After a resident tipped off the Sag Harbor school district that multiple families were falsely claiming residence at a rental house to enroll their children at area schools, the district has hired an investigator to look into the allegation. "We don't know ?yet if it's real, or how many families we may be talking about here, but the allegation is multiple," said district superintendent Dr. John Gratto.
The district's high test scores and small class size have led to an uptick in the number of families enrolling their children in its two schools under false pretenses. It's currently investigating eight students and has removed ten students for claiming false residency since Dr. Gratto became superintendent.
While the school district most certainly has an obligation to ensure its taxpayers aren't being taken advantage of, we're not so sure about their methods. From the article, emphasis ours:
"Sag Harbor regularly employs a private investigator to track parents and students, including taking photos of them outside their homes, to prove that they are living outside the district."So, if you see a strange man taking pictures of children, don't worry. He's just making sure they're not trying to cheat the system. Sag Harbor Schools Investigating Rental House Residency Imposters [27 East]