Long Island School Districts Confront Sharp Uptick in Test Refusals

With little guidance from the state, school districts have had to figure out how to navigate the opt out movement and to temper the frustrations of parents.

Dave Bennardo, superintendent of the South Huntington School District on Long Island, lamented that the state's only communication ahead of the protests was to say that it would be a mistake on the part of parents to opt out of the tests. 

"The answer is, they're doing it. So now what do you suggest?" Bennardo said. 

He is left to manage a passionate debate, with sometimes extreme positions, and ensure that principals in his district respect families' decisions.

"I certainly don't want to divide a community over something that I have no clear direction on to begin with," he said.

This year, 28 percent of students in South Huntington opted out of the tests, said Bennardo, a dramatic increase from 5 percent last year.

The numbers are even higher in other Long Island school districts. Newsday reporter Joie Tyrrell said that many districts are reporting a record number of refusals, with some districts saying that a majority of students are sitting out the tests.