Parents Concerned Over Drop In Enrollment At Quogue School

Community members in Quogue are concerned over the local elementary school’s recent drop in enrollment and the district’s lack of communication about it.

At a recent Board of Education meeting, parents said that other than attending board meetings, there is no method for them to learn about what is happening within the district. Mainly, why the enrollment is expected to drop from 101 students last year, in 2018-19, to 88 students in the current 2019-20 school year.

Jill Creighton, whose son, Sam, will enter the sixth grade in September, noted that the community relies heavily on the success of the school district. She explained that high performing school districts affect property values within the community and attract families to move to the neighborhood.

In fact, a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that for every dollar of per-pupil state aid, relevant housing values increased by roughly $20.

In an email on Wednesday, Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Ryvicker noted that many Suffolk County school districts are seeing a trend in decreased enrollment, calling it a “trend that is expected to continue for years to come.”

In the next 10 years, the Southampton School District expects to see a 22-percent drop in student enrollment, according to a recent study by the Western Suffolk BOCES Office of School Planning and Research.

Mr. Ryvicker attributed the trend to the lack of affordable housing on the East End. “High rental prices in Quogue often become unsustainable, for our families, which has further contributed to declining enrollment,” he said.

However, at the meeting, Ms. Creighton also raised concern over the stability of the sixth grade class, noting that three in-district students pulled their students from the district last year to attend neighboring school districts, such as Hampton Bays and East Quogue.

At the same time, she said that the district instituted an anti-bullying program. To date, she said that administrators have not offered an explanation as to why those parents pulled their students.

Mr. Ryvicker explained last week that he could not discuss those details, but acknowledged parents’ concerns.

Kara Krill, who also attended the board meeting, suggested sending anonymous satisfaction surveys to local residents and district staff to gauge the community’s interests and address their concerns. Mr. Ryvicker was supportive of the idea.

Ms. Krill, who up until last year paid out-of-district tuition for her three children to attend the Quogue School, said that she was originally attracted to the school by its enrichment programs, numerous field trips and after school homework help, which was cut approximately two years ago. Mr. Ryvicker said that the administration was working on reinstating it.

In the meantime, he pointed to the district’s art curriculum, in which students in grades pre-kindergarten through sixth grade engage in art, music, technology, Spanish and library sessions two times per week.

“We believe that our commitment to excellence in education and persistent drive to improve our school every year will continue to draw families to our community,” he said.