District’s budget will be presented for approval next Tuesday to voters, who will also choose three candidates to represent the community on the Board of Education. We are fortunate in this community to have a number of candidates who are willing to take the time to run for such an important position and all should be commended for their desire to serve the public. READ
To the Editor:
After 50 years of being associated with education in Riverhead Town, I am breaking with the Riverhead Central Faculty Association’s endorsement for the Board of Education.
I am probably the only former member of the Riverhead Board of Education who can see our school district through four different lenses—a teacher for over thirty years, the teacher union president for five years, a community member for 50 years, and a BOE member for eight years, four as president. I have been on the sending and receiving ends of criticism and kudos for work in each of those areas. I am proud of the contributions I have made over the years to ensure fair and equitable education for all of the students in this school district.
As I am sure you are aware, I resigned from the BOE last year in protest of its lack of transparency and the lack of regard for New York State Education Law. At the time I resigned, the President of the BOE, Susan Koukounas, made numerous decisions without input from fellow members. Several of those decisions involved keeping a secret “personnel file” in the district office.
Deals were cut behind closed doors. Her attitude was that the other six members, without being consulted, were there to rubber stamp her arrangements made directly with the superintendent. Her response to my resignation was, “these allegations are untrue, and Ms. Cotten-DeGrasse is having difficulty not being the BOE President.”
I expressed my concerns regarding Ms. Koukounas’ leadership style to her and other members of the board in 2016, hoping for a change. However, after two years of her presidency, if anything, the situation got worse.
I have expressed my concerns to the Riverhead Central Faculty Association, but am sorry to see that they are endorsing Ms. Koukounas for re-election. The school district has a new superintendent and we need a new Board of Education — one that is honest with parents and taxpayers, not one that hides its decisions and disregards any concerns brought before it.
I am working with Elizabeth Silva, Amelia Lantz, and Ronald Fisher for election on May 15. In all my years in education, I feel this is the most important decision we will make.
Ann Cotten-DeGrasse
Former Riverhead Board of Education member Amelia Lantz has publicly backed Ann Cotten-DeGrasse’s claims that the board has violated New York State Education Department law. They both resigned from the board June 20.
Riverhead school board president Susan Koukounas, speaking for the first time following the abrupt resignation of two fellow board members, denied claims of procedural violations following Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting. READ
First-year Riverhead Board of Education trustee Laurie Downs said Tuesday that she’d like to see the district include the salaries and educational backgrounds of new hires on school board agendas. READ
One incumbent and four challengers are running for two Riverhead school board seats that are up for grabs Tuesday night.
Incumbent and board vice president Susan Koukounas is facing former board president Ann Cotten-DeGrasse, past candidates Greg Fischer and Laurie Downs and newcomer Brad Harnig. (more…)