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Massapequa BOE approves next year’s calendar, with tweaks By MIKE POLANSKY Correspondent
Photo courtesy of the MPK Village Board Deputy Mayor Tina Schiaffino, Mayor Daniel Pearl and Trustee Christine Wiss are seeking re-election.
Massapequa Park Village officials announce their re-election bids By MIKE POLANSKY Correspondent Massapequa Park Village Mayor Daniel Pearl, Deputy Mayor Tina Schiaffino and Trustee Christine Wiss announced they are seeking re-election for another two years in the upcoming village election on Tues., March 18. They are running unopposed. The mayor has lived in Massapequa Park since he was four years old, after his family moved from Brooklyn. A graduate of Massapequa High School, he now resides in the village with his wife, Alison, and their three children. Pearl’s career in public service began at age 14 with the Town of Oyster Bay, and he served in various roles, including as commissioner of the newly created Sanitation Department in 2022. He was elected mayor four years ago, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pearl credits his administration’s handling of the pandem-
ic, including efforts to support local businesses and provide COVID testing and vaccinations at the Senior Center, as one of his key accomplishments. He also highlights infrastructure upgrades such as road refurbishments, the installation of new HVAC systems at Village Hall and the Senior Center, and the conversion of all streetlights to LED. Pearl points to parks improvements, including a new basketball court and pickleball court at Brady Park, as major achievements. He says the village is in “excellent shape” financially and physically, praising the work of the board and the village workforce. Pearl has expressed no ambitions for higher office, stating, “Where I can do the best is where I want to be, which is right here in Massapequa Park.” Deputy Mayor Tina Schiaffino moved to Massapequa Park in 1998 after living CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
With a bit of adjusting, the Massapequa Board of Education approved the official calendar for the 2025-2026 school year at its January 23 meeting. Robert Schilling, the district’s assistant superintendent for human resources, explained that flexibility was limited this year because of statewide scheduling constraints. In New York, the school year must end by Regents Rating Day, which in 2026 falls on June 26. This date is designated for teachers and administrators to grade and record Regents exams. Under the terms of the contract between the district and the Massapequa Federation of Teachers (MFT), classes cannot begin earlier than August 31 and the district is required to schedule 181 instructional days and 184 teacher reporting days between that date and June 26. As a result, the district faced challenges with school closures. It would be unable to close for the day before Thanksgiving, as it has in previous years. Additionally, schools would need to remain open on January 2, 2026, following the winter break—a day Schilling predicted would result in a high absenteeirate among students. After discussions with the union, the district proposed
an adjustment to the calendar. Teachers’ orientation and conference days will now take place on August 27 and 28, allowing school to begin on Tuesday, September 2, the day after Labor Day. That will enable the district to close on November 26 and January 2. “This provides a solid weekand-a-half winter break, which reduces absenteeism, and gives families an extra travel day for Thanksgiving,” Schilling said. Board Vice President Jeanine Caramore, who chaired the meeting in the absence of President Kerry Wachter, thanked Schilling for the solution and expressed appreciation for the MFT’s cooperation. The board then adopted the 20252026 school calendar as recommended. In other business, the board: • Heard a presentation from Bryan R. Piotrowski, assistant to the superintendent for technology and general administration, on a recent data breach affecting multiple school districts, including Massapequa. Piotrowski outlined steps being taken to prevent future incidents. • Heard from Dr. Jordan McCaw, assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services, and Dr. Michelle Walsh, assistant to the superintendent CONTINUED ON PAGE 7