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HERALD K-Fit runs for dogs
Doctors ease Ebola concerns
Honoring Haitian heritage
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VOL. 37 NO. 25
JUNE 18 - 24, 2026
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Lions Club honors students By ANGELINA ZINGARIELLO azingariello@liherald.com
Courtesy Laura Mesa
This year, the Valley Stream Lions Club awarded three full scholarships and five half scholarships to graduating seniors from Valley Stream North, Central and South high schools.
The Valley Stream Lions Club presented eight g raduating seniors with scholarships at its meeting on Monday, continuing a tradition that has supported local students for nearly 60 years. “There’s very little that’s more near and dear to my heart than schooling and education and teaching and lear ning,” Mayor Ed Fare, a Lions Club member, said. “Whether you’re an infant or a senior citizen, it’s CoNTiNued oN page 7
Valley Stream 24 schools recognized for strong outcomes By ANGELINA ZINGARIELLO azingariello@liherald.com
All three schools in the Valley Stream 24 School District have been recognized by Better Outcomes Research for demonstrating strong academic outcomes among economically disadvantaged students over the past three school years. Robert W. Carbonaro School, William L. Buck School and Brooklyn Avenue School were identified through a study led by Better Outcomes Research Executive Director Manya Bouteneff, an educator with decades of experience in public schools who is now affiliated
with Monroe University. The research seeks to identify schools serving student populations with at least 40 percent economically disadvantaged students that have achieved notable academic performance and to examine the practices contributing to those results. Rather than comparing districts with one another, the study identifies schools based on predetermined statistical benchmarks. For elementary and middle schools, qualifying institutions must have at least 40 percent economically disadvantaged students and exceed specific English language arts performance thresholds among
that student population. “I identified [Valley Stream School District 24] purely on their data, so there was nothing about Valley Stream per se that attracted me,” Bouteneff said. “What attracted me was that their data showed that they were successful.” Magnet schools, char ter schools and districts with school choice were excluded to ensure the study focused on neighborhood public schools serving students based on where they live. After identifying qualifying schools through state data, Bouteneff contacts district leaders for permission to inter-
view principals about the factors they believe contribute to their schools’ success. The interviews are then analyzed to identify recurring themes and practices. “I don’t ask any questions; I don’t say, ‘Do you do this, or do you do that?’ I just say, ‘Why? Why are you successful?’” Bouteneff said. “Once I code
the interviews, I can come up with what are really the most powerful drivers of success in schools where that success is already visible.” The current project replicates research Bouteneff conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic. In that earlier study, two CoNTiNued oN page 5