Kids Can Choose a School
Children who graduate from the Wainscott School, which goes through the third grade, will for the first time have the choice of going on to Sag Harbor or East Hampton schools.
“Each school district — Sag Harbor and East Hampton — has much to offer to your children, but each is different in its own ways,” Wainscott School Board members wrote in an April 2 letter to residents. The district is planning sessions for parents to meet with representatives of both districts. A proposition to offer students choices about where to continue their schooling will be on the district ballot in May.
Tuition payments represent a little more than one-third of Wainscott’s annual operating budget. In an email, David Eagan, the Wainscott School Board president, said the possibility of saving money was one factor that prompted the board to sign contracts with both districts. “Sag Harbor’s significantly lower tuition rates and fees for busing made this decision very easy,” he said.
However, he also said the decision “was driven primarily by the opportunity to offer our students enhanced educational opportunities. Some of our families, particularly those located in the northern part of the district, have asked us to consider the choice of schools over the years.”
Wainscott had sent all its students to East Hampton in the past, and in recent years had enjoyed a 5-percent discount on tuition. However, when the tuition contract came up for renewal last spring, Wainscott declined to sign it. A town affordable housing project had been proposed within its borders, and school officials said its unknown effect on the district precluded signing an exclusive five-year contract. After the housing plan was dropped, Wainscott officials asked East Hampton if they could sign the exclusivity contract in exchange for the discount. East Hampton officials said no.
“While East Hampton’s elimination of the 5-percent discount was not a driving factor in our decision, it certainly eliminated our last remaining justification for not providing choice to our families,” Mr. Eagan said.
East Hampton’s base tuition for general education students is $25,830 in grades seven through twelve, whereas Sag Harbor’s is $23,269. For special education in those grades, East Hampton’s base tuition is $71,711, while Sag Harbor’s is $56,082, although that does not include costs of related services.
In grades four through six, East Hampton’s tuition is $28,877, whereas Sag Harbor’s is $17,900. For special education, East Hampton’s rate is $74,758, and Sag Harbor’s is $48,784, plus related services. In addition, Sag Harbor has agreed not to increase tuition by more than 2.5 percent per year.
Richard Burns, East Hampton’s superintendent, said on Tuesday that he and his colleagues had not yet discussed how much impact Wainscott’s decision will have.
A second contract between Wainscott and Sag Harbor, for transportation, will add $247,500 to Sag Harbor’s revenue. Jennifer Buscemi, the Sag Harbor business administrator, explained during an April 4 budget work session that the added revenue would allow Sag Harbor to begin financing new and replacement buses, including one for sports games, a wheelchair accessible bus, and those used to take Wainscott students to Sag Harbor or East Hampton schools. Previously, Wainscott contracted with the McCoy Bus Company on a year-to-year basis. Wainscott is expecting to save between $40,000 and $140,000 in the first year of the five-year agreement with Sag Harbor.
The Wainscott School Board has also adopted a 2016-17 budget for the May 17 annual vote.
The proposed budget is $3,036,916, which is actually $27,444 lower than the current year’s budget, with a tax levy of $2,336,916, or a decrease of 1.16 percent. If approved, it would be the fifth consecutive budget in which spending decreased, and the fourth in which the tax levy dropped. The budget includes the salary of a new full-time teaching assistant, because the number of students is expected to grow from 21 to 29.
William Babinski Jr., whose seat on the school board expires June 30, is planning to seek re-election. Nominating petitions are due April 18, and so far no one else has picked up necessary forms to run for the school board.
Voting will take place at the Wainscott School from 2 to 8 p.m.