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Former ICE detainee finally handed diploma with a Hispanic population of about 40 percent, many questioned how this could happen to Almost a year after Immigra- a y o u n g m a n w h o w a s tion and Customs Enforcement well liked by peers and had no agents detained him, former criminal record. “It should never happen to Roosevelt High School student anyone,” JessiAlvaro Castro Velasquez, 20, finalca Har ri ly was handed son, Velasquez’s his diploma on fo r m e r h i s t o r y March 18 by Supert e a c h e r , intendent Shawn said. “He’s just Wi g h t m a n , w h o such a good pertraveled to Guateson and just such mala at his own an asset to any expense to personsociety, and we all ally deliver it to felt so lucky to him. know him.” Ve l a s q u e z ’ s H a r r i s o n detainment, in late shared that her spring of 2025, a students were few weeks before “terrified” when he was set to parword first got out ticipate in Roos- ShAWN WIghTmAN of his detainevelt High ment, and that his Superintendent, School’s comand others’ Roosevelt School District mencement cerea r r e s t s h ave mony on June affected the 27, shook much of b e h av i o r s o f the Roosevelt commuch of the Hism u n i t y a n d a d d e d a n o t h - panic community in Roosevelt, er anecdote to ICE’s complicat- w h i c h f e e l s t a r g e t e d b y ed and controversial notoriety ICE’s actions. as the agency has expanded “It affects every aspect of its activity across the United their life,” Har rison said. States in the past year. “They’ve told me that they’re In Roosevelt, a community
By ANDREW FRANCIS
afrancis@liherald.com
T
Courtesy Freeport Public Schools
Shakirah Miller, right, accepted her appointment as interim superintendent of Freeport Public Schools on April 2.
School board selects new interim superintendent from Newark, N.J. By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
Shakirah Miller was appointed interim superintendent of the Freeport school district last week, the district’s third educational leader in the past year. Miller who has more than 25 years of experience in teaching, leadership coaching and school administration, replaces Alice Kane, who served as interim superintendent for nearly a year before returning to retirement on April 1. Miller, too, is coming out of retirement to provide at least temporary stability to a district whose residents have been vocal in questioning its direction and what many describe as administrative failure to provide adequate leadership and transparen-
cy over the past year. Fia Davis was the superintendent from August 2024 until she was placed on administrative leave by the Board of Education last April. Kane was appointed to the interim role soon afterward, but announced last month her decision to retire once more, citing personal reasons. The district did not publicly disclose why it placed Davis on administrative leave until a town hall meeting on Feb. 9, during which administrators revealed that the district was suing Davis for allegedly misusing district funds, failing to disclose relationships she had with vendors with which she approved contracts on behalf of the district, and misrepresenting her qualifications during her Continued on PAge 2
o me, it just seems like an injustice is being done to individuals who are taken out of schools and then placed in detention centers for months on end.
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