Tiny 3-Room Schoolhouse On LI Ceases Student Education After 117 Years

NORTH FORK, NY — For years, it was the little red schoolhouse that could. Despite dwindling enrollment and other challenges, the New Suffolk Common School, located on the bucolic North Fork, has held on, a bastion of days gone by — a reminder of the area's rich past and legacy.

But now, the New Suffolk School, which opened in 1907 as a two-room schoolhouse, and in 1923, expanded to become a three-room facility — the building has remained a three-room schoolhouse since — will cease educating students, transitioning to a "non-instructional school."

All students will attend Southold schools beginning in September.

To honor the legacy of the historic building and the generations of students who hold the school close, a celebration has been planned for Friday, June 14, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Guests are invited to "take a journey through New Suffolk School history," tour the school, browse through old photographs and documents, and visit with alumni and community mambers. Refreshments will be served and New Suffolk merchandise will be available for purchase.

Stepping inside the school, where a bell is still rung by hand, a visitor is transported back to another time. And yet, even with only seven students enrolled this year — 17 district students are enrolled in the Southold School District, and 4 district students are attending private school — the school has long been focused on excellence and academic advancement.

Alumni reflect on decades of memories

In advance of Friday's celebration, school event committee member Joanne Vitiello collected memories of past graduates, writing their oral histories.

Both Roberta Faller Jaklevic and Joe Poloshack, who shared their memories, both still live in New Suffolk.

"Some people believe that walls absorb the energy in a room, witnessing life events and holding the memories formed there," Vitiello said. "We all have ups and downs, and carry our memories that shape who we are and who we become throughout our lives. If it is true that walls retain our energy, then the New Suffolk School must contain an array of memories like the friendships formed, life lessons learned, struggles, and triumphs that most children experience."

She added: "The three-room schoolhouse has nurtured young lives for 117 years. Built in 1907, the school has been a community hub that has educated children in academics, art, music, physical education, and character education.In the present, it is a bittersweet time for the New Suffolk community as the school changes from an instructional to non instructional school due to low enrollment. Many residents are saddened by the change, as well as hopeful that the students in thearea will now be bussed to Southold School as tuition students. They will have the opportunity to make new friends and be provided with a larger assortment of academic opportunities. Times are changing as New Suffolk students will no longer be educated there, but the memories of the wonderful school and teachers remain," Vitiello said.

Vitiello shared the memories of former "strike leader" and graduate Roberta Faller Jaklevic. She spoke of the student strike at the school in 1948: "When I attended New Suffolk school, Bess Gagen was the principal, not the head teacher," she said. "The principal. She taught sixth, seventh, and eight grades. Miss McNulty taught fourth and fifth, and Mrs. Hanff taught first, second, and third. At that time we didn’t have kindergarten."

Faller Jaklevic said she was in the seventh grade when she happened to read in the newspaper about a workers' strike.

"Workers marched and carried signs protesting something they didn’t like. Well, my fellow students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades and I didn’t like a new rule imposed by Mrs. Gagen. I told the other kids about the strike and we decided it was a great idea and we would go on strike. We made a plan and printed up some signs that said, 'Bessie Unfair.' At recess one day, we marched around the brick incinerator in the yard behind our classroom yelling, 'Bessie unfair!'"

Mrs. Gagen, she said, watched from the window and when the bell announced the end of recess the children returned to their classroom.

"Mrs. Gagen smiled and said, "That was very interesting children, and you may all stay after school and write''I will not call Mrs. Gagen 'Bessie,' 100 times.' To my knowledge, there was never another strike at New Suffolk School!"

Recalling her eighth grade graduation in 1949, Faller Jaklevic said it was a full house.

"Everyone in town attended graduation — even if they didn’t have a graduate! The ceremony was held in the fourth and fifth grade classroom, which also served as the assembly room. For this occasion, Howard Tuthill, the owner of Goldsmith and Tuthill Lumber Yard and many other enterprises, sent his workmen to erect a temporary stage. There was a border of green burlap above the blackboard and stage to which we stapled flowers. The graduates gathered June roses from folks in town, some willing and some not so willing, but we did get those roses!"

The graduates included Adeline Sadowski, Carl Avent, Richard Bradnick, Anthony Benick, and Faller Jaklevic.

"After we recited the Pledge of Allegiance, Adeline played the piano and we sang 'Tis June the Month of Roses,' as the dignitaries took their place on the stage. Wearing our very best, we marched up on the stage to receive our awards and diplomas. Gil Horton, our postmaster and representative of the American Legion, presented the medals. The town supervisor presented our diplomas. I was the valedictorian, and Adeline was the salutatorian. Howard Tuthill and his daughter Ruth were honored guests. Mr. Tuthill probably owned and employed half of New Suffolk. I believe everyone sang 'God Bless America' at the end, and we went home for ice cream and cake."

Vitiello reflected: "The walls of the school have witnessed it all: students beginning and ending their elementary education, various teachers giving their all to make a difference in the lives of children, numerous board meetings in which members made decisions to benefit families."

There have also been various town meetings, gatherings, graduations, concerts, and celebrations, she said.

"The walls of this wonderful, historic school hold the energy of values many hold dear for children as they begin and graduate school. As the school closes its doors to academic instruction, its legacy will live on. The students — past and present — carry on the spirit of friendship, lifelong learning, and community that has been nurtured in their early years"

Vitiello also interviewed Poloshack, who attended the New Suffolk School in the 1950s.

"Ringing the bell was special, a big memory for me," he said.

Poloshack moved to Northport as an adult, and then he returned and started attending school board meetings.

"It was mentioned at one of them that the yoke of the bell was broken and had been repaired, but since no one knew how to reinstall it, it had been in the attic for a few years. Because I am a welder, it became my mission to reattach it."

