$83 million school budget presented

On Tuesday, April 25, the Bayport and Blue Point civic associations held a joint monthly meeting to welcome guest speaker, superintendent of Bayport-Blue Point School District Dr. Timothy Hearney, to present the community with the 2023-2024 budget that will be brought to a vote on May 16.

Board of education candidates, current president Michael Miller, his challenger, Ian Savage, and Jess Pignataro, who is running unopposed, also spoke at the end of the meeting to introduce themselves and their impetus for running for the school board.

The proposed 2023-2024 budget is an increase of 3.07 percent, ($2,484,024 additional to last year’s approved budget).

The proposed tax levy is 3.82 percent, which is under the allowable tax cap of 3.94 percent.

Hearney supplied the community with a 14-year overview of budget-to-budget increases compared to each corresponding year’s tax levy, and demonstrated that the district has consistently proposed budgets that are below the allowable increase, sometimes as much as 1.43 percent under the tax levy.

The average budget increase for the 14-year sample was 2.36 percent compared to an average of 2.84 percent increase in the tax levy.

Hearney highlighted the achievements and honors of the school district in the past 10 years including: going from eight to 22 Advanced Placement (i.e. college level) courses offered at the high school, obtaining Blue Ribbon status, the implementation of over 25 new courses/electives, added special education programs, and the allowance of juniors to attend BOCES programs, which has resulted in nearly triple the number of students enrolled in two-year programs.

Citing the “sadness” of last year, where multiple students in the district died by suicide, Hearney stressed the need for additional support for the students’ and families’ social and emotional well-being.

A mantra that Hearney has proposed in recent years is that every student in the district has a “go-to person” they can rely on for support.

Peter Moloney, of Bayport, was critical of the increase in the number of social workers, citing the enrollment decrease of 25 percent in the student population over the last 10 years (Hearney estimated class sizes of around 200 15 years ago compared to class sizes of 130 to 140 in current years).

Hearney countered that the additional support staff had immeasurable positive impact on the student body and that while it was difficult to “quantify,” the mental health of the students were of paramount metrics to consider.

“Hopefully, not having a tragedy,” said Hearney about the importance of having mental health professionals on staff at each school.

Moloney lamented high taxes in the district and asked repeatedly how Hearney would obtain more state funding.

Another audience member countered and said programs like the Energy Performance Contract, which was a $10.4 million bond that was majority-financed by the state and would create $500,000 in annual savings after being implemented, was an example of Hearney “thinking outside of the box” and obtaining state funding that would otherwise be unavailable to the school district.

Debt service to the EPC actually accounts for nearly 20 percent of the budget increase ($440,000), but was an expense that should have been included in the budget a number of years ago, had it not been for the pandemic delaying the state funding and progress of the project.

One social worker’s salary and benefit costs ($112,000) were added to the general fund after previously being part of the federal fund (i.e., COVID money). Hearney explained that this was done on purpose to stagger to the additional two social workers’ costs instead of adding both to the general budget last year.

With the introduction of universal pre-K in the district last year and additional security added at the high school, the inclusive addition to the budget was $36,000.

Cybersecurity efforts also added to the budget with $50,000. Hearney noted the Suffolk County cyberattack that crippled the government for months and that similar security issues of hackers could also face the school district, thus the funding to mitigate against such a circumstance.

Two new clubs are to be introduced to  each building, at a total cost of $35,311. Hearney said this is part of the “go-to person” initiative, as studies have shown that involved students fare better with mental health issues and that the clubs would be based on the interests of the students.

$500,000 will go to a transfer in capital for a list of possible projects including: concrete upgrades and replacements (entrance of Academy Street estimated at $75,000), fence upgrades (updating non-compliant fencing at $65,000), Academy Street softball field (replacing softball backstop, installing field dugouts at $100,000), replacing of original 1929 galvanized pipe in Blue Point Elementary, $200,000, among others.

At the end of Hearney’s presentation, Bayport Civic Association vice president Bob Draffin invited the three school board candidates to speak.

Jess Pignataro, who is running unopposed, will be up for a full three-year term completing her one-year term service for outgoing trustee, Daniene Byrne.

Pignataro, a 15-year resident who has been a school counselor at East Islip for nearly 20 years, also runs the elementary school’s Girl Scout Brownie Troop with 17 members from all three K-5 schools.

In detailing her reason for running again, Pignataro said, “Public education is something we believe in,” and cited that her experience “at the crossroads of education and mental health” made her uniquely qualified for the position.

“Compassion. Connection. Community,” Pignataro’s campaign slogan in 2022 remains her outlook as a board member.

Ian Savage, who is challenging incumbent Michael Miller, spoke next after winning a coin toss.

Savage, who is from Holbrook, spoke of his background in finances and his family’s careers in education, beginning with a position at MetLife and cited “student support and safety” as his main focus and reason for running for school board.

He stressed “financial prudence” and said that “your priority is my priority.”

Savage was critical and said that he felt “the loudest voices are the ones followed,” but did not speak for the majority.

Michael Miller, current board of education president, spoke last and said he was “proud” to have served as board president for the past six years.

“Our curriculum is robust, our course offerings are bar none,” Miller said and added, “We have the best superintendent in New York State.”

Miller went on to extol the work of Dr. Hearney and praise the changes made under his leadership in the school district.

Miller stressed that while there have been disagreements with parents in the district, that he has “always taken the time to reach out” via email or call and “listened to your concerns and have a meaningful conversation.”