Crowded class shots in Riverhead schools labeled as phony
School Board president says she has no evidence of setups
13 comments below
A Calverton man last week accused Riverhead school board members of displaying "staged scenes" during an October presentation that attempted to illustrate overcrowded conditions within the schools.
The resident, Sal Mastropaolo, who spoke at last Tuesday's board meeting, cited an unnamed "reliable source" and also the claim was backed by a student.
On Oct. 27, the board publicly presented a slide show and a brief film to demonstrate the need for additional space in the district schools. The board has agreed to schedule a referendum on a proposed $122.9 million bond issue to add more space to all of the district school buildings sometime next year.
The film, which can be seen on the district's Web site as well as on YouTube, shows some of the overcrowded conditions that officials say demonstrate the need for the new space.
Mr. Mastropaolo, who attends most school board meetings, raised questions about two of those pictures.
"I heard from a reliable source that certain pictures presented at the last meeting were doctored to make the situations look worse than they really are," Mr. Mastropaolo told the board. "The first instance was an overcrowded closet, which is really a small room that is used for four English as a Second Language students, but almost 25 students were put in there for the sole purpose of taking the picture.
In response, board president Angela DeVito asked for further details on Mr. Mastropaolo's sources.
"To the best of my knowledge, I personally don't have any knowledge that those pictures we put up were staged," she said, "and without any particulars of who has provided you with this information that cannot be looked into."
"It definitely should be looked into because I heard from a totally different party that even one of the students confirmed the fact that all the kids were kept in that day... So we're hearing from students as well," Mr. Mastropaolo said.
While he did not say who gave him this information, Mr. Mastropaolo did say the school in question was the Riley Avenue Elementary School, which school officials have said is among the most crowded schools in the district.
"This was presented to the public," he continued. "I think the board has a responsibility to present data truthfully to the public so that they can make wise, informed decisions when it comes to voting on the budget."
Superintendent Diane Scricca said she would look into it.
The board has yet to formally schedule the referendum on the $122.3 million bond issue, although officials have said they expect to do so in December, with the vote probably scheduled for February.
The proposal would make the Riley Avenue, Phillips Avenue, Pulaski Street and Aquebogue elementary schools into K-5 schools, with the Middle School becoming a grade 6-8 school and the Roanoke Avenue school being turned into an administrative building. The plan also calls for making additional athletic field space and for making a new artificial turf football field near the high school track.
The proposal met mostly with support during the public meeting in October.
tgannon@timesreview.com
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13 comments found
And Another Thing : 3/3/2010
I heard the Easter Bunny was there. I can't tell you who originally told me, but one of Santa's elves confirmed it for me.
Student pawns : 2/5/2010
Higher taxes? just what we all need in this ghost town.
I'd take a broken down school over bloated teachers pay any day. Get rid of the multiple do-nothing, over-lap administrators who earn $100,000 plus a year and put that money towards improvements. A quality education begins with quality teachers, (and we have a few), not some new structures. Some of the most sought after educational structures are over 100 years old and they are beautiful because they've been maintained properly. Fire this maintenance department for their ineptness at maintaining our school buildings and grounds.Student population is dwindling as I speak. You want to raise my property taxes so you can all feel good in a new school, I think not. Any fool who votes for this expansion has rocks in their head for brains and I'd like to sale them some swamp land in Louisiana. Get real people. We don't live in Pleasant ville. We live in a crime ridden, high taxed, nepotistic, behind closed door dealing town/school board fiasco ghost township. These crooks who tout that our children educational needs aren't being met, are the same ones using our children as shields to hide behind, to pilfer our pockets and bank accounts. Wake the F@#$^%&%* UP.
Board president : 12/9/2009
She says the photos were not staged. She also assured the attendees last night that a Y would be coming to Riverhead shortly "mark my words". GO TO THE BOE MEETINGS. It is a sin that only about 9 members of the public were at last night's meeting.
DON'T PASS THE BOND : 12/9/2009
By all means, if you want the value of your home to go down vote for higher taxes. I hope all of you folks who vote yes never have to sell your house, because you will never be able to. 12,000, 15,000 in taxes to live in Riverhead? Will the greed of the teachers never stop. Overcrowded? Those of us over 50 learned in classrooms with 50+ children. Pretty soon the only people who will be able to afford to live in this town are the teachers. And they don't want to live here, they want to live in Mattituck Cutchogue because the taxes are lower and the school is better.
: 12/7/2009
Fire the entire school board - root out the corruption
eliminate any and all jobs in administrative positions that do nothing except go to commitee's to "delagate authority".
Attend school board meetings and DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY - and get on your States representatives butts and DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY and get them to stop unfunded mandates
VOTE NO ON THIS - HOLD THESE BOARD MEMBERS FEET TO THE FIRE -get them out of the positions they hold as rapidly as possible - get the corruption out!!!
