[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6183706,"mediaKeyId","5093896-107faaa5c1c0657bc388ee1038fab1a1","parentId",5093896,"title","Parents, advocates tell Riverhead board students with disabilities may be unsafe on buses; board offered no immediate remedy","audioSeconds",416,"startMs",4251000,"endMs",4667000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5093896-107faaa5c1c0657bc388ee1038fab1a1&start=4251&end=4667","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5093896-107faaa5c1c0657bc388ee1038fab1a1/thumbnail_4251000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6183706/New-York/Parents-advocates-tell-Riverhead-board-students-with-disabilities-may-be-unsafe-on-buses-board-offered-no-immediate-remedy","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6183706-6c2c35c5433256f2834fed3b17867fee/orig.mp4?Expires=1775362394&Signature=DDM5v0QV3BUpdhD7lBFLOdXB6sBz0fpHXNTUophvW4bzLuFSHaRwDf1UmqnoflEJO9C0bV6u-r1Wj4hZXGI7b5FXvtItALigM25mQbnztnpx~zC8raIlk9aOm8gsfOojyARJIlLGzV7jrkOoZHuEMnWbYiyfXlx8hGX0Ody1dfTnlqhcgNTENFXKKbarq3lzynd-ZnM1D1F1ZmKHCZlenaM2aDbVXNVDZr3ETC62caFKrrNp~HrtkXJkQrcCs5Litb52198fxHhNs5eJJzdJFItHHo3Wc8sAp4MGbFLBOpRbYZVAcg45UZ~gM6BVbxoqOQZPqTmEa3oYHJVIhPfvmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Riverhead Central School District","date","2025-06-25T00:00:00Z","article","At the June 24 Riverhead Central School District Board of Education meeting, two public speakers raised safety concerns about securement and restraint of students with disabilities on district transportation and asked the board to investigate.

Eva Roberts, who identified herself as a Riverhead resident, told the board she had repeatedly raised concerns about “correct or incorrect securement” of students on buses and referenced a recent incident in another state in which a 6-year-old girl died on a school bus. Roberts said she has identified multiple areas of concern, including students in wheelchairs without shoulder straps properly attached, pre-K students using lap belts instead of required car seats, and cases where equipment listed on a student's IEP was not present or used on the bus. Roberts said she personally filled in on a bus and observed a vest “that was supposed to be attached. It was not attached correctly.”

A second speaker, who said she lives in Lindenhurst and works with students with disabilities, urged the board to consider forming a committee or otherwise examining the system of training and equipment checks because “in any system, things can break down” and multiple staff need training. A third commenter echoed the call for action and asked the board to ensure “everybody can feel happy and comfortable and extra sure that all the children are safely secured.”

Roberts told the board she has previously reported concerns to lower levels of the district and said she had not received satisfactory responses, and that she intends to compile written documentation over the summer. She said board members did not contact her after earlier submissions.

Why it matters: the public comments raised specific safety-related allegations tied to students with disabilities, including omissions in required equipment and incorrect securement observed on district vehicles. The concerns, if verified, would affect student safety during transportation and could require staff retraining, equipment audits and updates to procedures. The board did not announce a formal investigation or commit to an immediate timeline during the meeting.