To this day, ringing the bell is a special treat for children at the school, all agree.

When Poloshack attended, he said, there were about 30 to 40 students at the school. "I started in first grade. I remember the teachers teaching each grade separately. Once you had a lesson, you would go and do your work by yourself. After finishing my work, I remember that there was a big sandbox right inside the classroom! I used to go and play in it. I also remember a play area outside with swings, monkey bars, and a seesaw, but it was on New Suffolk Road, not where it is today. There was an incinerator where the current playground is. It was used to burn papers."

Poloshack remembered his two teacherss. "Fay Kirkup taught grades one to three. Her family lived where Strawberry Fields is on Sound Avenue. I remember that her family had a chicken farm. Bess Gagen taught grades four through six. Mrs. Gagen’s husband worked at the Traveler Watchman Newspaper in Southold. Once a year, we’d go there on a field trip to see how the newspaper was printed. As a souvenir, I received a linotype with my name on it that I still have today. Both teachers were very patient and kind."

He also attended school with students Steve Flurry, Vincent Martin, Jane (Pugsley) Martin. "Some of my classmates still live in New Suffolk," he said.

The school has changed over the years, he said.

When he was young, "The classes were bigger, and most of the students were local and grew up here. We had enough friends to play baseball on the field, even though there was a difference in ages."

Poloshack smiled at fond memories. "We were a tight knit group. Everyone knew each other. Of course we had our normal 'scuffles,' but there were bigger groups who went over to the middle and high school after graduating. We had each other and didn’t feel alone in the transition. Today, only one or two students graduate each year from the school as the population has declined."

He also remembered Christmas plays and graduations. "We’d have a stage set up in the all purpose
room. It was made out of two wooden horses with a plywood base on top."

Next steps for the district

Over the past year, the New Suffolk School Board said it has received a significant amount of feedback from current district parents, who believe that the school enrollment, and predicted future enrollment is not allowing for the best educational environment for the district’s children. Officials outlined the plan on the district's website.

The New Suffolk Community passed a resolution on March 5 to move to a non instructional school district.

"The vote represented a record turn-out and resulted in a 83 to 14 margin in favor. After months of working with the community and neighboring schools districts the support was overwhelmingly in favor of the plan," the district said.

A non-instructional school district, officials explained, is a district which does not provide for instruction within its own buildings; students are sent to neighboring school districts under tuition agreements.

The cost of instruction is included within the home district’s operating budget. This means that New Suffolk School District will continue to operate as its own district, with its own operating budget.

"The home school will be maintained, but the district may consider alternate uses of the existing building," officials said. "That is to say, New Suffolk School will continue operate as its own district — negotiating tuition agreements, engaging with receiving districts, providing transportation, and monitoring the education of its students. We maintain our district for tax purposes as well. The district continues to own and manage the current district properties and buildings, maintains a superintendent and is an active participant and advocate for its students. It will continue to have a school board and host school board meetings."

The district said that, based on preliminary projections, taxes would stay relatively the same, with prospective budgets not needing to exceed the annual cap.

"This course of action would also enable the school building to generate potential income to enhance the financial health of the district, should the board decide to pursue this course. Potential income from renting out the building is not contemplated within the projected budget," officials said.

If, at any point in the future, the community and the district decided that it made sense programmatically and/or financially to return to an instructional model, "we retain the authority to do so," the district said.

Teachers will be let go, "a very hard decision to make, that the board does not take lightly," officials said.

The community turned out in recent months to support the plan, according to testimonials posted on the district's website.

Some parents said that due to small class size, they are excited about the solution.

Libby Fannon, who has two students that attended the school, now in grades 6 and 10, said the experiences were much different for her childen.

"When my oldest started in kindergarten, there were approximately 20 students from kindergarten to 6th grade. The experience was much different than it is now. The number of students made a very big difference toward the social and overall elementary experience. As my first child advanced through the grades, children were graduating out with very few younger students enrolling. Upon her graduation, there were 11 students total. Each year the numbers have continued to decline to the current enrollment of 7. My second child’s elementary experience was the complete opposite of that of my first child. The lack of students has been a major hindrance to his social experience. As the only student at his age and grade, I can only describe the experience as lonely."

She added: "At this stage, paying tuition to enroll the remaining students in Southold would only be beneficial to the social, emotional and academic growth of the students."

Kyra Gantly, who has two children, said over the years it became clear that they needed more socialization and had to be enrolled in after school activities and sports "just to socialize them and assist them in making new friendships. Unfortunately, New Suffolk School just does not have the resources that the larger schools have. The kids need more in the way of music, art, and physical education at the very least. It is tough to get a steady commitment from local educators. The teachers do a good job creating a fun environment but extra curricular time is lacking for the school's students."

"My children are two of the seven currently attending New Suffolk School," Sara Wolfe said. "My oldest is an incredibly, intelligent, happy bright little boy whose spark I feel is slowly diminishing due to the very small setting at the school. He wants to be everybody’s best friend but he has yet to find someone his age to relate. This is causing sadness for myself and my family and him. Moving him to a bigger school would allow him the opportunity to flourish, socially and emotionally. He loves sports and would love to be part of a school team."

She added: "Tuitioning my boys to a larger school is the hope and prayer that my family needs."

"I have a sparkly first grader who joined the school in September. Our daughter loves her teacher and makes the best of her class but she is the only girl and currently her class, which started as a tiny group of four students, has become an even smaller group of three students. Two of those students are brothers," Ania Diakoff said. "As moving to a non-instructional school district would not affect taxes or the historical schoolhouse building, I see this as an urgent move for the wellbeing of the community's future generations."