F.O.I.L : 12/6/2009
$120,000 a year teacher salary. $80,000 a year custodial pay. Where did you find those figures?
Killing the taxpayers : 12/6/2009
"Yes, most of you here that do nothing but complain are actually blaming the wrong people."
No, if the GREEDY teachers and administrators didn't impose the HIGHEST SCHOOL SALARIES IN THE COUNTRY on the taxpayers, then the additional amount for the expansion wouldn't break the backs of those hardworking middle class people who fund the school district. What on earth justifies the AVERAGE SIX FIGURE COMPENSATION PACKAGES of most of the school staff?
"But the very place that should be the centerpiece of our town and where the future of our town is being educated is marginalized because of sheer ignorance."
Wow, you do like to be condescending, don't you? The 'future' of our town? The odds of a student remaining in this town after graduating are extremely small. The vast majority will move away. We are constantly bombarded with flyers from the school telling us how hight the percentage of students going on to college is, and how high the achievement level in the school is. Well, which is it? The formula is: Annual budget - "Look at how well we are doing, approve the proposed budget". Now that the administrators want more comfoortable facilities it's "Approve this expansion, look at how terrible the situation is!".
"Southold, Mattituck, Hampton Bays, & Westhampton, not to mention Center Moriches and others have already gone through upgrades and expansions."
And all pay FAR less in school taxes. Please don't throw around accusation of ignorance, when all you can bring up are false arguments and sappy emotional appeals.
"Are you all that blind to what is going on or are you so hopelessly selfish that you could care less about the future of this town. It's time for the people that truly care and understand to step up! Pass the Bond! It should have been up for a vote 10 years ago..."
Yes, we're so selfish that the average taxpayer shells out only $7,000 a year in school taxes. We should certainly be paying more. After all, we have to have $120,000 teachers and $80,000 janitors 'for the children'.
Out of touch : 12/5/2009
Yes, most of you here that do nothing but complain are actually blaming the wrong people. The district has long put off this expansion - For 15 years students have been squeezed into closets, basements and portables. Gold plated? I think not. Blame you politicians in Albany for not having the courage to restructure funding and base it on income, not property ownership.
Route 58 is being expanded to accomodate a growing population. Same with the hospital, firehouse and library. But the very place that should be the centerpiece of our town and where the future of our town is being educated is marginalized because of sheer ignorance. Southold, Mattituck, Hampton Bays, & Westhampton, not to mention Center Moriches and others have already gone through upgrades and expansions. Are you all that blind to what is going on or are you so hopelessly selfish that you could care less about the future of this town. It's time for the people that truly care and understand to step up! Pass the Bond! It should have been up for a vote 10 years ago...
Figures... : 12/5/2009
I agree with "figures" 100 percent!!! The Riverhead school district is out of control with their requests for money. Over half of our real estate taxes go to the schools and they want more?? That's crazy.
We must have gold plated class rooms and hallways in our schools now with all the money they get! Or is that money going somewhere else??? IT's GOTTA STOP NOW...
crowded school rooms : 12/4/2009
I'm not surprised this would happen. We are always being lied to about one thing or another.
My husband and I are seniors and I don't know when we are going to get a break. Our children have not been in school since the seventies. I don't say we should not pay to help educate these children, but my pocket cannot take anymore.
I JUST DON'T HAVE IT. We will be voting NO!!!!!
Truth? : 12/4/2009
"This(photo's of the schools along with the request of $123M from taxpayers) was presented to the public," he continued. "I think the board has a responsibility to present data truthfully to the public so that they can make wise, informed decisions when it comes to voting on the budget."
"The Board in of it's self is the problem" THE majority of those trustees shouldn't be in the position that they are. The Truth ...don't hold your breath!
Open your eyes : 12/3/2009
So, students learning in a basement is a luxury? I would hate to see your definition "adequate". You really don't know what "insanely" high school taxes are. Go west. You may be enlightened. And you really know nothing about what it means to educate a student.
Our students have sacrificed long enough. And having students taken out of basements, portables and storage closets is the least we can do.
And if the bond doesn't pass - you'll complain that you can't afford a jail expansion...
Figures... : 12/3/2009
Phony 'overcrowding' photos, scheduling a vote in the dead of winter (when all the snowbirds will be in Florida), and using OUR tax money to distribute campaign materials for this luxury we can not afford!
What's next, will PTA meetings be scheduled for the night of the vote to make sure the a disproportionate number of parents vote?
We pay insanely high school taxes already, people are struggling to keep their homes, and you want to burden them further?
We all have to make sacrifices. The schools are perfectly suitable for the purpose of education, even if it's a little inconvienient.
By the way, no one is fooled by the artificially low 'average priced home assessment' basis used to estimate how much more people will pay in property taxes. $200k is far from the median in the Town of Riverhead. It's closer to $350k than $200k.