The transcript records the public comments and the board chair thanked the speakers; no formal action or motion to investigate was recorded in the available transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","June 24, 2025 Board of Education Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Two speakers raised concerns about how students with disabilities are secured on buses, reporting missing equipment, improper attachment of vests and pre-K students transported with lap belts. Speakers asked the board to investigate and form a committee; the board did not announce immediate action.","taxTitle","RIVERHEAD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",38375,"location","New York","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6183710,"Riverhead board approves $29 million tax anticipation note, MOAs, consultant and several agreements",402,3349000,3751000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5093896-107faaa5c1c0657bc388ee1038fab1a1&start=3349&end=3751","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5093896-107faaa5c1c0657bc388ee1038fab1a1/thumbnail_3349000.jpg","/articles/6183710/New-York/Riverhead-board-approves-29-million-tax-anticipation-note-MOAs-consultant-and-several-agreements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6183710-d2a97dfd69f4dce07bcdd206221d5a66/orig.mp4?Expires=1775362394&Signature=K6DiSiP6qJlt1MC2OyVM2FjRfcaRKlFtlgA~0poUY3eoDiSS6jzPQy0KeXl3vDDqoPh8cxqQI6-gI33uveu7gJfLlkKE7CFTc80l5VAo-K9yAAZbGDoNaQ0PSn5gKIFPmIhZKw0e~QNrmyLOiS13FKtCmqD2nYRNLiigbqYMyXa6RFTR7cHSkCZf-8CuDvSNJ~8zw65q-lJZRHAJRcw~1gRQdRQPlJGkpD8loZT6rjXBL42OjdmBxfXSjRYifNrStJ7FyaQzU6gprRGKm9whHIOB98cUC1HHIGOvt6B5IgeJOwiCH4PYpNQ-O1I2PLx8CfDejF2uSbDjq7B547cb~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Riverhead Central School District Board of Education on June 24 authorized a not-to-exceed $29,000,000 tax anticipation note for the 2025–26 fiscal year and approved a series of contracts and memoranda of agreement covering retirement incentives, a sick bank, consultant services, college partnerships and a town grant for a local water-quality project.

The board moved on a single motion to accept the consent agenda and then voted individually on listed items. The board approved a resolution authorizing issuance of a tax anticipation note, described in the meeting as “not to exceed $29,000,000” in anticipation of receipts for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. The motion carried by voice vote; the minutes record “All in favor? And the motion passes.”

Board members approved multiple agreements with the Riverhead Central Faculty Association (RCFA), including participation for certain members in a retirement incentive approved March 4, 2025 and the establishment of a sick bank under a June 11, 2025 memorandum of agreement. The board also approved employment contracts for six employees who are not subject to collective bargaining, and approved an extension of an individual employee's probationary period, moving the employee's new tenure date to Aug. 31, 2026.

The board authorized a consultant agreement with TJ DeRosa to provide physical-therapy services on terms to be stipulated in the agreement. It also approved a no-cost agreement with SUNY Stony Brook, for the period beginning July 1, 2025 “through February,” to establish a clinical education and training program for Stony Brook students in student teaching and leadership programs, as presented at the meeting.

Separately, the board accepted an agreement with the Town of Southampton tied to a grant for a water-quality improvement program for Phillips Avenue; meeting remarks indicated the effort will “get Phillips Avenue hooked up to a sewage system.” The district accepted a donation of art supplies from Robert and Dr. Rita Rice Wiesersick valued at approximately $2,000 and approved contracts for school athletic uniforms and for automotive fluids and lubricants (motor oil).

School leaders also presented a final, second reading and board approval of multiple revised policies, including grading systems (policy 47.10), fiscal management and fund-balance maintenance (policy 62.40 and a new fund-balance maintenance policy), fiscal accounting and reporting (6600 series), purchasing (6710 series) and contracting for professional services (6741).

Why it matters: the tax anticipation note affects district cash flow for 2025–26 and the Town of Southampton grant will affect sewer and water-quality infrastructure on Phillips Avenue, a named local street. The MOAs and consultant, plus the Stony Brook partnership and revised policies, reflect operational and staffing changes the board approved ahead of the coming school year.

