Charter schools, failed school budgets, dads, Trump's reflecting pool, Vance on Suozzi

Charter schools lack votes from public

In addition to misconceptions about charter schools, misrepresentations about charter schools should be cleared up as well [“Clearing the air about charter schools,” Opinion, June 17].

First, charter schools are private entities funded with public dollars. Is there a public vote to establish a charter school in a community? No. Is there a public vote on the annual budget of a charter school? No. Is there a publicly elected board of education? No. Is there a public listing of staff members’ salaries? No.

Are budgets bound by a property tax cap and need supermajority approval to exceed it? No. Are they limited to only having 4% in unrestricted reserves? No.

Where is the public approval to spend the $500 million in taxpayer dollars sent annually to various charter schools on Long Island? There is none.

I was happy to see Dermoth Mattison address how certain fixed costs remain when a student goes to a charter school. A recent Hofstra University report noted though that in 2024-25, charter schools in Nassau County received on average $23,615 in tuition per pupil. The average expenses per pupil for the same time were $18,686.

To imply charter schools are on the same level as public schools is not a misconception; it’s a misrepresentation.

— Robert Vecchio, Medford

The writer is executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association.

No do-overs for failed school budget

Once again, we voted for our school budget [“Budget revotes get OK at 5 LI school districts,” News, June 17]. Five were initially defeated, with my district, the Bayport-Blue Point Union Free School District, one of them. A couple of weeks later, all five district budgets passed in the revote.

In my district, a missive was sent to us outlining the horrors that would befall our students. The voters “drank the Kool-Aid” and passed the budget. School districts need a financial adviser to help them spend their money.

I see my district as particularly wasteful. They put expensive solar panels on the high school parking carport, and we added a separate room for only 40 wrestlers. We don’t need them.

I want our money to go to educating children. They give away food and school supplies. I don’t want to pay for this stuff.

If a school district doesn’t like the outcome, should the state allow a revote? If I don’t like an election outcome passing a budget, I can’t request a revote. It isn’t fair.

I posed this question to my state representatives, and no one has responded. Eventually the well will run dry.

— Valerie Romeo, Bayport

A father’s legacy shapes a long life

Carol Walsh’s My Turn essay touched me deeply [“A father’s lessons on nature and nurture,” act2, June 21]. My father was cut from the same cloth. He taught me right from wrong, not with a sledgehammer, but with a feather.

I learned the importance of honesty and compassion by how he led his life. I witnessed the love and joy my parents brought to their marriage as a guidepost for my own wonderful marriage.

Like her father, my father was the best dad. I am 89 now. He died when I was in college, but if he were here now, my hope is he would be proud of who I have become.

— Martin Silberg, Jericho

Trump’s blue pool ignores hot science

The article on President Donald Trump’s arrests regarding the Reflecting Pool damage failed to mention a basic scientific fact that my grandchildren knew at an early age [“Trump reports ‘arrests’ for D.C. pool damage,” Nation, June 21].

Dark colors absorb heat. It seems everyone has ignored the problem created by Trump’s insistence on the color of “American flag blue.” Algae thrives in warm water, which is one reason why it quickly turned green.

Science was ignored. Why isn’t anyone out there delivering this important information to the president rather than jumping to a conspiracy conclusion of vandalism?

— Phil Tamberino, South Huntington

Vance’s ambush of Suozzi is out of line

I am a lifelong Republican and supporter of the current administration. Yet I was outraged by Vice President JD Vance’s ambush of Rep. Tom Suozzi [“Suozzi seeks probe of VP event on Island,” Long Island, June 19].

I worked eight years for Suozzi in Nassau County, and I have closely followed his work since then. Not only is he a principled politician in U.S. government, but Suozzi does not cling to any particular ideology and is never afraid to cross the aisle. We need more like him.

— Kevin Lowry, Ocean Beach

The writer is a retired Nassau County police chief.