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Students and parents press Sachem board to restore club funding after budget cuts
Summary
Parents and students urged the Sachem Central School District board to restore funding for All‑State/All‑Eastern music, Model UN and Science Olympiad after a failed budget forced a roughly $3 million reduction; administrators described limited options and creative arrangements to preserve some opportunities.
Multiple students and parents used public comment at the Sept. 10 Sachem Central School District board meeting to appeal for restoration of extracurricular funding after the district reduced its budget by roughly $3 million following a failed budget vote.
Susan Rudnicki, a longtime music educator and parent, described four students accepted to All‑State/All‑Eastern events and estimated travel and housing costs at about $800 per student for room and board and $240 per student for bus travel, putting the immediate need at roughly $4,160. Rudnicki said the district’s earlier budget planning had signaled support for these students and urged the board to prioritize student opportunities.
Students from Sachem North spoke for the Science Olympiad Club, saying they have raised money through pizza sales and fundraisers and that the club provides hands‑on STEM experiences unavailable in standard classes. An Evan Sanders, speaking for Model UN, described the program’s role in building speaking and government‑process skills and said losing the club harmed students’ academic trajectories.
Administrators acknowledged the cuts and said the district had to reduce roughly $3,000,000 from the budget; that reduction has constrained what the board can fund without new revenue. Administration said it has sought sponsorships and grants and asked some advisers at other schools to host displaced clubs. For Model UN specifically, administrators said they were able to use existing funds and an adviser at Sachem East so Sachem North students can join sessions in the East library during tenth period or participate virtually; running two fully staffed in‑person clubs would require additional reductions elsewhere. The board asked administration to gather cost estimates for the Science Olympiad and possible sponsorship options.
No formal funding restoration was approved at the meeting; board members said they would pursue sponsorship and grant leads and requested follow‑up cost figures.
