__________________ SEAFORD _________________
HERALD Vol. 72 No. 22
A dance for the ages
Music and fun at student craft fair
Page 10
Page 3
MAY 23 - 29, 2024
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Election 2024
Whidden defeats Parisi for board School budget passes comfortably By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
Courtesy Levittown Public Schools
MacArthur High School student Aidan O’Hara with Principal Joseph Sheehan. O’Hara is one of many students with special needs in the school’s 5-Star program, in which they learn daily living and vocational skills to help prepare them for life after school.
Stars shine at MacArthur High
Program teaches special-needs kids vocational skills By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
At MacArthur High School in Levittown, teachers are working with special-needs students on critical life skills to give them every opportunity to succeed after they leave school. The 5-Star program, named for Gen. Douglas MacArthur, teaches students with disabilities the skills they will need to function independently. Each star represents a goal of the program: academics, daily living skills, community experience, vocational training, and transition. “Our goal is to try to give the students the business experience as much as possible,” special education teacher Desiree Mendoza
said. Mendoza remembers when the program was created in 2010, and there were a total of four students. Now, she said, there are 25 students in the program, in four classes. It has been rewarding for her to watch the program grow. “It’s been nice just to see what we’re doing with the students, and what we’re able to do,” Mendoza said. “We’re constantly trying to reinvent things and come up with new ideas. It’s very rewarding.” According to Stephanie Addona, the district’s special education chair, younger students in the entry-level class focus on functional academics, such as math and reading, and work on their daily living and pre-vocaCOntinued On PAge 9
The Seaford School District’s $83.5 million budget for the upcoming year passed Tuesday, with voting held at Harbor and Manor schools. Of the 1,522 voters, 1,022 said yes to the budget — which represents a 3.7 percent increase over the current spending plan, and includes a 2.3 percent tax levy increase — focuses on several key capital projects. These projects include disMeLiSSA trict-wide secuWHidden rity upgrades, restroom renovations, and improvements to the high school football field’s press box and sound system. Voters also considered two propositions aimed at addressing long-term infrastructure needs. Proposition 2, which proposed utilizing $4.5 million from the capital reserve for roof replacement and gymnasium ceiling upgrades at Seaford Middle School, passed with 1,118 votes in favor. The roof,
which is at least 60 years old, has had only temporary repairs over the years. Proposition 3 sought to establish a new 10-year, $30 million capital reserve fund for future projects. These projects include roof and masonry repairs, and district-wide facility upgrades such as asphalt, sidewalks, fencing, restrooms, floors, ceilings, and heating systems. This proposition also passed, with 1,027 votes in favor. According to the district’s assistant superintendent for b u s i n e s s a n d o p e r a t i o n s, Andrew Casale, passing both propositions could save the district and taxpayers some $7.9 million in interest by eliminating the necessity of borrowing money through a bond. In addition to the budget and propositions, the election also saw Melissa Whidden win a seat on the Seaford education board against incumbent Andrea Parisi. Whidden received 732 votes, and Parisi earned 618 votes. Whidden, 39, a longtime Seaford resident, aims to enhance open communication, ensure fair representation for all community members, and advance enrichment programs.