Student safety was the primary focus of the Great Neck Board of Education meeting Wednesday, Dec. 10, as trustees formally adopted an updated districtwide school safety plan and recognized new funding aimed at addressing vaping among adolescents.
District officials recognized Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip for securing grant funding to support anti-vaping efforts in district schools. Board of Education President Grant Torch said the district received $200,000 to invest in equipment and programs intended to combat vaping.
“Legislator [Mazi] Pilip and her team have been highly focused on doing whatever they can do to support the work of our district at our high schools and this region,” he said. “We met recently with her to talk about ways to combat some growing abuse of vaping and substance abuse issues that some of our adolescents find themselves in.”
Pilip said the funding is part of a broader effort to address vaping among students and stressed the need for collaboration across the community.
“The only way we can fight any type of vaping is by working together — you as educators, we as parents and leaders,” she said. “Vaping can damage our children’s brains, and the long-term impact is big.”
The board also held a required public hearing on the 2025–26 districtwide school safety plan, which had been posted on the district’s website for public review since Nov. 5. No members of the public spoke during the hearing, and the board unanimously adopted the plan along with updated building-level emergency response plans.
Later, during the general public comment section of the meeting, a parent raised concerns about transportation, saying issues she previously pointed out at an earlier district meeting remained unresolved.
“I was told to fill out a form online and I never heard back to any of the concerns that I mentioned,” she said. “There are a lot of days on the school calendar where private schools have school and public school doesn’t, and we’re not getting any bus transportation.”
She added that several dates removed from the busing calendar were not legal holidays, despite private schools remaining in session.
Another resident urged the board to reconsider its decision not to revise its accommodations policy, arguing that the process for obtaining 504 Accommodations for students with disabilities is unclear and difficult for families to navigate.
“I have asked this board again and again to at least take steps to clearly explain the process by which families can seek accommodations,” he said. “The document titled GNSPS Guide to Special Education doesn’t even include the word accommodation, let alone 504.” Under the 504 program, students in need can get equal access to their studies through personalized support through special technology and modified assignments.
The board also heard an update from its curriculum committee, which announced upcoming community forums, including a Jan. 26 session focused on media literacy for students in grades 6 through 12. The Board of Education adjourned the meeting following public comment.
