Three Village board sets aside $1.1 million to restore elementary sections, weighs STEM, IG and summer reading

The Three Village Central School District Board of Education agreed Wednesday to use $1,114,000 in available funds to restore seven elementary class sections and reduce average class sizes, and discussed options for the remaining money, including a phased return of a districtwide STEM program, restoring the IG (gifted) program, and bringing back summer reading.

District administrator Dr. Scanlan told the board that, after identifying savings and additional funds, "So we wound up with $1,114,000 that we are eligible to use for restoring some of our programs." He said the administration and principals identified seven sections to add back at the elementary level and that the immediate additions and related staffing total about $760,000.

The board heard that those additions will increase service needs in special-area subjects. "So that's art, music, health, phys ed. So we needed a 0.6 back in that. So total, the addition right now is $760,000," Scanlan said. He recommended holding the remaining funds in reserve because student counts and special-education or English-language learner (ELL) needs can increase over the summer, creating unanticipated staffing obligations the district is required to meet.

Why it matters: restoring seven sections lowers elementary class sizes districtwide and directly affects classroom staffing, special-area schedules and summer program planning. The board’s choice about the remaining funds will determine whether programs eliminated in recent budget cycles are returned in full, partially restored, or replaced with a different model.

Discussion and options presented

The administration laid out three principal options for the roughly $340,000 remaining after restoring the seven sections: - Reintroduce a phased STEM program beginning with one grade (suggested fourth grade); estimated staffing cost about $100,000. Under the proposed model a single STEM teacher would visit each elementary school one day a week. - Restore the IG (gifted) program as it existed pre-COVID. Administration estimated IG staffing at roughly $100,000 plus about $100,000 in transportation because IG students are centralized at one building. Administration warned restarting IG would require catching up on student selection and logistics and could be behind schedule for next school year. - Reinstate the summer reading program, estimated at about $70,000 for the coming summer; the district would need to hire a new summer reading coordinator because the current coordinator is retiring.

Board members discussed educational trade-offs and district priorities. One trustee who supported restoring cut programs said: "I think we should be focusing on restoring some of the programs that we cut rather than adding something new in this year." Another trustee urged caution about IG enrollment shrinking over time and noted the high per-pupil cost in a small, centralized IG classroom.

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