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VOL. 130 NO. 5
JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2025
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Schools sue state over its regional plan
Christie Babirad/Herald
Crafting his own honor for the fallen Massapequan George Pfirman created wooden plaques honoring the 13 U.S. soldiers killed at the Kabul, Afghanistan airport in 2021 when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive at the Abbey Gate entrance. See story on Page 10.
Hearing on controversial zoning case in Amityville Village is postponed By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com An Amityville Zoning Board hearing scheduled for last week on a controversial application was postponed, village officials said. The applicants, Carolyn and Vincent Franco of 32 Marion Road, opted to delay the hearing after being informed that some board members were unable to attend. According to Village Clerk Catherine Murdock, the Francos had the option to proceed with the hearing with a limited board or reschedule it. The Francos first applied to the zoning board in May 2022 for a height variance of 30 feet for
their roofline as part of a home expansion. However, after construction was completed, village officials found the roofline exceeded the approved height—32 feet in one area and 34 feet in another, two and four feet higher than authorized. Upon discovering the discrepancy, the village ordered the Francos to reconstruct the roofline to match the original approval. The issue led to a prolonged legal battle, with the village ultimately prevailing. U.S. District Court Judge Pamela K. Chen ruled against the Francos’ claim of “selective enforcement,” finding no merit in their argument that the village had unfairly targeted them to enforce zoning and building codes. A new date for the hearing has not yet been set.
By WILL SHEELINE and MIKE POLANSKY wsheeline@liherald.com Correspondent A coalition of 21 school districts, municipalities, unions, and individual petitioners has filed a lawsuit against the New York State Education Department, seeking to annul its controversial Regionalization Plan. The plan mandates that public school districts submit and implement regionalization plans, a move that critics argue would undermine local control and violate state law. The lawsuit, filed on Jan. 9 in the New York State Supreme Court, includes school districts, municipal governments, state legislators, and advocacy groups representing thousands of residents and educators, including the Massapequa and Plainedge, school districts. The group, referred to as the Coalition of New York State School Board Members in the lawsuit, issued a scathing critique of the plan, citing widespread local opposition. “When 21 school districts, eight elected officials, thousands of residents, and unions unite in opposition to a regulation, it becomes clear that state officials have overstepped their bounds in using regulations to
undermine local autonomy,” the coalition’s statement said. “If such measures were truly necessary or urgent, they should go through the proper legislative process—not be dictated by an unelected agency.” Nicholas Rigano, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, described the plan as a “power grab” that could irreversibly alter local governance. “The unelected education commissioner has mandated the regionalization of 731 public school districts, ceding centuries-old local control to herself,” Rigano said. “This power grab will transform public schools and local communities.” The Wyandanch School District, originally part of the legal effort has since opted out of the lawsuit. The district’s Interim Superintendent, Laurence Aronstein confirmed that since the state gave the district the option to opt out of the regionalization process, Wyandanch is no longer part of the suit. Wyandanch also notified the state that the district will not be participating in the regionalization process, nor submitting the strengths and needs survey, he said. Massapequa School Board President Kerry Wachter has CONTINUED ON PAGE 2