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Patchogue‑Medford board votes to ask NYSBA to back local voter approval for charter schools
Summary
The board authorized its president to send correspondence urging the New York State School Boards Association to advocate for legislation requiring local voter approval of charter school applications and expansions; trustees voted to send the letter and also discussed sending it to elected officials.
The Patchogue‑Medford Union Free School District board voted to authorize the board president to sign and send correspondence urging the New York State School Boards Association (NYSBA) to advocate that charter‑school applications and expansions require approval by local voters.
At the meeting a board member read the proposed correspondence, which framed the request around concerns that charter schools divert public funds, are not overseen by elected local boards and can open without voter approval in impacted communities. The speaker cited a recent Hofstra study and described district concerns about fiscal oversight and local accountability.
Several trustees supported sending the letter to NYSBA; one trustee said the board should also deliver the correspondence directly to local elected officials to encourage legislative action at the state level. A motion was made and seconded; the board voted in favor. The transcript does not include a roll‑call tally or named mover/seconder.
The board’s authorization instructs the board president to transmit the correspondence to NYSBA; the district did not adopt local policy language or change any local statute at the meeting. Board members said they intend further outreach to legislators and stakeholders as part of follow‑up.
What to watch next: the dispatch of the letter, any NYSBA response and any outreach by the board to state legislators regarding statutory change or local approval mechanisms.
