[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6263202,"mediaKeyId","3108444-ac0503aee835fdc1a7230d554585661d","parentId",3108444,"title","Board hears pros and cons of mandatory marching band participation; directors cite participation and performance losses if optional","audioSeconds",781,"startMs",4811000,"endMs",5592000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3108444-ac0503aee835fdc1a7230d554585661d&start=4811&end=5592","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3108444-ac0503aee835fdc1a7230d554585661d/thumbnail_4811000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6263202/New-York/Board-hears-pros-and-cons-of-mandatory-marching-band-participation-directors-cite-participation-and-performance-losses-if-optional","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6263202-22995b782e74f351fac6985e05d6b6f2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440026&Signature=JBF1Fkzr1zEaa-reS3k9HaBueTZOrlofXr~vy61JRTOusmYxfV8IE7e-tBjn-0VIqgjPQS6YTGUFCJdbKzPX5y5~DpjulvMHL0FKvs5y2O5XKqaz-C3j-nyJmQSipMzKha00kwmUYQbcJl7jQgy2QwXm6nqu6SRqCSSorLDHLicSr2mcmjpFvtn1a-oN6PTcVoGyFToizhhupF~4i8AZvcmBQnlvAYyhIfC652Ze7tFR9WK8qxDNPSySWemDdpHepUJHQq0ER1ha3kTxeiJsDyANwcsWf2a6Yz2WNxSGpIDtVlXURt-SvaevWVo~FjG2EmTt9rZFytt1O1uJy6t9sA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-24T09:04:00.407Z","article","The Connetquot school board engaged in an extended discussion about whether marching band should remain a mandatory high-school curriculum component after several parents and trustees raised concerns that the requirement limits students’ ability to play other sports or join other activities.

Assistant Superintendent Christina Poppy said the high school band directors are “very flexible” and reported more than 60 percent of marching-band members also participate in sports. High-school band leadership (represented in the conversation by the band director, Mr. Melifrante) warned that districts that made marching-band participation voluntary have seen marching programs disappear; the director described a potential loss of parades, pep-band performances, travel opportunities and other ensemble experiences if numbers fall.

Trustees and parents described two competing concerns: widening student choice and preserving a large marching program that provides experiences and travel opportunities for many students. Board members suggested exploring options such as an elective concert band, consolidating clubs earlier in the pipeline to retain students, and reviewing middle-school-to-high-school transition practices that appear to reduce participation between eighth and ninth grades.

No policy change vote occurred at the meeting. Trustees asked administration to follow up with data on club attendance, sign-in sheets, and how marching-band participation is discussed in course-selection guidance for incoming high-school students.

Ending: Officials said they will collect participation data and discuss potential program adjustments that could preserve marching-band opportunities while expanding choice and elective options.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education - Public Session - 4/22/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Trustees debated whether marching band should remain a mandatory high-school curriculum component. Band staff warned making participation voluntary can shrink the program; trustees split between supporting student choice and preserving marching-band numbers and opportunities.","taxTitle","CONNETQUOT CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",67169,"location","New York","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6263206,"Connetquot trustees debate Thunderbird mascot; one trustee seeks letter to president",3628,4420000,8048000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3108444-ac0503aee835fdc1a7230d554585661d&start=4420&end=8048","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3108444-ac0503aee835fdc1a7230d554585661d/thumbnail_4420000.jpg","/articles/6263206/New-York/Connetquot-trustees-debate-Thunderbird-mascot-one-trustee-seeks-letter-to-president","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6263206-5e272f10baf2273acb02e722ca410ddf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440027&Signature=fL9J114z-6NZDHsEJFJwnA1AzgpbsVc6yVOp3dtzTdercxKGsjusQizbIcOms6tMamVCE4OhXnJYBhQBAZ02QUdLAY80FJ4KXPZ4dsUtTUYQt8YXUWsfDJ-KqEQcEhuUYFvU8Fzduh6xvPbWwTHsuMofKRJzSSip~hkRbEOsBQL~-gBgCByy~dmujG00Ghb1cRL-~22TnN4QrbNPdHoPPQnopyDUJcQTxnpi9l8bYqDeEqyOJ5FZA6Oi9~wZ5cLCkknytu~~vdNQEjfvOURi4fm2h5sqPh6oAA8Ys~xk-ygwsjgjrzDR1g0Eu0Kj5VX1Qh~pJ3nGgZ3Ix1w8Si46gA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Thunderbird mascot prompted sustained discussion at the Connetquot Central School District meeting as public speakers, veterans and trustees weighed whether to mount an active campaign to keep or defend the name.

