________________ LONG BEACH _______________
HERALD Also serving Point Lookout & East Atlantic Beach
April 4, 2024
Schools honor world cultures
APRIl 4 - 10, 2024
1252159
Vol. 35 No. 15
Page 7 $1.00
School district budget talks continue two new Integrated Co-Teaching classes at West Elementary. Due to uncertainty about Concer ns about the Long foundation aid and interest Beach school district budget earnings, the school board is and a possible school closure taking a cautious approach to continue to grow. As the May its financial planning. A federal grant will provide vote on the spending plan funding for a new social workapproaches, comer. “We put that munity members back in the proare becoming more posed budget,” involved. b o a rd P re s i d e n t At the March 26 Dennis Ryan said, Board of Education “because we’ve meeting, the topics been listening to of discussions wh at eve r yo n e ’s included residents’ b e e n s ay i n g — apprehensions mostly from our about program special education changes, and the educators, our portion of the bud- DENNIS RyAN school administrag et that will be President, tors — that we realdirected to special Board of Education ly need that social education. worker to remain The district administration has proposed a and to be added to the budget, spending plan totaling $155.7 just because of the mental million, roughly $4 million, or health needs that we have 2.7 percent, more than the cur- throughout the district.” Residents and parents have rent budget. Roughly $22 million will be earmarked for spe- expressed a mix of appreciation for and reservations about cial education, an increase of about $1 million, or 5.26 per- the district’s educational initiacent. T he added spending tives. While there is wideincludes plans for another ele- spread gratitude for maintainmentary-level special education ing programs, board meeting cl a s s at L i d o E l e m e n t a r y attendees have raised concerns School, and the introduction of Continued on page 11
By ANGElINA ZINGARIEllo
azingariello@liherald.com
W
Photos courtesy Long Beach Public Schools
Donating to those in need Members of the Long Beach Middle School’s Student Organization and their advisers, Walter Kramme and William Papetti, recently stopped in at the local Stop & Shop, right, to purchase needed items for the Long Beach Soup Kitchen. The money used to purchase the groceries was collected through the group’s fundraising efforts. After the grocery store visit, the students made a special delivery to the nonprofit and met soup kitchen Director Rob Blau, in red above, who gave them a tour.
e’ve been listening to what everyone’s been saying.