After much fanfare and debate, the Massapequa Board of Education voted to allow the district’s current fifth grade class to move on to Berner Middle School for sixth grade. The decision came following a meeting and executive session held on Thursday, June 15, and ended speculation that fifth grade students would effectively have their graduations nullified come July 13, when the board was set to reconsider the move.
The sixth-grade move to Berner, which was voted on and passed by the board in February 2016, faced mixed reactions from parents in the district, and was one of the more discussed issues at last month’s Meet the Candidates night, when the soon-to-be-elected Brian Butler expressed resentment over the way the board came to its decision, though he claimed to have nothing against the move personally.
“What I do have a problem with, is when three board members slap down the voice of 3,000 community members,” Butler said, referring to the fact that a petition expressing opposition to the move received 3,000 signatures from community members. “My vote would be swayed by the people. If the people show up in force, I will go with whichever direction they want me to go. If people have had a change of heart and want the move to move forward, that’s what I will do.”
Confusion was further augmented by a recent letter to the district’s parents from Superintendent of Schools Lucille F. Iconis, in which it was revealed that two current board members had made clear their intention to propose to reverse the move at their July 13 meeting, and that Butler, upon taking his new seat at that very meeting, would back their proposal, thus giving the board a majority.
“We know that this potential board action could affect many of you in numerous ways, not the least of which are those directly impacting your child and discussions you may wish to have with them,” Iconis said in her letter. “It remains the intention of the current majority of the Board of Education to bring to fruition the smooth and successful middle school reconfiguration as approved by resolution 16 months ago.”
The letter further stated that the board was well aware that the possible reversal was a “controversial and emotionally charged issue in our community,” and that “We share this information not to alarm you, but to inform you.”
But alarm it did, as parents and fifth-graders turned out by the dozen prior to the June 15 meeting, expressing their disdain for the idea of keeping the current fifth grade class from moving up. Signs and chants to the effect of, “let them go,” were prevalent in front of Massapequa High School until about an hour before the meeting began, and when proceedings did get underway, fifth-graders were given the opportunity to speak directly to the board members.
“First of all, we’ve been given plenty of time to prepare for graduation and Berner Middle School,” said one fifth-grader from McKenna Elementary School. “We [believe] that we should have a voice in this decision, since it affects us the most.”
Several of the students expressed enthusiasm at the prospect of moving to different classes throughout the day, as well as learning a foreign language, joining different clubs, getting lockers and meeting new friends. Additionally, many felt that their moving up ceremony would be rendered meaningless by having to ultimately remain in elementary school next year.
“What would happen if we go through graduation and it gets switched back?” asked another McKenna student. “Will they just take back the certificates?”
“We’ve already signed yearbooks, gone on our fifth-grade trips and are going to the fifth-grade dance and moving up ceremony next week,” added a McKenna student named Jonathan. “If we have to do it all again next year, it wouldn’t be as special.”
Following the meeting, all five board members—MaryAnn Fisher, Gary Baldinger, Jane Ryan, Joseph LaBella and Timothy Taylor—entered into executive session. They reconvened for a public session, sans Taylor, at 12:15 a.m., voting unanimously for a resolution stating that this year’s fifth-grade class would move on to Berner Middle School as originally planned. In a fairly unusual decision, the board will hold a public advisory vote in January 2018 to decide whether or not sixth grade will remain part of the middle school for future years. The trustees present for the session all pledged to go with the public vote.
While it remains to be seen whether or not next year’s fifth-grade class will move on to middle school, this year’s class can rest easy knowing that the past 16 months spent preparing for the move were not in vain.
“All of you here are our future leaders,” said Iconis, who reminded students to be respectful of any of their peers who were against the move. “We are so proud of you, and I am proud to be your superintendent.”
