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Vol. 36 No. 9
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Page 3 FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 5, 2025
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Council appoints members to new Planning Board By ANGElINA ZINGARIEllo azingariello@liherald.com
Courtesy City of Long Beach
The members of the city’s new Planning Board were sworn in at the Feb. 18 City Council meeting.
The Long Beach City Council appointed seven members to its newly established Planning Board at its Feb. 18 meeting — a long-anticipated step to enhance the city’s development and land use oversight. Barry Alton, Jason Clancy and Brian Patton will each serve a three-year term on the board; Kelly Spada and Kevin Martinsen, a two-year term; and Joseph Lucas and Andrea Gauto, a one-year term. “It’s going to protect Long Beach from people that would do it harm,” City Council President Brendan Finn said of the new board. “And it’s going to make Long Beach into, I think, not a better place, but certainly we’ll have a more cohesive plan for going forward.” The council received numerous applications for the volunteer positions but selected seven people based on experience and community representation. Applications were submitted from people who live in nearby towns, but ConTinued on Page 11
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School officials ponder the potential DOE shutdown
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tive order, though he acknowl- Center for Education Statistics, edge that he would need the t h e L o n g B e a c h d i s t r i c t support of Congress and teach- received over $8.4 million in of the Herald ers’ unions. Since then, school federal funding in the 2021-22 The idea of shutting down district officials across Long school year, the most recent the U.S. Department of Educa- Island have weighed in, saying year for which those statistics tion has been a hot — and con- that Trump’s plan could end, or are available, accounting for 5 troversial — topic since Presi- severely disrupt, federal fund- percent of the district’s total dent Trump proposed doing so ing that supports students and revenue, or $2,320 per student. In addition to overseeing fedearlier this month. Federal and educators alike. “We have concerns regard- eral education funding, the state elected officials, and state and local education administra- ing changes to federal regula- De par tment of Education, tors, have raised concer ns tions and suppor ts,” Long which was established in 1979, about what that could mean for Beach Board of Education enforces civil rights laws in school districts if it were to President Sam Pinto said, “but schools and collects student we want to make sure that the performance data. It adminishappen. state and the federal govern- or ters Title516.715.1280 I grants that support Earlier Apply in February, Trump online at mptrg.com/heraldwrap call told reporters in the Oval ment do everything they can to low-income students, funds special education through the IndiOffice that he planned to abol- help support local education.” According to the National viduals with Disabilities Eduish the department by execu-
cation Act, or IDEA, and offers Pell Grants to low-income college students. The department also supports school-improvement programs, mental health initiatives and after-school activities. The State Education Department criticized the executive orders that Trump has already issued on public education,
which have cut programs and funding, calling them ineffective and contrary to federal law. Federal legislation, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and IDEA, has long protected historically underserved students and those with disabilities, according to the state department’s website.
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