Local historical societies ask Sachem board to place museum‑funding proposition on school ballot
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Leaders of the Lake Ronkonkoma and Farmingville historical societies asked the board to add a separate ballot proposition to the district vote to fund museum education programs, seeking about $90,000 (roughly $3 per resident).
Leaders of two local historical societies asked the board Wednesday to place a separate proposition on the district ballot to fund school‑program partnerships with their museums.
"My name is Evelyn Volgraf. I'm the president of the Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society," Volgraf said during visitors, joined by BJ Antini, president of the Farmingville Historical Society. The speakers asked the board to use a provision of education law that allows districts to include museum funding on the ballot as a separate proposition.
They said their request would be for approximately $90,000, which the presenters estimated at roughly $3 per resident; the funds would be split between the organizations and used to hire part‑time staff to run school programs and to develop day programs for students in historic buildings, they said. Volgraf said the societies had examples from other towns that have used similar propositions and that she would leave copies of the law and sample ballot language with district staff.
Board members said they would review the materials and consider placing the item on a future agenda once staff had examined legal and budget implications. No motion was made at the meeting to place a proposition on the ballot; the item was left for future discussion after staff review.