Sachem schools may see changes due to budget issues

Students in the Sachem Central School District may soon see changes as a result of financial troubles. News 12 has learned that a week before school started this year, the special education office

News 12 Staff

Sep 16, 2015, 2:00 AM

Updated 3,370 days ago

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Students in the Sachem Central School District may soon see changes as a result of financial troubles.
News 12 has learned that a week before school started this year, the special education office needed between $1 million and $2 million in additional funding. The district says it doesn't have the funds and that the situation will result in cuts.
Sachem School Board President Tony Falco says that to address the financial issues, extracurricular activities will be cut by about 50 percent.
"That doesn't mean all clubs are going to disappear," Falco says. "It means that the principals in the building and the superintendent are going to decide which clubs are viable this year - have the most attendance. Those are the ones that are going to carry through."
Students like Hanna Ueshiro, 16, say they're afraid their clubs will face cuts. She's a member of the Italian club, student government and the honors society.
Mia Richardson is on the track team and in the orchestra. She says students use such extracurricular programs to help make their college applications more appealing to admissions offices.
Some residents say that the school should cut administrative costs instead. The high schools have four assistant principals.
District officials say that limited revenue and unexpected costs last year drained the district's accounts to just over $16,000.
Parents will have an opportunity to voice their concerns at a school board meeting Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Samoset auditorium.