Meeting minutes record the votes as voice approvals (“All in favor? And the motion passes.”) but no roll-call tallies appear in the transcript. The board also acknowledged new hires and appointments described in the meeting: Stacy Woodhull as incoming principal at Pulaski Elementary and Christopher Marino as new director of pupil personnel services, both introduced during the meeting.","At its June 24 meeting the Riverhead Central School District board approved a not-to-exceed $29,000,000 tax anticipation note and multiple memoranda of agreement, employment contracts, a consultant agreement, a SUNY Stony Brook partnership and a town grant for a Phillips Avenue water-quality project.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6183715,"Riverhead High reports gains in academics, lower incidents and growth in alternative programs",776,1971000,2747000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5093896-107faaa5c1c0657bc388ee1038fab1a1&start=1971&end=2747","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5093896-107faaa5c1c0657bc388ee1038fab1a1/thumbnail_1971000.jpg","/articles/6183715/New-York/Riverhead-High-reports-gains-in-academics-lower-incidents-and-growth-in-alternative-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6183715-84b720fc32144c61c25e56c299785c28/orig.mp4?Expires=1775362394&Signature=KEfhTpskZwzRfrKfetACatH0usiDzZGi7O4nwVEe2w-iW636WFUjuFfHY0aKJ8m1Moze5vH-ti3IH1etZWyg8VuMycac0MptT1PzxTGsa3so9BkvpoPze2yhjJla~hFy-LdGAHKLbeh8VXrAAkNX0k7lkoaL0HNbYV5HxCMWgqEJAfSfRAk6bMZ4bjCoCfqA3p1e9kqFW9q1tTDerH27LKr3nvzn~FJ0wyhMR-ZOjXsmaKH5WrHapr-WvyNDLcO0L3KUcX-~S4bPSNLwG9OFa7YRMY3xvdrfhJbCDdeXfYUJsAEHCx6tAJCRWKr0utAS3RrrRQeRnvjQzLMKv~atdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Riverhead High School Principal Christopher O'Hara told the Riverhead Central School District Board of Education on June 24 that the high school recorded gains in advanced coursework, career-technical participation and reductions in disciplinary incidents while alternative programs expanded to help students recover credits and graduate.

O'Hara said 564 Advanced Placement exams were administered this year, 506 students registered for dual-enrollment courses, 242 students enrolled in BOCES career and technical education programs, and 44 students registered for an early-college program this year. He also reported a multi-year decline in disciplinary referrals and fewer physical altercations, which he attributed to increased presence of counselors, social workers, neighborhood aides and school resource officers.

The accomplishments include athletics and arts highlights that school staff presented as part of the year-end report. Baseball coach Kevin Kerman noted sophomore pitcher Matthew Zambriski threw “Riverhead Baseball's first perfect game in school history,” while praising senior Brady Hubbard’s playoff-winning hit. Girls golf coach Steve Faella said two Riverhead players qualified for the New York State championships for the first time in district history. The principal said the district again qualified as a school of excellence, with 23 of 25 varsity teams meeting standards.

The presentation also described two alternative-education initiatives that administrators said supported improved outcomes. Assistant principal La Rochester outlined the Riverhead Evening Academy as a hybrid, credit-recovery program that grew from about 48 students to about 75 this year and offers individualized instruction and counseling to students outside the traditional school day. North Star Academy director Mrs. Stisham told the board North Star serves roughly 40 to 60 students annually, has recovered “over 200 credits” through the Odysseyware platform, and produced 20 graduates directly from the program over three years; the district expects 31 students to graduate this coming Friday with credits recovered in part at North Star.

O'Hara and other presenters highlighted initiatives addressing attendance and vaping. The district reported a drop in chronic absenteeism and a reduction in overall attendance concerns, and credited personalized outreach — including home visits and checks by guidance counselors, social workers and neighborhood aides — with some of the improvement. On vaping, O'Hara said the district received additional vape sensors from Riverhead CAP and that vape-reduction efforts combine education, intervention and counseling options.

Why it matters: the data and program descriptions give the board a picture of where the high school has focused resources — academic acceleration, credit recovery, and behavioral support — and document both outcomes (enrollment numbers, recovered credits, athletic milestones) and continuing challenges (chronic absenteeism remains a statewide issue). The presentation also connects programs and interventions to classroom time preserved and transition plans for students returning from alternative settings.

Board members and the public praised staff and students during the presentation, and multiple coaches and program leaders joined administrators in noting individual achievements and program metrics. The board did not take formal action on the presentation itself; it served as information and context for district priorities going into the 2025–26 school year.

The district shared a slide deck and a short video as supplemental material; the board suggested members would review the materials at their leisure.","Riverhead High School leaders told the Riverhead Central School District board that AP participation, dual enrollment and vocational enrollment rose, disciplinary incidents and physical altercations declined, and two alternative programs expanded credit recovery and graduation outcomes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Parents, advocates tell Riverhead board students with disabilities may be unsafe on buses; board offered no immediate remedy

Riverhead board approves $29 million tax anticipation note, MOAs, consultant and several agreements

Riverhead High reports gains in academics, lower incidents and growth in alternative programs