District overview
Connetquot Central School District
Who runs Connetquot's ten schools, how they are paid for, and what is under way.
Who decides, and how settled is the leadership?
Connetquot Central School District (Bohemia and Ronkonkoma, Suffolk County) serves about 5,150 students in seven elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. A five-member Board of Education, elected by district residents, sets policy, adopts the budget and hires the superintendent. Residents also vote on the budget itself each May. In summer 2026 the superintendent post changed twice, first to an acting superintendent in August and then to an interim superintendent in September.
Elected board, May vote
Board members serve three-year terms. On May 19, 2026 voters filled two seats: Jacquelyn DiLorenzo (1,076 votes) and Edward Barry (959) won; Jaclyn Napolitano-Furno (861), April Iannitelli (804) and Jennie Keddy (487) did not. The board elected DiLorenzo President and Barry Vice President on July 7. The next election is listed for May 18, 2027.
Leadership in transition
Dr. Joseph Centamore was superintendent through at least July 2026. The board approved an Acting Superintendent agreement with Bryan Frank on Aug. 4 (3-1-1) and an Interim Superintendent agreement with Dr. Peggie Staib on Sept. 18 (4-1). An interim business-office head was proposed Oct. 6. Board votes on these items were not unanimous.
Budget decided by voters each May
The board adopts a budget in April and voters approve it in May. A tax increase above the state cap needs 60% voter approval. If a budget fails twice the district must adopt a contingency budget with no increase in the tax levy. The 2026-27 budget passed 1,465 to 982.
Where to watch
The board meets on the second and/or fourth Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Central Office, 780 Ocean Avenue, usually after a closed session. Meetings are streamed on the district's YouTube channel; agendas and minutes are posted on the district website and BoardDocs.
Turnover and disagreement on the board do not by themselves show the schools are poorly run: the Class of 2025 had a 99% graduation rate, and auditors' routine comments on the 2024-25 books focus on extracurricular-fund records and capital-asset tracking.
Where the district stands
Up 0.55% ($1.27 million) from 2025-26. Voters approved it 1,465 to 982 on May 19, 2026.
Up 2.12% from $145,707,696, within the state cap. Property taxes pay for roughly two-thirds of the budget; state aid is about a quarter.
Down 1.38% from 5,221 in 2025-26.
Context: $230,328,468 divided by 5,149 students. It includes debt payments, transportation, benefits and special-education tuition, so it is far more than classroom spending per student.
Down $5.24 million (12%) in one year; the unassigned part was $8,288,081. Combined funds fell $18.4 million.
District-reported; 94% earned a Regents or Advanced Regents diploma.
Context: count of regular, special and reorganization meetings with posted agendas or minutes in this period; most special meetings were mainly closed sessions.
Major projects
2022 capital project (bond)
Under way; $5.9M left to assignVoters approved a bond of up to $59.9 million in May 2022 for district-wide building work. Pool repairs are done and air conditioning for the high school gyms is in progress. Phase 3 bids for a high school roof and John Pearl electrical work were awarded Oct. 28, 2025. An administrator told the board on Dec. 9, 2025 that $5.9 million remained and listed options (turf, air conditioning, Idle Hour boilers, a high school waste-tank system, district-office heating and cooling). An emergency boiler replacement item for Idle Hour (about $950,000 was estimated in December) was tabled March 10, 2026.
- Voters approve the 2022 bond
- Board awards Phase 3 bids (high school roof, John Pearl electrical)
- Administrator reports $5.9M left and lists options
- Idle Hour emergency boiler replacement tabled
- Facility upgrades for 2026-27 presented
Funding
2022 voter-approved bond (up to $59,928,837) with state building aid, plus capital reserves
Amount shown is the remaining balance reported Dec. 9, 2025.
Finance review and forensic audit
Auditor engaged July 2026After trustees disputed a roughly $16.8 million gap between projected revenue and spending in February 2026, the board engaged PKF O'Connor Davies as forensic auditor on July 9, 2026. The 2024-25 audit shows reserves falling and a $5.49 million deficit in the capital projects fund, and the district's multi-year plan projects yearly shortfalls near $6.3 to $6.7 million.
- Trustees call for a forensic audit during budget discussion
- Voters approve the 2026-27 budget
- Board approves forensic auditor and 2026-27 external auditor
Funding
General fund (engagement fee not stated in the collected records)
School bus electrification planning
Study under discussionState rules would end purchases of new fossil-fuel school buses from 2027 unless a waiver is granted. The district runs about 120 buses. On Dec. 9, 2025 an administrator proposed a fleet electrification study; the district's share was described as roughly $38,000, with the study also helping qualify for state charging vouchers.
- Electrification study presented to the board
Funding
District share about 25% of study cost; state electrification programs
Recent news
Figures come from the district's 2026-27 budget book and budget presentations, the audited 2024-25 financial statements, the board's agendas, minutes and meeting recordings from October 2025 to October 2026, and the May 19, 2026 vote certification. Derived figures are marked context.
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