Parents press board on athletic‑trainer coverage; community members urge fair teacher compensation

During public input, two parents (Cheryl Kohler and Danielle Raimondi) told the board that Newfield High School lacked an athletic trainer for the year after a promised Northwell Health contract could not be fulfilled, and urged the district to adopt a contingency plan or hire a district‑employed full‑time trainer to protect student safety and manage concussions.

Kohler said coaches were forced to perform on‑field assessments and described potential lifelong consequences from inadequate assessment at the moment of injury. ‘‘We would like you to consider bringing back an actual athletic trainer that is hired by the district, full time, for our athletes' safety,’’ she said.

Toni Ann Peterson, a resident and parent, framed recent May 19 budget and board election results — which she said elected three candidates with nearly 70% of the vote — as a mandate and urged the board and district leaders to return to the negotiating table and reach a fair contract with teachers, noting educators have been working under an expired contract for nearly 12 months.

Jennifer Monti, who identified herself as an alumni and parent, called for the board to consider the full compensation package when evaluating health‑care contributions, saying county comparisons show many districts pay higher starting and top‑step salaries. She defended the district’s retirement incentive as a long‑term cost‑management tool and urged decisions be guided by complete data rather than selective figures.

Board procedure limited each public commenter to three minutes; the board did not take an immediate policy vote on these requests but noted that follow‑up would be provided by correspondence or at a subsequent meeting.