Full staff, few changes mark Shelter Island School start next week

A week before classes start for Shelter Island students on Sept. 6, school officials are expecting 190 students. Superintendent Brian Doelger, Ed.D., still has a few applications in process that could add to that total, he said.

This is the first time in several years that the school has been named a district in “good standing” after a being targeted by the New York State Education Department as a district that needed improvements. Mr. Doelger said the district deserved to be listed as being in good standing earlier, but for whatever reason, it took time to regain that status, and he’s pleased to see test scores continuing to improve.

The district is in the top 19% in national rankings reported by US News & World Report and in the top 23% in New York State, according to numbers just released.

“We have received our highest ranking ever,” Mr. Doelger said. “This is great news as we start off the new year,” he said, adding the staff is the strongest of any he has worked with since he was named superintendent in 2019.

In addition to the appointment of Keeley Kotula, who has been working in the district as an office assistant, as a full-time Spanish teacher, and was welcomed by the Board of Education last week, the Board will officially endorse the hiring of Keith Wildstein at a brief special meeting on Thursday, Aug. 31 as a full-time music teacher.

Previously, the Board hired Sarah Pfenig as a science teacher and Jackie Sperling as a special education teacher.

Major changes in the district this year include septics, cellphone use among students in grades six through 12, and a new soccer program.

Septics

The most challenging change has been the long-awaited installation of a new septic system completed, as promised, during the summer months, with landscaping work still to be done.

For several years there were plans to replace the aged septics — initially with a project targeting the school and Community Center and, more recently, a project meant to treat wastewater from several public buildings in the area.

That’s still pending for other buildings, but school officials decided to go with installation of their own separate nitrogen-reducing I/A systems rather than continue to delay.

Mr. Doelger told the Board of Education that projects of this scope generally take four months. But most of the work has been done in six weeks. He and Mike Dunning, who leads building and grounds efforts, credit resident businesses that worked on the project with a commitment to spend long hours, often in extremely hot weather, to keep the project moving forward.

Mr. Dunning credits Hirsch & Co. and Gene Shepherd Enterprises, both of Shelter Island, with bringing the project to fruition within a tight timeline. Hirsch is a plumbing contractor, while the Shepherd operation specializes in septic maintenance, crane services and site excavation.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation cooperated by sending inspectors to certify aspects of the project despite some of the calls for inspections coming at the last minute, Mr. Dunning said.

Cellphones

The second change for students in grades six through 12, as reported last week, is a ban on cellphones in classes, with phones to be placed in a metal box at the start of each period and returned at the end. In an emergency, teachers can carry the box of phones from the classroom and return the devices to students.

It’s not a formal policy yet, but the administration and Board of Education believe it will help students focus on classroom activity without constant interruptions. At the same time, it will be monitored to determine if it’s effective or if changes need to be made before a formal policy is written.

Parents generally support the limit on cellphone use; students, not so much, Mr. Doelger said. “We’ll be the first ones to change it,” if the practice needs to be adjusted, he said referring to the administration, staff and Board of Education.

Soccer

Whether it’s love of the game or the fact that Shelter Island launches a soccer program this year, it is now Mr. Doelger’s favorite sport. He said he knows he shouldn’t play favorites, but admitted he’s excited that a request for the program came from student Harrison Weslek and a large group of students who brought their request to the Board of Education.

He and Athletic Director Todd Gulluscio have always been pleased at the number of sports and other activities the small school is able to offer, with many students signing up to participate in at least two every year.