Shelter Island School Superintendent’s contract extended: Board okays 2% raise for the year

The Board of Education approved a fifth-year extension Monday night to its contract with Superintendent Brian Doelger, Ed.D. He was also granted a 2% increase for the 2023-24 school year. With the raise, his salary for the current school year is approximately $244,000.

Mr. Doelger had taught social studies in the district, but left in 2014 to pursue a doctorate degree and worked for larger school districts. But when the Shelter Island superintendent’s position opened, he returned in the top spot in August 2019, making this the fifth year serving in that role.

In his report to the Board of Education, he said the New York State Assessment Results for grades three through eight are “embargoed” by the state, but he looks forward to being able to release them soon, noting they are overwhelmingly positive.

He credited the district’s professional development plan; changes made in curriculum; use of I-Ready teaching programs aimed at students in those grades; and the “Response to Intervention” program that identifies students’ problems early so they can be addressed quickly.

The improvements have placed the district in the top 18% of all school districts in New York State, according to US News & World Report rankings, the superintendent said.

Since deciding not to hire a business manager for the district, four years ago, Mr. Doelger estimates about $160,000 has been saved over four years by using a consultant.

Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Rylott noted that the enrollment of 193 students is the highest since the COVID-19 pandemic brought many families to the Island and enrolled their children in the school.

She said elementary faculty members completed training this month in using “Kiddom,” an online learning platform to facilitate the district’s English learning literacy curriculum. She also noted English teacher Debra Sears will be piloting a unit on English language education for middle school sometime this fall.

Todd Gulluscio, Director of Athletics, Physical Education, Health, Wellness and Personnel, said the fall sports season is off to a great start with the new soccer team set to play its first home game on Friday.

It was another winning year for the Island’s scholar athletes in the 2022-23 school terms when, for the eighth straight year, all varsity teams performed at a 90 or better academic performance for all their studies.

They also received another New York State Public High School Athletic Association Sportsmanship Promotion Award. Later this fall, the district will receive the Sportsmanship Award Banner as one of only four schools statewide to merit the award.