HB School Board Notes: School Budget, Graduation Rates and Students of the Month

The Hampton Bays School District’s proposed school budget continues to be developed by committees and school officials amid uncertain New York State funding and it is expected to be unveiled at an April 12 school board meeting, according to school officials.

During the Hampton Bays School Board’s monthly meeting on Tuesday night, Larry Luce, a school district administrator, said an increase of two to three percent over the current budget is still the target.  The challenge, he said, is to develop a budget that anticipates possible deep cuts in New York State funding while keeping crucial programs and avoiding teacher layoffs.

To that end, Luce said he attended a New York State Aid meeting hosted by Quest RIII to help districts interpret and unravel complicated formulas in anticipated state aid to help develop proposed school budgets.

Other budget development efforts are also underway, said Superintendent Lars Clemensen.

Clemensen said that the Budget Advisory Committee, which is made up of local organization representatives and school personnel, would continue to meet and make recommendations on budget funding.

Research into ways to influence state funding is also being undertaken by school district staff, said Clemensen.

Clemensen said that the school is committed to “continue to fight” in whatever ways possible on the state level.  He also said that in developing the budget, the district will work to cut inefficiencies and costs while still delivering a “strong education” in the developing proposed budget.

District Receives Favorable Marks

Denise Sullivan, assistant to the superintendent for curriculum, presented the school board with the results to the district’s, which was released in February.

According to Sullivan, the New York State District Report Cards included information about Regents test scores, district demographics, teacher qualification statistics and information on how schools stack up in the Federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Sullivan said the report shows that an increased percentage of students graduated and earned regents diplomas over prior years, which is good news.

The district also, she pointed out, compared favorably to neighboring school districts and to those with similar compositions of students and finances available.

In discussing specifics of the report, Sullivan said that in 2009-2010, 92 percent of seniors graduated Hampton Bays High School, representing a two percent increase over last year. The 2009-2010 rate is a 20 percent increase over 2007-2008 results, when 72 percent of seniors graduated.

Meanwhile, eighty-five percent of Hampton Bays graduates received a Regents Diploma in 2009-2010, a jump of eight percent over the prior year. In 2007-2008, 84 percent of graduating seniors received a Regents Diploma, according to the presentation.

Compared to South Fork districts, Hampton Bays graduation rates were in the upper spectrum, Sullivan reported.

For example, she said, Sag Harbor’s graduation rate was 94 percent or 2 percent higher. 

Hampton Bays, however, she said, placed at the bottom with its Regents Diploma Rate compared to other South Fork schools. She said, that the percentage of students who graduated with a Regents Diploma on the South Fork ranged from 92 percent in Sag Harbor to Hampton Bays at 85 percent.

An apples-to-apples comparison with these schools wasn’t an accurate portrayal because of differing district resources, Sullivan said. Similar schools defined by New York State with “similar capacity with regards to district resources” are Center Moriches, Patchogue-Medford, Middle Country and William Floyd.

Compared with these schools, Hampton Bays topped the chart in overall graduation rates, ranging from 92 percent to 74 percent. The Hampton Bays Regents Diploma percentage rate of 85 percent fell in the middle. The percentage of graduates achieving Regents Diplomas ranged from 88 percent in Center Moriches to 80 percent in William Floyd.

Cheer for a Cure Presents Checks

Also at the meeting, , who participated in a Cheer for a Cure event presented checks totaling about $6,000 to Kids Stock the House of the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island and The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York. The fundraising event was held Feb. 5.

Students Awarded

Student of the Month Awards were presented to fourth grader Maryrose O’Connell, eight grader Alexandra Peterson and high school senior Robert King.

Also recognized was Drew Walker, who was presented with a Scholar Athlete Recognition award for the district’s winter sports season.