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Students push boundaries at Science Fair By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
Holden Leeds/Herald
Members of Freeport High School’s robotics teams, along with advisor Kevin Harrison, pose with their engineering creations following a successful demonstration at the Science and Engineering Fair.
Freeport High School students showcased their unique research projects during the 20th annual Science and Engineering Fair on April 24, touching on everything from forensic drug testing to soil remediation while displaying their curiosity, creativity and scientific rigor. For this year’s fair, students from Dodd Middle School and Atkinson Intermediate School joined the high school’s robotics showcase. “This is the first year we’ve invited the younger team up to do with them,” Kevin Harrison, head of the school’s award-winning robotics program, said. “Our president of the club, David De La Llera, did a great job. He led his team. He was part of the highest scoring team that we brought to state championships and to Iowa for a national championship.” In one project, sophomore Andrew Reyes examined ContinuEd on pagE 8
Superintendent reassigned without any explanation By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
The Freeport school district is in chaos, and no one beyond the administration and the Board of Education seems to know why. Superintendent Fia Davis was placed on administrative reassignment at a special board meeting on April 21, which only three of five members of the board attended. Her reassignment, to an unspecified position, includes full pay and benefits. “This action was taken in accordance with the Board’s legal and fiduciary responsibilities,” a statement released by
the district on April 23 read, “and reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct and accountability.” The statement went on to say that due to legal and personnel privacy considerations, that the board was limited in what it could share about the development, but that “administrative reassignment is a neutral action and does not imply any wrongdoing.” Davis replaced Kishore Kuncham in August, when Kuncham retired after 15 years as superintendent. She had previously served as superintendent of several school districts in the
Bronx. In addition, it was announced that Assistant Superintendent Glori Engel would be leaving the district at an April 23 board meeting. Multiple people close to the situation revealed that Assistant Superintendent Benjamin Roberts would also be leaving. At another special meeting on Tuesday, at Caroline G. Atkinson Intermediate School, the board appointed Alice Kane, a former assistant superintendent for educational and administrative services who retired in 2023, as the district’s interim superintendent. Kane will be paid $94,000
from May 1 through September. Roberts, the assistant superintendent for personnel and special projects, said, “I think with confidence this won’t have an impact on any of our students programs in the upcoming budget for the current school year.” The Board offered no further explanation for its action – cit-
ing legal and privacy considerations and stating the need for a full investigation before the matter could be made public – but meeting attendees had plenty of questions. “Can you explain why there has been a lack of transparency regarding the decision to place the superintendent on adminisContinuEd on pagE 4