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Vol. 25 No. 11
MARCH 9 - 15, 2023
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Sewanhaka H.S. district proposes $244M budget By ANA BoRRUTo aborruto@liherald.com
Tim Baker/Herald
Head in the game Jacob Reid, 12, of Elmont heads down the court during a Klinic Kids basketball game. Story, more photos, Page 3.
The Sewanhaka Central High School board has unveiled a proposed $244 million budget for 2023-24, which includes the implementation of new courses and several improvement projects across all five schools in the district. Kevin O’Brien, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, detailed the budget’s plans during a public Board of Education meeting on Feb. 28. The 2023-24 spending plan is about $17 million larger than the current school year’s $227 million budget, O’Brien said. The state aid projection for
next year is more than $72 million, roughly $14 million more than what was offered this academic year. O’Brien added that there will be a 2.4 percent increase in the tax levy, which falls below the district’s tax cap. “We’ve initiated a lot of programs with the additional federal funds that we’ve received,” Superintendent James Grossane said. “This way we can start transferring costs from the federal funds into our general budgets so programs that we put in place for students can be maintained. This large infusion from the state we’re very grateful for, because that will enable us to do that.” The executive budget is typiContinued on page 11
South Asian community opens up about pressing issues By ANA BoRRUTo aborruto@liherald.com
The first-ever South Asian Advisory Group Town Hall was a night of promoting unity and tackling critical issues impacting the South Asian community on Long Island, such as domestic violence, hate crimes and discrimination. In partnership with the Muslim Entrepreneur Association, New York Grows Together and the Khalsa Community Patrol, Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages hosted a public forum on March 2 at the Elmont Memorial Library with
the goal of sparking a dialogue about the needs of South Asian people. Attendees also learned about economic opportunities, as well as helpful federal and local resources at their disposal. Abdul Rahman, co-host of the town hall, founder of the Muslim Entrepreneur Association and director of New York Grows Together, said the purpose of the town hall was to allow attendees to speak openly about matters t h e y b e l i e ve n e e d t o b e addressed. “These things we usually sweep under the rug,” Rahman said. “We don’t talk about domestic violence, we don’t talk about mental health issues — until it
becomes a problem. That’s when we talk about it, but we have to talk about prevention.” Dozens of speakers of various ethnic backgrounds — Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, IndoCaribbean and others — stepped up to the microphone to share their personal experiences and concerns. Nafiah Ikram, 23, of Elmont was assaulted on the evening of March 17, 2021 in her driveway when she and her mother returned to their home after shopping. Once her mother was inside the house, an unidentified man came up from behind Ikram and threw acid in her face. To this day, she suffers from both
physical and emotional pain from the incident, she said. According to the Acid Survivors Foundation, a vast majority of acid attacks are committed against women between the ages of 13 and 35, with 99 percent of the attackers being men. The Acid Survivors Trust International organization said 1,500 acid attacks occur annually and
80 percent target women, with 60 percent going unreported. Ikram said acid is easily accessible and affordable, and she wants to push for a ban on over-the-counter and online sales of these harmful chemicals. “I really want to try to use my experience to help other people in any way, shape or form,” Continued on page 4