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Sewanhaka board approves consent agenda, honors Marching Knights; parents urge HBCU event and question iPad use
Summary
Trustees approved routine curriculum, finance, personnel and support-service items, appointed Lynette Battle to a county budget committee and recognized the district marching band; public commenters praised a civic turnout for an HBCU/Divine 9 event and raised concerns about heavy classroom iPad use.
At its Nov. 24 meeting, the Sewanhaka Central High School District board approved multiple consent items across curriculum, finance, personnel and support services, moved in single motions and passed by voice vote. The board also approved SEDCAR contracts and CSC recommendations and appointed Lynette Battle as the district representative to the Nassau County budget review committee. Several motions were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote during the meeting; detailed vote tallies were not recorded on the public transcript.
The board recognized the Sewanhaka Marching Knights for finishing second in New York State’s large-school category with a score of 80.95. Directors John Smykowski and Matt Pavelloni and instructors including Remy Perez, Tameya Smith and others were thanked as students came forward to receive certificates.
During public comment, Claudine Hall, civic president from Jamaica Square (Elmont), thanked the district for outreach and urged Sewanhaka to host its own HBCU and Divine 9 event next year, citing strong parental interest at a Nov. 17 civic meeting. Parent Farrah Akbar told the board her seventh-grade son relies heavily on an iPad for instruction and "doesn't read any books," asking the board to discuss how iPads are being used and whether some non-digital instructional methods should be reinstated. The chair noted the district has a goal of a "No Tech Tuesday," intended to limit device use one day each week.
No new legislative items or budget appropriations were introduced during the meeting; the board announced its next meeting for Dec. 16 at Frank Carey High School and adjourned on a voice vote.
What happened: Multiple consent agenda items were approved by voice; the marching band was honored; public commenters urged a district HBCU/Divine 9 event and requested discussion about device use in classrooms. What remains open: The board did not schedule a specific policy change on instructional device use during this meeting.
