The East Rockaway Board of Education convened on Feb.10 in the high school auditorium for its monthly meeting, showcasing student achievement and addressing key district initiatives.

Student Spotlight: AI Innovation

The meeting opened with third-grader Emma Brown from Rhame Avenue School leading the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a presentation that demonstrated the district's commitment to cutting-edge technology education.

AP Computer Science teacher Marie Cordaro introduced ninth-grader Adam Kolakowski, who presented SmartPark – a web application he developed in her class and entered into the White House's Presidential AI Challenge. The innovative parking intelligence system addresses a common community challenge: finding available parking spaces in East Rockaway (and beyond).

Adam's app combines AI prediction, live data and statistics to guide users to open parking spots through an interactive map, showcasing the real-world problem-solving skills students are developing in the district's computer science program.

Leadership and Updates

With Superintendent James DeTommaso recovering from shoulder surgery, Board Vice President Maureen Doyle and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Sean Murray led the meeting.

Mr. Murray announced several important dates and scheduling updates:

* Budget adoption has been moved to Apr. 21
* Nominating petitions for board candidates are due by 5 p.m. on Apr. 20
* The Feb. 11 family engagement night has been postponed due to presenter illness (new date to be determined)
* Universal Pre-K lottery interest forms are due by end of day Feb.12 and can be found on the district website
* The UPK lottery will be held Feb. 25 in the high school auditorium and via livestream

Student Achievements

Student board member Sofia Ferkov delivered an enthusiastic report highlighting recent student accomplishments:

* The high school's Virtual Enterprise team impressed at a recent trade show
* Science students visited a hydroponic farm in Far Rockaway
* Students created Valentines for Vets as a community outreach project
* Student-athletes attended a leadership conference
* The district's first-ever middle school boys volleyball team won their inaugural match

Football Program Collaboration

In the superintendent's report, Mr. Murray announced the finalization of a contract merging East Rockaway's football program with West Hempstead's program at both varsity and junior varsity levels. Athletic Director Gary Gregory and Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Michael Van Wart worked together to complete the agreement.

The collaboration aims to maintain adequate roster sizes for a developmental squad while reducing player injuries from overuse. Most practices will take place at East Rockaway, with home games split between the two districts.

District Realignment Discussion

Mr. Murray directed the community's attention to a new section on the district website dedicated to the proposed district realignment plan, which includes a public survey. He encouraged community participation in the feedback process.

The topic drew significant community interest, with a large crowd in attendance and multiple public comments focused on questions about the realignment process.