Education

Poised to have a surplus of more than $900,000 at the end of the current fiscal year, the Amagansett School District is planning to put much of it toward next year’s budget to offset the rising costs that nearly everyone — municipalities, businesses, consumers — is facing.

Coming off a year that saw its over-the-tax-cap budget pass on the second try by a single vote, the Bridgehampton School District’s proposed spending plan for 2022-23 adheres to the state limit on tax-levy increases.

High school graduations are about three months away, giving the valedictorians and salutatorians plenty of time to work on their speeches. At East Hampton High School, those speeches will be given by Evan Masi, the valedictorian, and Anika Petruccelli, the salutatorian.

Whether new to yoga or already familiar with the practice, teens can breathe in all of its benefits on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mandala Yoga in Amagansett. And there's so much else for kids and teens to do this week.

Robotics competitions these days are complex affairs, filled with obstacles to overcome and tasks to complete, and the stakes are higher as teams of students from around the world face off against each other. After a two-year hiatus brought on by the pandemic, South Fork robotics teams eagerly rose to the challenge this month.

As thousands of young people rallied at Citi Field last week against Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill, which, among other things, prohibits discussions of L.G.B.T.Q.+ identities and issues in kindergarten, first, second, and third-grade classrooms, the Bridgehampton School’s Genders and Sexualities Alliance group staged its own rally on the school’s front lawn.

Provided that Sag Harbor voters agree, the athletic facilities at Mashashimuet Park will be considerably upgraded following several months of joint discussions between Sag school officials and the board of the nonprofit park.

East Hampton’s varsity Academic Team stands unbeaten this year and will next compete in the regional Quiz Bowl finals sometime in April. Having fun, while giving their brains a good workout, is the goal for the whip-smart members of this group, each with their idiosyncratic areas of expertise.

For parents and high school students, there's an online program Wednesday on how Covid has changed the college admissions landscape. Also this week for younger kids: programs on native frogs, STEM workshops, arts and crafts, story times, and more, much of it free.

The Montauk School District is proposing a $21.03 million spending plan for the 2022-23 school year, once again staying well below the state limit on tax-levy increases.

As they struggle to build a 2022-23 budget that stays within New York State’s cap on tax-levy increases, Springs School District administrators said they have now zeroed out their earlier drafts and started over.

The East Hampton School District’s new transportation center on Springs-Fireplace Road is proof that the future of school busing here is much more than bright yellow buses and a place to park them.

As construction on its new 7,000-square-foot building nears completion, the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center is bumping up against unexpected costs that have left the organization “a couple of hundred thousand dollars” short of its $3 million budget. That’s why every little bit helps, its executive director said this week as she acknowledged a meaningful donation from the Hamptons United Methodist Church in the amount of $25,000.

A teen PechaKucha at the Parrish Art Museum, with rapid-fire presentations by teen artists and high school art teachers, is one of the highlights of this week's South Fork programs for teens and kids.

School district residents who would like to run for school board seats can officially begin submitting their paperwork for the 2022 election cycle.

The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill has continued its longtime tradition of celebrating student artists with the annual Student Exhibition officially opening Sunday.

With gas prices skyrocketing and inflation impacting bottom lines almost everywhere, the East Hampton and Springs School Districts are feeling the crunch as they put together their spending plans for the 2022-23 school year.

A teen writing competition, a search for the woolly bear caterpillar, and an introduction to ducks are among the things on tap for young people this week.

The playing field at the Pierson Middle High School in Sag Harbor is indeed a quagmire. Or an ice rink, or a sandbox, depending on the time of year. Now, six years after Sag Harbor voters opted for real grass over synthetic turf, the issue is back on the school board's agenda.

The Sag Harbor School District's superintendent, Jeff Nichols, outlined the school’s new Covid-19 protocols relating to contact tracing, close contacts, and "even students returning to school if they test positive."

It’s showtime this weekend at East Hampton High School. “Footloose,” the dance-centric musical based on the 1984 film of the same name, will be staged in the high school auditorium, with performances open to the public.

A new semester of performing arts classes with Our Fabulous Variety Show, puppetry at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and adventures with the South Fork Natural History Museum are on tap for kids and teens in the coming week.

Face coverings in most South Fork schools are now optional. School districts from Montauk to Southampton confirmed that as of Wednesday masks will no longer be mandatory for students, teachers, administrators, or staff. The mask rollback extends to school buses as well.

Sag Harbor’s Eve Achuthan-Kozar will be among the stars in a high-stress, cutthroat TV cooking competition, part of the storied “MasterChef” franchise, in which the often-terrifying celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay plays host, judge, and tyrant, but in this case, all the contestants are between the ages of 8 and 13.

"My friends, the day has come," Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday after announcing that the state would lift its school mask mandate as of Wednesday following consultation with public health officials, teachers, school administrators, and PTA members. Local officials in individual school districts and counties will continue to have the power to impose mask mandates and other restrictive measures based on their needs.

Children in the 3-K (preschool for 3-year-olds) and prekindergarten programs received their own library cards and were given a quick lesson on how to borrow a new book every two weeks.

A Magical Time

The Amagansett Library has invited children in prekindergarten through second grade to a unicorn-themed party on Saturday at 2 p.m. with stories, crafts, and party favors. The contact for registration is Evan Harris at [email protected].

Get Outdoors

East Hampton School District officials on Tuesday announced a commitment to remaining at or under New York State’s cap on tax-levy increases to finance their 2022-23 budget plan.

Staying in town with the kids for the February break? School may be closed, but there's plenty to do, and even more to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Mark Frankel, a former Ross School teacher and principal who has spent the last 12 years as an educator abroad, will return to Ross on July 1 to serve as high school principal.