Elmont Memorial H.S. parents denounce school board

Parents expressed anger with some Board of Education members following the sudden announcement by Elmont Memorial High School Principal Kevin Dougherty that he will step down at the end of the school year, saying that they have lost trust in the board.
The school’s Parent Teacher Student Association held an emergency town hall meeting on April 11 to discuss measures the community could take following Dougherty’s decision. One suggestion included possibly voting against the Sewanhaka Central High School District’s proposed $244 million budget for 2023-24 on May 16 as a way to send a message to the school board.
“We are here to help advocate for what is best for our children,” Lynette Battle, the PTSA president, wrote in an email. “The PTSA cannot tell you how to vote, however, we can tell you to show your strength in numbers, encourage you to have your voices be heard by voting and support your efforts to advocate for our scholars.”
Dougherty sent an email to parents, students and staff on April 5 announcing that he will be leaving, effective June 30.
The announcement precipitated an emotional and disappointing day for both students and Dougherty, who reportedly broke down when telling them the news.

With Dougherty leaving and Sewanhaka Superintendent James Grossane retiring this summer, many members of the Elmont school community said they are fed up with feeling ignored by board trustees.
Community members said the board has caused them to reach a boiling point — with the most significant move being Dougherty’s unexplained leave of absence right before the start of the 2022-23 school year, in what administration officials described as a “sabbatical.”
The move sparked protests among parents and students, who demanded answers about his sudden removal. Dougherty was reinstated to his position on Oct. 11.
However, the reason why Dougherty was removed in the first place has never been addressed, according to those who attended the town hall.
“A good indication that you’re being ignored is when your child shows up to school on day one and the principal has been fired, without your prior knowledge,” Aubrey Phillips, Parkhurst Civic Association president, said. “And not just any principal, but a principal that has a stellar record.”

Strength in numbers
Phillips said that holding school board trustees accountable is the only way to bring about change.
Battle and the other town hall speakers talked about ways to improve community involvement in this year’s budget vote and school board elections.
The Elmont PTSA said it wants to create a five-point agenda to present to the school board listing the community’s expectations. Battle said community representation at monthly Board of Education meetings is also important, urging audience members to attend at least four board meetings until 2024. She added that the goal is to have roughly 25 parents at each elementary and high school board meeting.
“The argument is that we don’t show up, we don’t voice our concerns,” Battle said. “We’re going to dispel that myth.”
Various committees are also being set up to further unite and inform the community, including volunteers making phone calls, talking to their neighbors, attending community events, distributing flyers, providing translation services, making lawn signs, managing social media accounts and more.

To vote for or against the budget
During the town hall, questions arose about whether to approve the proposed 2023-24 school budget. The spending plan is about a $17 million increase over the current school year’s $227 million budget.
Phillips, who is the former president of the Elmont elementary school board and an advocate for public education, said the members of the community have the right to vote as they see fit, but he does not advise rejecting the budget because it comes at a cost. According to the New York State Education Department, if voters reject a district’s budget, the district can hold a second vote for the same or a revised budget. The district can also adopt a contingency budget, which limits spending and, in turn, impacts school capital projects and programs.
If voters reject the budget twice, the contingency budget automatically takes effect.
However, others said they believe voting down the budget could capture the attention of the state education department.
“I no longer trust our trustees,” Dwayne Palmer, an Elmont parent, said. “I don’t trust that they have the best interest of this community, and I think 17 million more dollars is a big ask for the contempt they show us.”
In addition to the budget vote on May 16, two school board trustees are running for re-election, Tiffany Capers and Anthony Maffea. Maffea has served as trustee on the Elmont School District board for more than 15 years, while Capers has served for three years.
Those running the town hall meeting told Capers, who was the sole trustee present, that the Elmont community is behind her. Jon Johnson, adviser for Men of Elmont, a high school mentorship program, said it is necessary “she stays on the board.”
Battle mentioned that other candidates are likely to officially announce their plans to run some time soon.
“It is sort of like taking the legs out from under a stool — you have to chip away but you have to have stamina,” Phillips said. “You cannot expect that what you’re going to do today is going to make the difference tomorrow. (The community’s job) for this election is to kick out one of the legs of that stool.”