Lieutenant William Gleeson (retired FDNY), a Connetquot graduate and community member, urged the board to preserve the Thunderbird, saying the emblem was established by veterans \"to honor veterans\" and criticizing efforts to remove it. \"Removing a mascot that was established to honor veterans is publicly doing the opposite and showing that the school ... does not support students going into the military,\" Gleeson said during public comment.

Trustee Jacqueline Napolitano Forno asked the board to send a letter to President Trump seeking assistance, saying the district should \"exhaust all avenues\" before changing the mascot. Several trustees supported sending a letter; others said they would not sign. One trustee warned that pushing a legal or political fight could be perceived as insensitive to Native American communities and urged listening to tribal voices who had expressed objections.

Board President and other trustees reviewed prior district actions on similar issues and recalled a past legal dispute over a different symbol that was dismissed in court. A subset of trustees emphasized local control and advocacy for community sentiment; others emphasized consultation, careful messaging, and awareness that some tribal leaders had publicly objected to the mascot.

The transcript records no formal board vote on the mascot at this meeting. Trustees discussed drafting and potentially circulating a letter; one trustee said she intended to draft a letter and invited other trustees to sign if they wished. Another trustee asked that her name not be included on any such letter.

Ending: The board discussed next steps but took no formal action. Trustees and administrators said they would consider further outreach and messaging and review community perspectives before any final decision.","Public speakers and trustees debated whether to defend the district’s Thunderbird mascot. A trustee proposed sending a letter to President Trump asking for assistance; other trustees expressed concern about the optics and urged sensitivity to Native American perspectives.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6263212,"Bosti elementary opens a short-duration \"Serenity Space\" for students with anxiety; district outlines supervision and scope",301,3889000,4190000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3108444-ac0503aee835fdc1a7230d554585661d&start=3889&end=4190","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3108444-ac0503aee835fdc1a7230d554585661d/thumbnail_3889000.jpg","/articles/6263212/New-York/Bosti-elementary-opens-a-short-duration-Serenity-Space-for-students-with-anxiety-district-outlines-supervision-and-scope","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6263212-7f8e80e7f21b4a30c8e7ff8fdae15b34/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440027&Signature=hkzijHxhLCNO9cM4TpfOKoZNdKP-0gb5KpoHZ52UhawD3u4kmXcMqHVSasfF0S9saTkuJXPejH5H0KHZ-0weJzdRDCu7r~NrerhFaa0qRrMYuq3SL~eLVm7wh9cAOD53uIN3izT2G5CTorA5shK3SCxnDs5u1KWZQV83~WjjZHQjk1ZFcI4eT-hgi03PUv-oKtrBT9DkIGdDDOttoTv42lKId967O7mkfjAB8YfxYqKUxyYokJRusEwj2UKRVkzFRgBCA8BVAdqzcFMpkhGXS-uddrXh0YQ4so-UY4ly00N5RGBfCpnyFdXi7xCKCleS9ZqUHgTl94jFLrCiiN0dcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District administrators described a new Serenity Space at Bosti Elementary School intended as a brief, supervised place for some students in upper elementary grades to decompress when experiencing anxiety or sensory overload.

Dr. Joseph Centimore, the district superintendent, said the principal, shared-decision team, social workers and psychologists worked to design the space. \"They looked to create a space where, you know, mostly for the grades like 2 through 5 ... to give them an opportunity to utilize the space for a couple of minutes,\" Centimore said.

