West Islip Superintendent Set To Retire

WEST ISLIP, NY — Bernadette Burns, who has served as West Islip superintendent since 2013, sent a retirement letter to the board of education on Feb. 1, which accepted it Thursday night.

Her retirement is effective August 15.

"I have had a blessed career working with remarkably passionate and brilliant people who are committed to the children of the West Islip School District," Burns wrote. "There is not a day that goes by that I do not marvel at the work that goes on in our classrooms, athletic fields, concert venues and more, and the support that our programs receive from the community."

Burns, who has served as superintendent since October 2013, has faced criticism in the past week after parents claim their children were "segregated" for refusing to wear masks in the classroom. Many parents also received letters stating that their children would not be allowed in school if they did not wear a mask, and would be "truant."

Several parents and students spoke at Thursday night's board of education meeting, arguing that wearing a mask is a personal choice.

The board responded to community concerns with this statement to Patch:

"Our goal is to provide a quality education to every child who walks through the doors of our West Islip schools. However, we are also obligated to follow the mandates as set forth by the state, and that currently includes wearing face masks inside our buildings. Until the matter of indoor mask wearing is settled in the courts, all students, staff and visitors are required to wear an appropriate face covering. We are hopeful this matter will be settled quickly."

The district also announced in Thursday's meeting that they would implement School Resource Officers (SROs) in schools. According to the meeting agenda, the purpose of SROs are to "ensure a safe school environment," and "provide a clear protocol for school officials when responding to non-emergency situations in schools." SROs will be employed by Suffolk County Police, the agenda said.