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This summer, the district will finish the second phase of an important electrical upgrade at the joint campus of Earl L. Vandermeulen High School and Port Jefferson Middle School. As many in the community are aware, the upgrade began earlier this spring when preliminary steps were taken to prepare for the summer switch of this main power line.

Because these projects may cause intermittent power disruptions at both schools, several offices and district personnel will be temporarily relocated for a portion of the summer. From July 2 through July 13, the athletics office and middle school main office staff will be operating out of the district office. Our driver’s education program, which traditionally runs at the high school, will operate out of Room 512 at Edna Louise Spear Elementary School on June 27 and 28, as well as July 3, 5, 10, 11 and 12. Lastly, the high school main office, attendance office, guidance department, principal’s office, assistant principal’s office and music office will also operate out of the elementary school. There will be no access to the buildings (either the high school or middle school) while this work is under way.

All current phone numbers for these departments and offices will be unchanged and email addresses will remain operational. Please note that all schools and offices in the district will operate on summer hours throughout the entire summer. Hours will be 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

We expect that our personnel, offices and driver’s education program will return to their original locations after Friday, July 13. The district will provide an update on this work once it is complete.

A special meeting of the Port Jefferson School District Board of Education will be held on June 19, 2018, 5:30 p.m., at the District Office, for the purpose of acting on a specific Memorandum of Agreement, and any other business as may be needed.

The annual reorganization meeting and regular monthly business meeting of the Port Jefferson School District Board of Education will be held on July 10, 2018, at Edna Louise Spear Elementary School.  Call to order will be 6:00 p.m. for the purpose of entering executive session, the reorganization meeting will be at 7:00 p.m., and the business meeting will commence at 7:30 p.m.

Registration for the 2018 Summer Music Camp organized by the Port Jefferson School District Music and Fine Arts Department is in progress. The camp provides an enjoyable and positive opportunity for beginning and advanced students to enhance their musical studies while meeting new friends and playing music together. It offers several levels of musical training classes, including beginning band and string. There are also more advanced classes for current elementary and middle school band and string instrumentalists. The camp runs from July 9-19 with times varying depending on experience levels. The fee is $125 per class and a class bundle package of three classes can be purchased for $300. To enroll, complete the registration form on the Music & Fine Arts webpage and return it to your child’s music teacher. Contact Director of Music and Fine Arts Dr. Michael Caravello at (631) 791-4450 for more information.

As a result of diligent financial planning and a strong commitment to fiscal accountability, the district has received a very high quality credit rating from Moody’s Investors Service.

The Aa2 rating the district received is determined based on the assessment of its fund balance, financial management, a strong wealth and income profile and tax base wealth. It is an important measure that is used by prospective lenders to determine the credit worthiness of school districts and other public entities.

“This report from an outside and independent financial institute is a clear indication of the current financial health of the district,” said Sean Leister, deputy superintendent of the Port Jefferson School District. “It reflects the district’s meticulous and mindful financial planning and will ensure lower interest rates for borrowing funds and significant financial savings for our residents for any funds borrowed.”

According to the report, and in comparison to other Moody’s rated school districts, Port Jefferson’s Aa2 rating is stronger than the median rating of nationwide districts. The cash balance as a percent of operating revenues (53.1 percent) is noted as superior and saw an impressive increase between 2013 and 2017. The fund balance as a percent of operating revenues (37.5 percent) is also stronger. The district’s debt burden is negligible and favorable and the 0.2 percent net direct debt to full value is significantly below the nationwide median and stayed flat between 2013 and 2017.