Are Long Beach Schools Enticing Families to Stay?

Story by Jeff Lipton

Several residents hit hard by Hurricane Sandy are still undecided about whether they want to rebuild or relocate, and some say that the Long Beach public schools are not “enticing” enough to convince them to stay.

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“A lot of families in town have to rebuild their homes,” said Jill Butensky, who has two children attending the public schools. “These are very scary times now for our schools. Do residents put their money into a house and rebuild or relocate to another school district?"

Butensky is among a group of parents who have expressed concern about the direction the Long Beach public schools is taking, especially in light of the recent budget proposals.

She said the district is “top-heavy” with an ever-increasing administration.

“The kids are going to be the ones who are going to suffer the most,” Butensky said. “The money is not going to our kids’ education, it’s going to the administration.

“We are going through a lot of anxious moments and we want our kids to have the best,” she added. “We need the schools to stay stable because the community is not. The school district has to show that it is worth staying here.”

Rachel Richter, who has two children attending Lido Elementary School, said that the techniques used to teach the material are not innovative and exciting.

“I have a child who hates to go to school,” Richter said. “He feels it is tedious and he is constantly being drilled with test material. It’s pretty pathetic and it’s not the teachers’ fault. The kids are bored and miserable. I find the teaching techniques to be archaic.”

Richter said she too is worried that the public schools are not attractive enough for perspective home buyers.

“If we wanted to sell our house, we couldn’t because Long Beach is not enticing right now for potential home buyers,” she said. “The schools leave a lot to be desired, people are afraid of another hurricane flood and our flood insurance will become astronomical. We’re going to be stuck here for a long time.

“One thing that could turn that around is a rockin’ school system,” Richter added. “The Long Beach School District is not pulling in any people and it’s scary for those who are rebuilding.”

Richter said the one relief from the rigorous drilling of test materials is art and the district is proposing cutbacks in that area.

Superintendent David Weiss said the budget has not been finalized and the school board is continuing to look at how it could be refined. He added that the district has a firm commitment to maintain all academic programming.

“Everybody has to make their own decisions,” Weiss said about residents who are considering whether to relocate to another school district. “But there won’t be any questions whether we want to keep in place all of our programs. There will be no cuts in support services or educational services.”

He strongly denied that the administrative budget is being increased, adding that the district made $400,000 in cuts in that area last year. “The administrative component is one of the smallest components in the budget,” he said.

He said that some cuts have to be made to close a $4.5 million budget gap.

“We’re trying to come up with a budget that is affordable to the taxpayer,” Weiss said. “We’re trying to build a sustainable budget. You will see a lot less cuts in Long Beach than in other districts.”

Weiss said there are many “unknowns” in the budget because many homes have been destroyed by the storm.

“I think the tax base will stabilize and Long Beach is a great place to live and that doesn’t change,” he said. “Most people are staying put, but it’s very hard to make accurate projections while some things have not yet been answered. That’s why we have to be very conservative in our approach.”

One parent, who did not want her name used, said parents serve on committees but their input is not given any consideration.

“It’s a formality,” she said.

She also said that scores at the elementary school level are not up to par and that proposed cuts in those schools are “shocking.” She condemned the proposal to cut four teachers-in-charge, who help students meet their social and emotional needs.

“Our kids deserve more than that,” she said. “These are the people who make our kids feel safe.

“I personally have friends who are in limbo right now [about whether to rebuild]. They worry if their child will get a quality education in the elementary level. It’s a crucial time for us in Long Beach and it’s no time to drop the ball. We all love living here and no one wants to compromise the quality of our children’s education.”

Weiss said the district has been working on improving student achievement by revising all academic programs.

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