SAMANTHA BRIX PHOTO | Longwood superintendent Allan Gerstenlauer at Thursday's school board meeting.

Yaphank resident Rita Schineis criticized the Longwood Board of Education Thursday for its recent approval of a $450,000 plan to build new tennis courts at the junior high school.

“How can we justify new tennis courts in this economy?” she said, asking that the money be spent differently.

Superintendent Allan Gerstenlauer said the project was approved in last school year’s budget and the $450,000 is designated for the tennis courts. The district cannot apply that money to this school year’s budget, he said.

“We’re not allowed to do that by law,” he said.

The middle school’s tennis courts fell into disrepair and were resurfaced this year. The cost of tearing them out and replacing them, architects told the district, would be equal to the cost of installing brand new courts.

The district decided to install new courts at the junior high school, which has a competitive tennis team, and maintain the middle school courts so they can be used for physical education and recreation. The junior high school currently doesn’t have a tennis program built into its physical education curriculum; tennis courts at that building would also allow those students to play tennis during gym class.

Ms. Schineis held her ground even after Dr. Gerstenlauer’s explanation.

“It just doesn’t seem reasonable at this juncture to do this,” she said.

Ms. Schineis, who requested a copy of the proposal from the district, said she believes the project should be put up for vote again in 2012.

Update on budget cuts

Deputy superintendent Michael Lonergan said laid-off teachers have been temporarily hired by the district to serve as maternity leave replacements. He said eight of the more than 30 recently dismissed teachers are still unemployed, and that the district is helping them with job placement.

Board president Michael Loguercio said school officials are currently examining the effects of cuts on student programs and will soon share them with the public

He said three board members will attend the New York State School Boards Association meeting in Buffalo, N.Y. to advocate for mandate relief.

Recognizing Red Cross volunteers

Dr. Gerstenlauer and board members recognized the following employees who either helped out when Longwood High School served as a Red Cross shelter during Tropical Storm Irene or helped prepare the district for power outages: James Perrotta, Bill Neater, Steve Harding, Ellen Pitrelli and Terry McCrumb.

He said 100 people were expected to stay at the shelter, but 400 showed up. Each individual recognized helped make the shelter’s four-day operation a success, he said.

He thanked them for their “support, commitment and dedication to the Longwood community.