Bellport Teachers Association members dug into their own pockets to support infants this week, donating over $1,000 worth of baby supplies to Senator Dean Murray’s Baby Supply Drive in support of Angels of Long Island and Branches of Long Island. The donation will help supply local families in crisis with baby formula, diapers, and other critical items.
Their philanthropy comes in the middle of a much-publicized school district budget crisis, which has put many educators' jobs in jeopardy, but Bellport Teachers Association President Patrick Brady said his members have always put other people first.
“These are just people who care — care about the community, care about other people — and they’re willing to give, even in times of great uncertainty,” said Brady.
The South Country budget debacle was announced in September of 2025, when Central Office administrators revealed an unexpected financial deficit of $3.49 million. This disclosure prompted an independent review by the Office of the New York State Comptroller, who concluded that the situation was more dire: the district was actually on track to finish the fiscal year with a deficit of $10.5 million, owing to multiple years of inaccurate financial planning on the part of the Central Office administration, including mismanagement of reserves and an overreliance on non-recurring funding sources.
Now, the district’s poor financial management is expected to cost educators their jobs. In April, the district announced plans to excess 30 BTA members. Combined with retirements, this equates to the loss of 42 positions, in addition to the 16 members excessed and 31.2 positions abolished last year, not including losses in other bargaining units, Brady said. In total, an estimated 80 positions have been eliminated from the district since the end of the 2024–2025 school year.
“I’ve got members up to 20 years in, who are worried about losing their jobs,” said Brady. “We’re in it, but we’re still trying to help, trying to support children in our community in the ways we always have.”
The South Country Central School District is in Bellport, a suburban community on the southern edge of Long Island, halfway between Hempstead and Montauk. The district contains six schools, including a middle school and high school and enrolls approximately 3,798 students, 62 percent of whom are economically disadvantaged.
In May, the New York State Legislature authorized an $11 million loan and another $7 million advance in state aid, which will help the district limp through the end of the current school year, but the district still has work to do to get the district back on firm financial footing.
The South Country Board of Education approved a $150.5 million school budget, which will be presented to voters on May 19. The board said the proposed budget is part of a multi-year financial stabilization plan. The proposed budget increases the tax levy by 13.45 percent, piercing the tax levy cap of 5.52 percent, and therefore requires a supermajority to pass.
Brady admits he is apprehensive about voters’ reaction to the budget but is trying to remain optimistic. “I’m trying to stay confident, but it’s a big ask,” Brady said. “I’m hopeful. We don’t want to see any more programmatic cuts, so this is what we need for our students.”