School District needs cuts or income to meet tax cap Shelter Island School Superintendent Brian Doelger, Ed.D. (Credit: Reporter file photo)
The Board of Education (BOE) is nearing its goal of creating a budget that won’t go above the state-imposed 2% rise on spending.
At Monday night’s budget workshop Superintendent Brian Doelger, Ed.D., announced in his review of the draft budget, and talks with board members, he had come within $37,587 of meeting that goal.
As it currently stands the draft budget is at $12.4 million, representing a 2.14% change from the current school year spending plan of $12.15 million.
A few weeks earlier, the BOE was looking at the need to slash $70,000 from the draft budget to meet its goal. Now Mr. Doelger thinks he has a road map for what to cut and where more money might come to the district.
Gender neutral school bathroom policy on deck Shelter Island School. (Credit: Ambrose Clancy)
The Shelter Island Board of Education offered a first reading of a policy Monday evening creating gender neutral single occupancy bathrooms at the school.
The policy is in line, officials said, with creating and maintaining an inclusive educational and work environment.
If the policy is adopted it would designate all single-occupancy bathroom facilities as gender neutral for use by no more than one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use.
Graduation plans
With the COVID-19 pandemic last spring, school officials went out of their way to implement special activities around the graduation of the class of 2020.
Esther Simovich was the first person inoculated against the COVID-19 coronavirus at the on-Island vaccination site at the school Feb. 26. Nurse and Islander Kelly Surerus did the honors. (Credit: Beverlea Walz)
For those who carp about government being a bloated conspiracy dedicated to taking away our freedoms, and elected officials who do nothing but feed at the public trough, you should have been at the school gym Friday, Feb. 26.
In a remarkable example of extremely hard work, dedication, communication and perseverance the word used by Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) and Supervisor Gerry Siller the Island managed a complicated logistical problem like clockwork to ensure public health.
Correction: Town officials almost certain of securing site for on-Island vaccinations at the school on Feb 26 and March 19 timesreview.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesreview.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Shelter Island Town Hall (Credit: Tara Smith)
Shelter Island is prepared to schedule appointments and provide all logistical necessities needed to provide COVID-19 vaccines to residents, but what it lacks is the vaccine. That was the message Tuesday from town officials.
Police Chief Jim Read said school officials are prepared to schedule classes virtually so that the building could accommodate vaccinations. He said the town would handle scheduling of appointments and arrange for whatever number of professionals would be needed to administer the inoculations.
It can also provide a freezer or refrigeration unit for vaccines and any other requirements the federal, state or county officials might impose. Camp Quinipet has also offered space to administer vaccines, Supervisor Gerry Siller said.