Students opting out of the Common Core tests could be negatively impacting the rating of several school districts with below average performance on Long Island.

The concerns sparked debate at Monday's state Board of Regents meeting. The issue came up after the Island Park Superintendent Rosemarie Bovino posted a letter on the district's website saying Lincoln Orens Middle School faces the possibility of a negative state rating, in part because 60 percent of its students opted out of last spring's state tests in English and math.

Under a new state system that is based largely on test performance, schools rated as low performers will be designated as requiring comprehensive support and improvement, or CSI. The CSI schools would be subject to penalties, including potential closure.

Jeanette Deuterman is the leader of the Long Island Opt-out movement. She says asking students to take the state test is an unacceptable way of fixing a broken system.

Members of the Board of Regents confronted state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia, saying that state education officials previously gave them the impression that schools would not face sanctions because of test boycotts. Elia said factors other than test opt-out rates are always considered.

Bovino declined News 12's request for an interview. Island Park has appealed the state's tentative rating of the middle school.

A public meeting was scheduled for Monday night, at which Bovino was reportedly going to further explain the middle school situation and urge parents to allow their children to take the next round of tests. But the meeting was postponed.

The state Education Department is expected to release names of the first group of CSI schools as early as this week.