Assistant Superintendent Christina Poppy added that the space is structured and overseen by school staff. \"That does need to be supervision,\" she said, noting that supervision could be an aide or a teaching assistant. Officials emphasized it is not intended as a substitute for formal counseling; rather it is a brief chance to practice calming strategies.

Parents and board members raised questions about who would be present with students in the room and whether the district would communicate placements to families. Centimore and Poppy said protocols are in place and that the elementary principal and social workers helped draft operating procedures. Several trustees encouraged clearer public explanation of the space’s purpose and time limits after images and brief descriptions circulated on social media.

Ending: Administrators said the Serenity Space pilot at Bosti will continue under existing supervision protocols; staff will refine communications with families and consider whether similar arrangements are appropriate at other schools.","Administrators described a pilot \"Serenity Space\" at Bosti Elementary meant to give brief opportunities for students in grades 2–5 to decompress under supervision. District officials said the space is staffed by aides or other supervised adults and is intended for short periods, not as replacement for formal mental-health services.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6263215,"High school junior pitches engineering club; board says club queue and capacity limit delay approval",586,2912000,3498000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3108444-ac0503aee835fdc1a7230d554585661d&start=2912&end=3498","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3108444-ac0503aee835fdc1a7230d554585661d/thumbnail_2912000.jpg","/articles/6263215/New-York/High-school-junior-pitches-engineering-club-board-says-club-queue-and-capacity-limit-delay-approval","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6263215-93316595a1a97298528b1c079bb2bf9a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440027&Signature=a7cnvq3EGVZsxb8-6qZoLH1n3UE80qyaflD1VWP17xbIdIGIyiouoo60IQyd7MJzlAwccLqsKYyMUF1LAcQAN7BcJBbPRmPdDcLZG1au6qqyYe7tXWi8b4z8iZ3gImSncl3AN9UZIG7QiknBMLCSf8UqIiXx997jPPA5P6ZxJgo2aZy1oJiHmQL1CMAEGfYDVZXHKb2PmC2JmlfHwq9wZ2tRplIXlunh982cfFM2p9pKVZofnQ-zyjqHZVf4lzrW0gskNceahklHpBSGf7Wc8Oc6yO9-cYYjlLC2BVGCd~EuNvWnM3wuN9b7KDhXqI7E-5zoeky6E6uqZLa3-Hw9DQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Michael Abraham, a junior at Connetquot High School, told the school board he collected signatures, drafted a curriculum, and proposed modest start-up costs to found an engineering club. He said the plan would emphasize hands-on labs, use existing district resources such as Tinkercad and the school 3-D printer, and pursue low-cost fundraising such as short camps for younger students.

\"My plan is to do a lot of labs for the club to kind of have kids be able to get hands-on experience and really develop the skills through doing,\" Abraham said during public comment. He estimated initial materials costs at roughly $200 and described outreach he had already done with the high school career adviser to arrange industry speakers and potential internships.

High school administration and trustees expressed support for Abraham’s work but said the district has a queue of club requests. Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Christina Poppy told the board the high school currently lists about 40 active clubs and administrators have received eight new proposals this year, including Abraham’s. \"Between last year and this year, a total of 8 clubs, including Michael's engineering club proposal, have been submitted,\" Poppy said. She added that clubs historically have been added only when an existing club dissolves or when adviser funding allows.

Board members encouraged the student and asked administration to review attendance and sign-in data for existing clubs to identify consolidation opportunities that could create space for new offerings. Several trustees praised Abraham’s preparation and indicated they would advocate for the proposal, though no formal board action to authorize a new club was recorded at the meeting.

