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Parents press East Islip board on lockdown‑drill protocols and busing eligibility; district outlines petition path for policy change
Summary
A parent described her child’s distress during a lockdown drill and asked how the district handles students in common areas. Separately, parents urged restoring shorter elementary busing distances; the district said changing eligibility requires a petition and community vote and noted potential state‑aid impacts.
Several parents used the meeting’s public‑comment period to press the board on safety drills and transportation policy.
Joanna H. described a recent lockdown drill that left her 12‑year‑old distraught because he and several students were in a hallway bathroom and could not hear announcements. “He was in a hallway bathroom when the lockdown happened… he didn’t know it was a drill,” she told the board, and asked what the district’s protocol is for students in common areas. The superintendent and board members thanked building staff for their response but said the board cannot discuss operational safety details in a public forum. The superintendent advised the parent to meet with the building administrator to review protocols that can be shared with families.
Later, Jackie Goldheim and Renee Garros asked the board to reconsider the district’s busing eligibility that, in the current policy cited during the meeting, uses a half‑mile standard for K–3, one mile for grades 4–6, and 1.5 miles for older students. The parents said neighboring districts use a half‑mile for all elementary grades and argued the current rule forces working parents into difficult pickup patterns and creates congestion. Assistant Superintendent Harrison explained that state rules set maximum walk‑to‑school mileage (the transcript cites three miles for older children and two miles for younger children) but that districts may set lower limits; he said changing the district limit requires a community proposition on the ballot and noted the petition process likely requires about 5% of prior‑year voters (he estimated roughly 63 signatures) and time to calculate costs and state‑aid impacts. A board member added that previous community transportation committees reviewed the question and recommended against a ballot measure when it proved financially infeasible.
Board members suggested the community could convene a transportation committee to study the issue and noted that a change would likely not be feasible for the imminent budget cycle and May vote timelines.
