Education

The East Hampton School Board voted Tuesday to put an over-the-tax-cap spending plan for 2024-25 on the budget ballot in May, citing a need to preserve all academic, extracurricular, and support programs as students continue to cope with the aftereffects of the difficult Covid-19 school years.

The Sag Harbor School District administration and school board have opted to remain in the federal school lunch program for one more year to gather data and feedback on how well the new government-approved cafeteria offerings are received by students.

Cooper, a certified therapy dog who usually visits hospitals and rehab centers, made his debut at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton last week with his owner, Eric Weston. The golden-doodle was an immediate hit and will be back. 

Just in time for the first day of spring, and with Easter right around the corner, it's officially egg-hunting season for kids. Plus: youth sports, crafts, music and movement, creative writing, and more family-friendly fun coming up this week.

A petition signed by dozens of Pierson Middle and High School students and parents, and submitted to the Sag Harbor School Board on Monday night, has Sag Harbor administrators potentially embarking on a total review of the courses and programs offered at the school. "Today, we question if our current academic program is providing the best learning opportunity for our children and ask for a reassessment," the petition reads in part.

The East Hampton Town Board is expected to vote tonight to select Project Most, which runs after-school programs in the East Hampton and Springs School Districts and summer camps and other enrichment programs throughout the year, to operate the child care program at the Montauk Playhouse Community Center when the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk ceases its operations there. 

The Sag Harbor School District inched closer to finalizing its 2024-25 budget on Monday, presenting its spending plan for Pierson Middle and High School, athletics programs, and four additional ballot propositions.

Springs School recently had some big wins at the Special Olympics, at which kids 8 to 13 with special needs competed in various sporting events.

From prospective new faces to seasoned incumbents, candidates can now begin filing paperwork to run for school board seats in public schools throughout the East End and New York State.

Students in Emily O'Reilly's English classes are preparing for speeches on a variety of social justice topics from garbage in the oceans to food regulations.

In addition to its proposed over-the-tax-cap budget plan for the 2024-25 school year, the Amagansett School District is planning to float three separate ballot propositions concerning busing and facilities repairs. The school board has yet to formally approve the placing of these three items on the ballot, but it got the conversation started during Tuesday’s budget workshop.

The young performers with Our Fabulous Variety Show will present “Alice Jr.,” an original take on the “Alice in Wonderland” story on Friday and Saturday. Plus: Easter and St. Patrick's Day fun, sports programs, Pi Day activities, sewing and art, and much more coming up for kids and teens.

As the downtown Montauk portion of the long-awaited Fire Island to Montauk Point beach reformulation project nears conclusion, students in the hamlet are both learning about the science behind the project and, through the medium of video, advocating for protection of their home.

Five months after buying out the remainder of the contract of its former superintendent and hiring an interim, the Amagansett School District has put its principal on paid administrative leave and made the interim superintendent its interim principal as well.

Taxpayers in at least three school districts in East Hampton Town — Amagansett, Springs, and East Hampton — could be faced with approving over-the-tax-cap spending plans in May for the 2024-25 school year.

The Level Playing Field Foundation, which first began granting scholarships to East Hampton High School students two years ago to defray the costs of college counseling, college visits, and test-prep tutoring, awarded another round of scholarships on Saturday, valued at roughly $3,800 per student.

East Hampton Town’s junior lifeguard training, evaluation, and testing in advance of the summer junior lifeguard program for kids 9 to 15 is underway at the Y.M.C.A. East Hampton RECenter on Sundays. All new and returning participants are required to attend.

“A vibrant display of student artwork from regional schools and our community” will be on view at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill through April 7. Plus: puzzles, grilled cheese sandwiches, St. Patrick's Day fun, youth soccer, a grandparents' play date, and more in store for kids and teens this week.

If the numbers shake out the way they were presented during Monday’s meeting of the Sag Harbor School Board, the district could see its 2024-25 budget top $50 million for the first time — but still stay under the state-mandated cap on tax-levy increases.

On Jan. 25, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released his list of schools that are under fiscal stress in the state. There was disturbingly high fiscal stress in Amityville and the New Suffolk Common School District, and Springs School was on the list for being susceptible to fiscal stress. 

Separate from all the strife that has surrounded the East Hampton Village Ambulance Association the last year and a half has been a discussion about how best to recruit new members to bolster an aging volunteer pool. One method of recruitment that could prove most successful is an emergency medical services club for students at East Hampton High School.

The curtain rises Friday on East Hampton’s production of the classic musical comedy “Anything Goes,” starring some veteran East Hampton theater performers as well as some fresh, new faces.

Whisker and Brush, an art school in Amagansett, has a new session of classes for kids starting on Monday. Plus: movies in two languages, origami lessons, science and technology activities, pottery for children, and more.

Have you ever juggled many different activities at one time? At Springs School the cast of the musical “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” has been feeling the pressure of managing play rehearsals, schoolwork, and attending school clubs they like to take part in.

For the remainder of the 2023-24 school year, the Springs School District will have help in its business office from two neighboring districts, coming at a critical time — budget development season.

Things are looking up for the Wainscott School District, which at this time last year was confronting a budget deficit of close to $1 million and floating an over-the-tax-cap spending plan for the 2023-24 school year. Board members and administrators said this week they may not need to pierce the cap this year.

Plenty of fun activities for kids and teens are planned for the coming week. From movies to crafts to science and even a teen "time capsule," here's the rundown.

Is there such a thing as being “too young” to learn about money? Not at the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, which is partnering with First National Bank on a financial literacy initiative for kids of all ages who are enrolled in its after-school programs.

Two local community organizations, LTV Studios and Concerned Citizens of Montauk, have announced that they are once again offering college scholarships to deserving high school seniors.

Many years of diligent academic efforts have paid off for Nicholas Cooper and Leah Fromm, who have just been named East Hampton High School’s 2024 valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively.