Students, teachers and parents press board to spare teachers and programs amid cuts

Large groups of students, teachers and parents addressed the South Country Central School District Board of Education during extended public comment on March 25, pleading with trustees to avoid or reduce teacher layoffs and to preserve programs targeted for cuts.

Students described walkouts and petitions they organized to protest the proposed reductions and said the changes would remove academic opportunities and personal supports they rely on. "We are worried about losing teachers that have shaped us," said a student who identified herself as Nora, a third-grader from Brook Haven Elementary. High-school speakers described collecting more than 200 petition signatures and urged board members to consider alternatives instead of cutting instruction.

Teachers and program leaders gave specific examples of programs under threat and the impact of their removal. Dr. Kucheno (who asked to be identified as Dr. K), a French teacher with 17 years in the district, said the French program dates back decades and documented student interest: "When our teachers surveyed sixth grade students independently, more than 30 students selected French as their first choice," she said, asking the board to preserve the course through cost-neutral scheduling alternatives.

Parents and retired staff spoke about library services and inclusion programs. A retired librarian, Sonia Rose, said elementary libraries are "the hub of the building," and warned centralizing media specialists removes specialist instruction for early readers. A parent and special-education advocate warned that eliminating required inclusion classes in 12th grade could impede students' ability to graduate.

Patrick Brady, president of the Bellport Teachers Association, asked the board to collaborate with educators, criticized the pace and communication around the cuts and urged more transparent engagement. Multiple speakers also called for the release of a promised forensic audit and for clearer multi-year financial models showing how the district will avoid receiverhip.

The board did not vote on staffing reductions at the meeting; it approved the borrowing-authorization resolution and continued the budget process with additional public forums. The administration said it would continue to evaluate alternatives but reiterated the fiscal constraints driving the proposal.

Community response is likely to continue as the district works through the formal budget adoption process in the weeks ahead.