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Sleepy Hollow Parents Hope Morse Program Stays

SLEEPY HOLLOW, N.Y. — Parents attending Tuesday's Board of Trustees work session discussion on the Morse After-School Program did not come away with hope that it would be reinstated into the village's budget.

“At the end of the day, I thought the board would be proud to say that Sleepy Hollow has an after-school program,” Anthony Iannarelli said, but “they’re just going to cut it.”

Village trustees cut the program from the budget because it wasn’t self-sustaining. The village-run program served 40 kids from Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, with the fees averaging $125 a month per child.

The Village of Tarrytown does not contribute to the program. Sleepy Hollow officials estimated that the program would need to charge $185 per Sleepy Hollow child and $250 per Tarrytown child to break even, but trustees had concerns with raising the fees.

While some trustees said they would be willing to take another look at the program to see if there was a way to make it self-sustainable, the Iannarellis said other trustees seemed set in their decision.  Recreation Supervisor Robin Pell argued in support of the parents, saying they’d be willing to pay higher fees or take part in fundraising efforts.

If the program is not reinstated, parents will need to find other ways to keep their children safe and occupied. Sleepy Hollow parent Lorena Carchipulla said did not know what she would do in that situation.

The village noted during its work session that the YMCA runs a similar after-school program in the same building. Carchipulla said she wouldn’t be looking at it.

“It’s not the same,” she said. Carchipulla said she’s probably going to have to pay someone to look after her kids.

The Iannarellis also do not know what they’ll do if the program is not reinstated. They also said they wouldn’t be going to the YMCA program.

“We’re going to have to find another program,” Laura Rey Iannarelli said. “The thing is, I had asked Mayor Wray to bring it up in early July.... It’s July 19, now we’re at the end of July. This is going to be really cutting it short, because I have a feeling they’re not going to reinstate the program.” 

Do you think the Morse After-School Program should be reinstated into the village's budget?

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