Letters

As president of the Sag Harbor Historical Museum, I am writing to address a question posed to us last week: “Why is this $75,000 funding of the Sag Harbor Historical Museum part of the school budget?”

The answer is found in state law. Under New York State Education Law, Sections 253 and 256, a museum is allowed to contract with its school district to receive financial support. 

In the past year, we appeared before the School Board summarizing for them the class tours given every year at the museum, presentations made to Morning Program by our trustees (pre-COVID), and the walking tours for students of many of Sag Harbor’s historic sites conducted by museum trustees. The museum has featured an art exhibit of Pierson High School art students and, currently, two classes from the Art Department are assisting the museum in the publication of a book about Sag Harbor, to be published in the fall.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, our mission is to educate the entire community, but particularly students, about Sag Harbor’s history, and the School Board is encouraged by our work with students to date and our plans to continue.

Thus, the board has added Proposition 4 to the School Board vote on May 16. If approved with a yes vote, the $75,000 would enable us to continue to maintain our 1760 headquarters, the Annie Cooper Boyd House, to preserve and share our collections of art, costumes, documents and correspondence, and create more educational programs, sharing all of this and more.

I sincerely hope this answers the question — and thank you for your yes vote on Proposition 4 on May 16.

Nancy French Achenbach

President

Sag Harbor Historical Museum