Ending: Trustees said they will follow up on club attendance audits and the board’s club-capacity rules; Abraham and supporters were urged to stay in touch with high school administration as the district evaluates which proposals can be onboarded next school year.","Connetquot High School junior Michael Abraham presented a detailed proposal to start an engineering club, including funding ideas and internship connections. Administration said the high school has a queue of club proposals and that capacity and adviser-budget constraints prevent immediate onboarding.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6263222,"Connetquot board adopts $229 million proposed budget; tax levy to rise under state cap",1948,661000,2609000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3108444-ac0503aee835fdc1a7230d554585661d&start=661&end=2609","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3108444-ac0503aee835fdc1a7230d554585661d/thumbnail_661000.jpg","/articles/6263222/New-York/Connetquot-board-adopts-229-million-proposed-budget-tax-levy-to-rise-under-state-cap","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6263222-8078755b7591344f72978f38f1c7dbd1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440027&Signature=JLnTAnL~nPw8jw7vdrhGr3wlppGivUMMSgLijb9j~hJMHvyaeisKzu-zBz0-7THfW3dY1hIhG7OBoPGiZPdLSnZfL7vYJLdB9c6QNifKCqtIQf33Xm2FjzQcx2~QQcGEE~TTwBfh89GQiZvuVVy5zme80XbIquAnrKx6dU64zrqjyiKUWliaJDpOXMhvEW7Ua9ij6p5kusRkmqVOy8wAv2KAV0M96RDve8~lnZTlflraW0MUY3o1z74JaKTaBW3b~bp-~NnDoOyz2P9UkkkdJNkBFT-N4wEA7q5u7TqOmEB6V9NZFj2bEweyyfb2ld2x8fu4XlpzIxvcjmA0p4OT5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Connetquot Central School District board on Monday adopted a proposed $229,058,920 budget for the 2025–26 school year and approved related personnel and consent items, district officials said.

The approved proposed expenditures represent an increase of $6,485,902, or 2.91 percent, from the current year, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations Robert Hauser told the board. The district is proposing to raise $145,707,696 by property taxes — a $1,933,428 increase that Hauser said translates to a 1.34 percent levy increase under New York State’s tax-cap calculation.

Board approval came after Hauser reviewed revenue and expenditure lines and warned that the state’s final school-aid figures are still pending. \"We still do not have a final state aid estimate from the state legislature and the governor,\" Hauser said during his presentation. He told the board the proposed budget is balanced with the revenues shown and noted the district would use reserves if expected state aid does not materialize.

Why it matters: The levy increase is within the state cap Hauser cited, but the district’s financial plan remains contingent on two unknowns: the final state foundation-aid number and the possibility of prior-year state-aid payments. Hauser said a roughly 1 percent boost in foundation aid would yield about $360,000 for the district; district officials also listed prior-year state-aid claims — one about $1.4 million — that remain unpaid and could be credited if the state approves them.

Hauser outlined program costs included in the proposed budget. Among the items he highlighted were expansion of Universal Pre-K (UPK) from 11 to 13 sections, increasing UPK capacity from 190 to 226 students, continued support for a summer enrichment program (which he said carries a net district cost of about $41,000 after tuition and aid), and ongoing discussions with BOCES about the alternative high school program, which BOCES views as operating at a loss on its side.

School officials said if additional state aid is approved after the budget adoption, those funds would be applied to replenishing district reserves. \"Any anticipated additional state aid approved would be applied back to the reserves,\" Hauser said.

Board action and related votes: The board moved and seconded the budget adoption; the meeting record shows the motion carried after the board president called for the vote. The board also voted to approve instructional and noninstructional personnel listings and to adopt consent agenda items 2–5; each motion passed by unanimous recorded voice vote in the meeting transcript.

What’s next: Hauser reminded the public that the district will hold a public budget hearing on May 13, followed by the actual budget vote on May 20, which will coincide with the school board election.

Ending: District officials urged residents with questions to review the detailed line-item pages and contact Hauser directly; Hauser left contact information on the presentation slide for follow-up questions.","The Connetquot Central School District board adopted a $229,058,920 proposed expenditure budget for 2025–26 and approved related personnel and consent items. District officials said final state aid amounts remain uncertain and prior-year aid claims could affect reserves.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board hears pros and cons of mandatory marching band participation; directors cite participation and performance losses if optional

Connetquot trustees debate Thunderbird mascot; one trustee seeks letter to president

Bosti elementary opens a short-duration "Serenity Space" for students with anxiety; district outlines supervision and scope

High school junior pitches engineering club; board says club queue and capacity limit delay approval

Connetquot board adopts $229 million proposed budget; tax levy to rise under state cap