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HERALD Vol. 72 No. 20
Building positive relationships
Spring festival delights crowd
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MAY 9 - 15, 2024
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Yearbook, once a school club, is now a class li, setting up a diverse classroom is important for creating a book that represents all the What started out as a club students. “The goal is to get more has become an entire course dedicated to providing students underclassmen involved so that with a yearbook to cherish we can widen its reach,” Tripotheir memories at Seaford High li said. “We have seniors, and School. we actually have an This school year underclassman for marks the first time the first time workSeaford’s yearbook ing on a yearbook.” club has expanded With 24 students into a full class for enrolled in the students. The goal course, Emily for the course, Brown is the only a c c o rd i n g t o i t s sophomore, while t e a c h e r s, C u r t i s the rest are seniors. Tripoli and Melinda T ripoli said the McKee, is to create senior majority a yearbook for the presents a chalentire school, not lenge when it just the seniors. comes to represent“We’d like it to ing all the grades. g e t t o t h e p o i n t MEliNdA MCKEE “The moment we where the whole Yearbook teacher at bring up an idea, school is buying the ‘Hey, let’s do a sophSeaford High School book and excited to omore section,’ it be part of it,” gets shot down,” McKee said. “So that there’s a Tripoli said. “So, it’s a culture buzz for it at the end of the shift, and we’ re trying to year.” change that.” According to McKee, previBrown said she has helped to ous yearbooks would include f a c i l i t at e t h at ch a n g e by underclassmen sections featur- recruiting students for next ing portraits and group photos year’s class by telling friends of students. Most of the book, about the program. however, has traditionally been “It’s fun,” she said of the tailored for seniors. For TripoContinued on page 4
By CHARlES SHAW
cshaw@liherald.com
W
Tim Baker/Herald
Big win for a Seaford native Westbury resident Ryan Clifford, 27, who is originally from Seaford, was the first male finisher in the Jovia Long Island Marathon last Sunday. He crossed the finish line of the full marathon, in Eat Meadow’s Eisenhower Park, in just over two and a half hours.
Board of Ed adopts 2024-25 budget
The plan, totaling $91.7 million, reflects community needs By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
The Wantagh Board of Education has adopted an estimated $91.7 million spending plan for 2024-25, to be decided on by district residents in a vote on May 21. The budget, roughly $2.2 million larger than the current spending plan, was finalized at the board’s April 4 meeting. The tax levy will total around $67.1 million, an increase of $1.8 million, or 2.72 percent, which falls below the district’s tax cap. “We’re really fortunate in terms of the posi-
tion we’re in this year with our budget,” Superintendent John McNamara said. “Other districts are in less great shape, and I think we’re in a really good spot for this upcoming budget vote.” The spending plan was the focus of four development meetings in March and April, at which McNamara spoke of its primary goals. Focus groups and surveys conducted by the district revealed that residents’ top three priorities for the 2024-25 academic year were reductions in class sizes, security enhancements and capital improvements. “This budget clearly reflects that,” McNamara Continued on page 7
e’d like it to get to the point where the whole school is buying the book and excited to be part of it.