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HERALD
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DECEMBER 29, 2022 - JANUARY 4, 2023
What’s What’s
INSIDE INSIDE
Dedicated to the school district By Mohamed Farghaly
S Freeport streets were flooded, submerged and property was damaged across the village. Page 3
The Nassau County Detectives' Association donated winter coats to the De La Salle School. Page 4
Presentations at the high school raised mental health awareness during Annual Human Rights Day. Page 25
FOR BREAKING NEWS go to liherald.com
VOL. 88 NO. 1
ervice, character, and leadership are the driving force behind Freeport Superintendent of Schools Kishore Kuncham's motivation to continually improve the community. In recognition of Kuncham’s dedication to making Freeport Public Schools the best district it can possibly be while simultaneously serving the community, the Herald is proud to name him its Person of the Year. Kuncham has worked in the district for nearly 30 years, and became the first Indian-American school superintendent in the history of New York state. In addition to his long tenure in the district, he is also involved in a several organizations and critical efforts to develop a better community. Kuncham's journey began in 1989, when he came to Bellmore with his wife after leaving his home country of India to seek higher education in the form of a master’s in business administration. He had been successful in the service industry in India, but upon moving to a new country, he discovered many of his previous successes meant little in this new environment. “It wasn't easy,” Kuncham said. “We're talking 33-plus years ago. At that time there weren’t a lot of people coming here from other countries. Everything was about local experience and local education. I was in an executive position for several years already in India, and none of them mattered much during that time. So the journey was a bit hard in that sense.” Kuncham became a banker, but after three years at Dowling College in Oakdale, where he obtained an MBA, he became interested in the field of public education through his involvement in the Nassau Board of Cooperative Educational Services program. Nassau BOCES is a regional educational service agency that provides support and resources to school districts in Nassau County. Kuncham completed his second master's in educational management in 1994, went on to earn a doctorate in education from Seton Hall University in New Jersey. He became the Freeport district's superintendent in 2005. He had arrived in the district at a pivotal time. It was operating with a budget
HERALD PERSON OF THE YEAR
KISHORE KUNCHAM The journey is always ongoing . . . and trying to bring the best for our children. Kishore Kuncham Superintendent, Freeport Public Schools deficit, school ratings were dropping, residents' faith in the district was low, and graduation rates were poor. “I had always been heavily involved in the education side, so we can better know who we are and what we can do to best serve the community,” he said. Kuncham helped turn the district into a shining example of what a modern educational system should look like. He
worked to revamp the pre-kindergarten program, and launched a number of educational support services and programs for students before and after school and during the summer. He helped the district obtain millions of dollars in grants that funded enrichment services and programs for the students. Over the past 14 years, the graduation rate in the district has increased from 60 percent to over 90 percent. Numerous schools in the district benefited from his leadership in the areas of academics, the arts, athletics, and social and emotional development. Kuncham pushed wellness initiatives in the classrooms, as well as annual community peace efforts such as a peace march, a peace walk, and a peace concert. “I don't know how he does it, but he goes to all the concerts, to all the special events that we have in the different buildings and all the games,” said Paula Lein, principal at the Archer Street School. “He is an outstanding leader. During the pandemic, he did an incredible job leading the district.” Kuncham determined at the height of the pandemic how to serve nearly 7,000 children and nearly 1,000 staff members while simultaneously addressing their social and emotional needs. The district was well prepared for remote education. Kuncham also established a mobile drive-through at the schools so families could pick up hot breakfasts and lunches for their children throughout the year. As students gradually returned to classrooms, the schools instituted strict measures for cleaning, social distancing and mask-wearing. Mobile clinics and vans visited Freeport High School on many occasions, in collaboration with Northwell Health and Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital. “We all came together, with the help of every staff member and with the help of Continued on page 2 Courtesy Freeport Public Schools
Freeport Public Schools Superintendent Kishore Kuncham is the Herald’s Person of the Year.