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High‑school budget pitch emphasizes counselors, media lab and hands‑on learning
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Summary
At a Cold Spring Harbor Central School District work session, high‑school staff outlined budget increases prioritizing expanded counselor college visits, an interactive court projection/media‑lab expansion and new courses; officials said many items are proposals and asked the board for time to provide detailed cost breakdowns.
Presenter outlined a strategic "flight path" for the junior‑senior high school that prioritizes curriculum rigor, expanded hands‑on learning and support for faculty innovation, and linked proposed budget increases to those goals.
The presentation framed counselor travel as a “knowledge multiplier,” saying targeted visits give counselors first‑hand admissions insight that can be shared across students and families. Presenter noted the district has filed "over 13 and a half thousand college applications" since the class of 2021 to underline demand for enhanced guidance services. Staff said the guidance tab in the budget spreadsheet contains allocations for counselor travel, including overnight per‑diems and reimbursements, and offered to provide a trip‑by‑trip breakdown at the next budget meeting.
Presenter described proposed investments in an interactive court projection system (variously referred to in the meeting as Luxido/Lexido) and a media‑lab Phase 2 to support sports‑media, broadcasting and digital arts programs. Staff said the projection system is a one‑time purchase (quoted at about $30,000) and emphasized it would be integrated into curricular activities — from graphic design and journalism to physical education — rather than used solely for game‑day hype. The presentation also outlined additions such as bamboo‑lab 3‑D printers, expanded vocational pathways (projected vocational enrollment ~12 students next year) and a marine science wing with a proposed coral‑reef propagation lab targeted for installation by summer 2027.
Board members asked for more granular metrics — percent and dollar changes by line — so the board can compare year‑over‑year increases across departments and assess the relative scale of individual initiatives. Staff agreed to return to the next budget meeting with an over/under summary and more specific cost breakdowns.
The work session did not produce any final appropriation or vote on these high‑school items; staff described several items as aspirational and said some proposals will be trimmed when the board balances revenue and expenditures.
