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Board discusses district-funded busing to private summer program; counsel flagged possible misuse of funds
Summary
Trustees were told legal counsel concluded taxpayer dollars were used to bus students to a private, town-run summer program; the board said the district does not run or staff that program and cited possible improper spending but did not report formal action.
During public comments on the board agenda, trustees addressed questions about busing students to a private summer program run by the Town of Oyster Bay.
A board speaker said the district does not run, staff or have an alliance with the private program, described in the meeting as the town-run GAP program. According to the board, legal counsel informed trustees that using district transportation for that program constituted improper use of taxpayer funds; the speaker said counsel characterized the issue as “theft of funds.”
The speaker also referenced an aggregate dollar figure reported in the meeting (“to the tune of between $35,401,000, a year”) but did not provide documentation in the public transcript. The board said the matter was brought to administrators’ attention and that the legal counsel’s finding was disseminated to every board member.
Board members emphasized that the district provides and staffs its own school-run after-school and summer programs for qualifying students and that outside organizations may rent space for private, parent-council–run activities. Those private after-school activities are run by external vendors and paid for by parents, the board said; the district supplies space, custodial coverage and security but does not supply the outside staff or their insurance.
No formal motion, vote, or follow-up assignment was recorded on the public transcript. The board noted the legal finding to trustees and said administrators and counsel had been informed.
