Students present clubs, curriculum and solar-panel proposals at West Hempstead school board meeting

Students from the Superintendent Student Advisory Council on March 12 urged the West Hempstead Union Free School District board to expand arts, athletics and curriculum options and to explore energy and facilities projects as the district prepares its budget.

The presentations, delivered by elementary and secondary students representing multiple schools, highlighted survey results the council collected from peers. "Wants and needs are very different," said Fatima Merida, a third grader at Cornwall Avenue Primary Center, summarizing the council's method and results and urging practical fixes such as addressing geese on playgrounds and reinstating a Waffle Shack as a treat option.

The students proposed a range of changes the advisory council said would boost student engagement. Victoria Hassan, a sophomore at the secondary school, and teammates advocated for districtwide solar panels, noting an estimate mentioned during the presentation that the district has about 87,334 square feet of rooftop area and could realize long-term electrical savings the students described as roughly "about 18,000" (units not specified in the transcript). "These solar panels will save us money in the long term future," Victoria said, adding that savings could be reinvested into schools and used as a learning opportunity for sustainability lessons.

Nicholas Long, a student at the secondary school, pushed for offering American Sign Language as an alternative language course, saying, "American Sign Language is beneficial because it allows students to communicate with others that may possess hearing problems or hearing loss and also enhances their ability to read body language."

Students also asked the board to broaden arts and career-education opportunities: presenters recommended creating an art club to paint ceiling tiles, reinstating an a cappella group, adding animation classes and allowing seventh graders access to FACS (family and consumer sciences) earlier than currently offered. On athletics, Brady, a junior, requested reinstating a wrestling program (noting New York State recently added girls' wrestling) and starting a boys' badminton team to mirror existing girls' offerings.

On facilities, Jose Ramirez recommended adding exterior and track lighting to support evening practices and events and proposed murals and an interactive campus feature or a Ram statue to boost school spirit and visual appeal.

Board members and staff praised the students' work. The Chair said the solar-panel idea has been discussed previously and noted the district waited for roof work to finish before pursuing solar. The Chair also referenced a recent inquiry about a sign-language class and said while it could not be promised at the meeting, the idea was "a great idea as well." Staff members highlighted the students' public-speaking growth and commitment to meeting outside academic time.

No formal votes or motions were taken on the proposals during the session; board members noted the timing aligns with the district's budget season and indicated the ideas would be considered as part of that process. Students were released to return to their homework at the conclusion of their presentations.

The meeting record shows the advisory council presented multiple proposals for consideration during budget planning; the board praised the work but did not adopt any of the items as formal actions that night.