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South Country Central School District board meeting, Aug 26, 2026

54 min · 2 public speakers

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 54 min.

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Staff says LIPA shift to pilot payments will raise South Country tax rate 2:16

  • The assistant superintendent for business presented a change in which LIPA property was removed from the tax roll and will be paid to the district through a pilot payment. 1:32
  • The staff member said the change results in a new tax rate of 6.23%, about a $35 a month increase on an assessed value of $2,600, and that district spending did not increase. 7:26
  • The board unanimously approved a revision to Policy 5720 on student transportation and business items in Schedules I-1 through I-6. 26:30
  • The motion on H1 passed 4 to 2. ~38:30

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Item by item (14)
  1. Opening and consent items 0:21
    • Christopher Ross said the board had concluded an executive session to discuss contracts and receive the advice of counsel. 0:21
    • The board took up consent items C1 through C5. ~0:21
    • Christopher Ross said the consent items passed unanimously. 0:21
  2. LIPA payment change and tax rate 1:32
    • The staff member said LIPA, the Long Island Power Authority, will now pay through a pilot that can be no less than the previous year and no more than a 2% increase, and Suffolk County will no longer make up the difference. 2:16
    • The staff member said the approved budget and the levy had not changed and that 20 school districts in the town of Brookhaven were affected. 5:29
    • The staff member said the assessed value came in $643,000 lower than last year, producing a new tax rate of 6.23%. 7:26
  3. Superintendent's report on efficiencies and opening 17:37
    • The superintendent said the school year will require patience and invited residents with concerns to call the office. 17:37
    • The superintendent said efficiencies need to be found, citing shrinking enrollment, higher taxes and an aging population. 17:57
  4. Committee reports and graduation 20:53
    • A staff member congratulated the class of 2026 on the August graduation. 21:07
    • Christopher Ross said the audit committee is the only committee the district is required to hold and that the agenda included approval of a new internal auditor. 21:13
  5. Bond rating update 22:50
    • The staff member said the change would help the district on interest rates by probably several percentage points when it borrows in May. 23:35
    • A staff member said S&P removed the district's negative implications and changed it to a negative outlook. 23:37
    • The staff member said continued fiscal management would give the district a chance to improve its rating. 25:26
  6. Student transportation policy revision 26:30
    • Christopher Ross said the changes to Policy 5720 reflect a reduction in the distance from 25 miles to 15 miles, and the administration recommended approval with a waived second reading. 26:30
    • The revision was approved unanimously. 26:30
  7. Capital projects update 27:30
    • A staff member said the quote to replace an air conditioning unit at South Haven dropped from $45,600 to just over $37,000, and that the track would not be ready for the home opener, which was moved to the turf field. 27:30
    • A speaker asked that a specific individual be present going forward to answer questions and said there were a few shortages at this point. 30:13
    • A staff member said balances for each capital project would be presented in public at the next meeting. 34:27
  8. School safety plan 34:43
    • One board member said the plan noted past reviews in 2001, 2000 and 2003 and asked the administration to review it given changes in security. 34:43
    • The 2026⁠-⁠2027 Project Save District level plan was approved unanimously. 34:43
  9. Curriculum items 34:43
    • The board took up curriculum items in Schedules G1 through G2. 34:43
    • The curriculum items were approved unanimously. 34:43
  10. Personnel agenda 34:43
    • One board member said of the H1 items, I don't understand how and why they did it that way, paraphrased as not understanding how and why it was done that way. 38:38
    • A speaker said getting information at 3:31 in the afternoon was not enough time to review the personnel agenda and said the speaker was voting to abstain. 39:40
    • Christopher Ross said the H1 motion passed 4 to 2. 38:45
  11. Business items and internal auditor contract 40:32
    • Linda L. Brown asked about dates marked 25, 26 in a consultant contract. 41:24
    • A staff member said the RS Abrams contract includes a risk assessment for '25-'26 that the old auditor did not do and that it is not a new expense. 41:46
    • Christopher Ross said the business items in Schedules I-1 through I-6 were approved unanimously. 43:23
  12. Welcome of new staff 43:36
    • A staff member introduced newly appointed staff, including school psychologists and special education teachers. 43:58
    • A staff member said the PTA and the SCAA took part in committee work to identify the new hires. 43:58
  13. Public comment 48:10
    • A speaker at public comment asked whether a decision had been made on the homecoming parade, and Christopher Ross said the answer is not no but that it is not known yet. 48:27
    • A speaker asked about after-school music activities, and a staff member said all co-curricular activities were eliminated under this budget. 51:18
  14. Cell tower contract red line 53:12
    • Christopher Ross asked the school attorney about a red line of the cell tower contract and asked that it be resent to board members. 53:12
    • A speaker said it was still the same red line from June 1st and that a response was pending. 53:33

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “SOUTH COUNTRY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD MEETING 08/26/2026 PT 2”