1975-85 ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS
John J. Mandracchia, 1928-1979...
8,000
1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
1985
7,500
Hard times in Commack...
John J. Mandracchia was the principal of Sawmill
John Mandracchia’s contributions to the Commack Schools resulted in his recognition as one of only three educators to have a school building named in their honor.
Junior High School from 1972-1979. He was a man who had a genuine concern for others and in the short span of seven years that he was in Commack, he won the respect of his colleagues, his staff, and his students. Mr. Mandracchia was born in Brooklyn in 1928. He was educated in New York City schools and then attended Columbia University. He graduated with a B.A. in History in 1957. He taught school in Brooklyn and pursued an administrator’s certificate at New York University. In 1967, he became an assistant principal in the Ocean Hill-Brownsville section of Brooklyn and then was appointed acting principal. In 1969, Mr. Mandracchia moved to Westbury where he became the principal of Westbury Junior High School. In March of 1972, he was recruited by the Commack School District to become the founding principal of Sawmill Junior High School. As principal of Sawmill JHS, John Mandracchia was a charismatic leader who inspired his staff and students to do their best. Superintendent of Schools Dr. John J. Battles described him as "an active participant in community, school and cultural, affairs." He was committed to developing art, music and cultural programs for the Commack school district. This interest led to his involvement in the Smithtown Arts Council and cultural affairs in Commack. He was a likeable, friendly man who took a sincere interest in those he met and he was just really beginning to make his mark upon Commack's schools and community when he passed away. Mr. Mandracchia was on a trip with his wife, Viola, to San Francisco, California, during the mid-winter vacation in February of 1979, when he was struck down by a heart attack. His body was flown back to New York and he was buried at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale. At the age of 51, John J. Mandracchia was gone. As a way of showing their respect for John Mandracchia, the School Board changed the name of Sawmill Junior High School to the Mandracchia / Sawmill Junior High School.
7,000 6,500
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6,000
As the decade of the 1970's 5,500 began, the Commack community continued to grow until its popula5,000 tion approached 40,000 residents with over 15,000 school-aged 4,500 children. It seemed as if there 4,000 was no end in sight to the mushrooming population growth of the 3,500 district. In 1971, in response to 3,000 the surging increase in the number of junior high school age chil- 2,500 Secondary Elementary dren, the school district voters 2,000 authorized the construction of two new junior high schools. In 1972, Saw Mill Junior High School and Burr Junior High School opened. The district now had a total of 21 schools -- 15 elementary schools, 4 junior high schools, and 2 high schools. The Commack School District was ready for the anticipated crush of students -- but it never came. Incredibly, the enrollment in Commack schools began to decline. This happened for a number of unforeseen reasons. 1973 brought the end of the Vietnam War and this led to an immediate cut in the military and defense spending throughout the nation. This meant that the defense industries that had thrived on Long Island during the war begin to reduce their payrolls and cut back on their staffing. Unemployment rose on Long Island and jobs became difficult to find. This hit Commack particularly hard where many engineers and skilled laborers lived. Houses went on the market but buyers couldn't be found. The con-
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These enrollment projections which were made in 1976 were actually pretty accurate. This was the first year that the New York State Department of Education required all school systems to establish a five year projection of enrollment. Commack predicted that the District would have 5500 students in1985, and ten years later the District actually had 6100 students.