More Questions Than Answers Available at Homeless Student Forum

A shelter for homeless families has raised more questions among the Hauppauge community than county officials could provide answers for in a two-hour forum held on Tuesday night. 

Concerned Hauppauge residents, community members and school board officials packed the Suffolk County Legislature's auditorium to standing-room only on Tuesday, ready to launch an endless barrage of questions over the county's decision to open a family shelter this summer in a nearby hotel and its impact on the Hauppauge Public School District. 

"I want to address the general misconception out there that Hauppauge parents are against the homeless children, we are not. I speak for the majority when I say a lot of this happened overnight, we didn't have a lot of facts and it fueled a lot of rumors," said Lawrence Crafa, a Smithtown resident in the Hauppauge school district.

Questions from the community focused on the financial impact of educating the homeless students, given New York's 2 percent tax cap, on Hauppauge School District; whether homeless students were equitably placed with neighboring districts, and if the "megashelter" built was legal under county code. 

"Our classes are already at a maximum. As a taxpayer what will happen when we need to hire new teacher and disrupt the year we are into, who will eat that cost," asked Sharon Rudden, of Hauppauge. 

Others questioned the county's placement and dispersal of homeless students. 

"Is Hauppauge the only school district that was chosen?," saidd Hauppauge resident Chris Kelly. "Has Commack received any homeless children?"

Legis. John Kennedy, R-Nesconset, and Samuel Chu, Suffolk's Director of Operations, did not have specific answers as to how homeless students were placed. Kennedy said previously the number of students placed in Hauppauge schools would probably not increase this academic year.  

"My concern is we are getting unfair burden on such a small school district, we don’t have resource to support it," said teacher Karen Dennis, a Smithtown resident in Hauppauge school district.  

Keria Dreisbach, a shelter resident with children attending Hauppauge schools, begged district residents not to take their upset and concern out on her family. 

"I was a taxpayer, I am still pay taxes. Homeless people can pay taxes. We are thankful for what we do have. We hope our children receive a proper education with no form of discrimination against homeless people or children," Dreisbach said. 

Patricia Lesser, a former Hauppauge Board of Education trustee, encouraged her community to show acceptance of the homeless children and move forward. She has adopted six children who attending Hauppauge schools. 

"My hope for the 10, 11, 27 children - whatever that number might be - is that the community of Hauppauge rallies around them. They need to be educated and I can think of no better place than Hauppauge School District to educate them," Lesser said. 

Kennedy and Chiu said they will work on getting more answers to residents' questions on finances, potential building of a megashelter and other issues. Residents will be directly contact by phone call and/or a further FAQ of the questions and answers will be posted online via their websites or the school district's website. 

Those answers offered by Legis. John Kennedy and Commissioner Samuel Chiu include: 

• There is a reimbursement procedure associated with the education of homeless children. In-county and in-state children are processed through a vouchering between the school district and New York State Education Department for the approximate cost of a child. 
  
  
• There is no state or county reimbursement for out-of-state children whose families are placed in Hauppauge schools while living in the nearby homeless family shelter
  
  
• New York State code of regulations and state laws make it impossible to place a sex offender in a family [homeless] shelter.