Superintendent's Corner
February 11, 2025
Dear Port Jefferson School Community,
I am writing to inform you about an important matter that significantly impacts our school district’s financial health and, ultimately, our students. In 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed the Child Victims Act (CVA) into law. This legislation created a "look-back window" allowing victims of sexual abuse to file civil litigation against alleged abusers and institutions that may have enabled such abuse, regardless of when the incidents occurred. The look-back window opened in August 2019 and closed in March 2021, resulting in over 10,000 claims filed against various institutions, including numerous school districts across New York State. Port Jefferson had seven claims filed during this period.
While the CVA was enacted with the critical goal of providing justice to survivors of abuse, it has also led to unintended financial consequences for school districts like ours. Port Jefferson settled all of the CVA-related lawsuits in November of 2024, totaling 16.5 million dollars. In order to pay for this settlement, the District was able to utilize 5.1 million dollars from our reserve funds and additionally, borrow a one-year Bond Anticipation Note (BAN) for 11.4 million dollars. A BAN is a short-term financing option that allows the District to make an interest-only payment for one year.
During our first work session budget presentation on January 28, 2025, Deputy Superintendent Sean Leister outlined the District’s plan for making this first BAN payment of $370,445 in the 2025-2026 school year. A copy of the presentation can be accessed here. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, the District will need to convert the 11.4 million dollar debt into a fourteen-year long-term bond unless we have some legislative relief.
These substantial future bond payments will place a heavy financial burden on our district, impacting our ability to deliver the quality education our current students deserve. While we remain deeply sympathetic to the victims and recognize the seriousness of the allegations, we believe it is unjust for our present-day community and students to shoulder this financial burden. To address this issue and advocate for fair solutions, we are urging our elected officials to support the following measures at the state level:
1. Partial Reimbursement: Establish a budget initiative to offer partial reimbursement for CVA settlements or judgments. This can be accomplished through a formula similar to the existing Building Aid model for school infrastructure.
2. Tax Cap Exemption: Allow districts a tax cap exemption specifically for CVA-related expenditures.
3. CVA Fund: Create a dedicated fund to reimburse uninsured school districts for settlement and judgment expenses under CVA.
4. Liquidation Bureau: Expand the look-back period for school districts to submit insurance claims to the New York State Liquidation Bureau. This Bureau is an entity that receives no funding from the taxpayers and protects policyholders of insurance companies that have been declared insolvent.
5. Access Restricted Reserves: Allow districts to access restricted reserve funds by Board of Education resolution for payments of debt associated with CVA judgments or settlements.
Any one of these solutions could provide much-needed relief to our District and lessen the long-term bond implications. These proposed legislative solutions seek to balance justice for CVA victims with the need to preserve educational resources for current and future students. We ask for your support and advocacy to ensure that the education of our students remains a top priority, free from the unpredictable financial hardships that result from events beyond all of our control.
Your voice matters! Please consider reaching out to state legislators and advocating alongside us for these necessary changes to protect our schools and our students. Templates can be found on our website along with directory information for our local elected officials.
Thank you for your continued support of our district and our mission to provide a high-quality education for all students.
Sincerely,
Jessica Schmettan
Superintendent of Schools
December 20, 2024
Dear Royal Family,
Port Jefferson experienced a great loss last week, with the passing of our student, Ash Patterson. Although this has been a difficult and emotional time for all of us, I'm profoundly proud of the way our school community came together. Through this incredible grief, I am filled with a sense of gratitude and pride for our village. Many individuals have commented on the love, patience, and support all of you have shown for each other, our staff, our students, and especially the Patterson Family.
The holiday season is an ideal time for reflection, to pause and consider the moments that have shaped the past year. We confronted challenges, faced them head-on, and emerged stronger together. We've shared countless positive moments with loved ones and friends, building cherished memories along the way. As we remember those we've lost, let us also hold onto the understanding that every moment we have is precious and worth treasuring.
It is a privilege to be part of the Port Jefferson School District. As the final days of December draw near, I am in awe of the incredible accomplishments our students have achieved throughout the first half of this school year. We have celebrated our scholars, our athletes, our artists, our performers, our poets, our actors, and our musicians. Their determination and resilience are truly inspiring, and I have no doubt that the second half of this school year will bring even more achievements.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our staff, who come to work each day with a single, unwavering purpose: the education, safety, and well-being of our students. Each of them, regardless of their role, plays an integral part in making our district a special place to live and work.
With your own families, I hope you find some time to rest, reflect, and connect with your loved ones. I look forward to continuing our mission together as we head into the New Year.
Sincerely,
Jessica Schmettan
Superintendent
August 29, 2024
Dear Royal Families,
As we approach the beginning of a new school year, I wanted to take a moment to welcome back all of our students and their families. Our theme for our staff conference days this year was entitled, “Tomorrow is Going to be a Brighter Day,” with a focus on finding happiness. We have an incredible community of educators and staff, each of whom plays an invaluable role in the success of our District.
Our goal this year is to ensure all our residents find the value and joy in the Port Jefferson School District. As a result, we look forward to working with all of you to help children experience true happiness and a strong sense of belonging in our schools. We are ready to start this new school year with an optimistic, fresh start and know each of you will collectively help us towards a brighter future!
We are excited to announce that we have adopted a new form of school-to-home communication called Parent Square. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with our District. It provides a safe way for District administrators, school principals, teachers, staff, and parents to send and receive school, course, extracurricular, athletic, and grade-level information.
Detailed information about this platform will be sent through email next week. In addition to lunch, this year the District is serving breakfast at all three of our buildings. Students will have access to buy breakfast first thing in the morning at our Middle School and Elementary School, and during periods one and two at our High School. Cafeteria menus can be found on our website along with details about pricing.
Thank you to our clerical, facilities, technology, and administrative staff who have worked tirelessly this summer to prepare our buildings for opening day. Our efforts were derailed by the historic rainfall that hit our area. Our Middle School and High School suffered water damage. Fortunately, through the hard work of our grounds and custodial team along with a remediation company, our buildings will be clean and ready for students on the first day. We hope all of your families and homes are safe. If any student or family needs assistance after this traumatic event, please contact our building principal.
We are excited to see all of you on Tuesday, September 3. Wishing you a wonderful Labor Day weekend.
Sincerely,
Jessica Schmettan
Superintendent