News & Announcements

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  Budget Approved / Presupuesto Aprobado

  Island Park Public Schools
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  Pre K Registration

  Dear Parents and Community Members,

  A limited number of spots are still available for parents interested in enrolling their eligible child in the District’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten for the 2019-20 school year.

  The program is a full-day, five-day per week program for children turning four-years old by December 1, 2019. Children must also reside within the Island Park School District and meet all health and immunization requirements. Enrollment is limited so get your application in today!      

  UPK registration will be at Francis X. Hegarty School on Friday, June 7, 2019 by appointment only. Please call the Francis X. Hegarty School 434-2670/71 between 8am-4pm for your registration packet and to schedule an appointment.

  The day of your appointment, please bring:

  • Child’s Birth Certificate confirming your child will be four years of age on or before December 1, 2019.
  • 3 Proofs of Residency confirming you are a full-time resident of Island Park (e.g., driver’s license, telephone bill, deed to home, bank statement, etc.).
  • Updated physical and immunization documents from your child’s pediatrician.

  If more applications are received than slots available, a special board meeting will be held at a later date for the purpose of a random selection. Please call (516) 434-2670 for additional information.  There will be a mandatory UPK Parent Meeting at a later day for parents of students who are newly accepted and subsequently enrolled in the program.

  Should other openings occur during the school year, those children not selected at the lottery will be notified in the order in which their name was selected.

  Thank you for your continued support of the Island Park Schools.

  • En espanol - Spots pre-k registration May 2019.pdf
  • Spots pre-k registration May 2019.pdf

  Island Park Public Schools
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  NOT a “Boil Water Advisory”

  The district received a recorded message from NY American Water with regard to a “Boil Water Advisory”. The messaged stated that there is a rumor about residents having to boil water in Island Park. The message stated that there is NOT a “Boil Water Advisory” for Island Park or any LI service area.

  Island Park Public Schools
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  Island Park Rings in Spring at April Board Meeting

  The Island Park Public Schools’ April 16 Board of Education Meeting featured student recognitions and important district information.

  The meeting began with the announcement of March Students of the Month from Francis X. Hegarty Elementary School and Lincoln Orens Middle School. Jackson Flaherty (kindergarten), Ella Dudick (grade 1), Stefanie Laos (grade 2), Jason Morales (grade 3), Cassidee-Jade Clark (grade 4), Jagger Sgro (grade 5), Ariana Jara (grade 6), Celeste Consigli (grade 7) and Falon Duffy (grade 8) were congratulated for going above and beyond in their demonstration of positive character and achievement in the classroom. Kindergartner Tommy Matute, who was unable to attend the March meeting to receive his February Student of the Month acknowledgment, proudly accepted the award with the recent group. Principals Jacob Russum and Dr. Bruce Hoffman read teachers’ remarks about each honoree and distributed medals and certificates. 

  Superintendent of Schools Dr. Rosmarie Bovino and Assistant Superintendent Vincent Randazzo shared that the CTLE Professional Development Plan has been accepted by the New York State Education Department and the district is now an approved CTLE sponsor for 5 years, starting retroactively in 2016-17.

  The meeting also included a presentation on the proposed 2019-20 budget as the May 21 vote approaches. Island Park’s proposed tax increase is the fifth lowest in Nassau Ccounty out of 56 school district and the Board of Education and Administration have been diligent in their efforts to keep costs minimal. Participation in consortia, use of special audits and competitively bid contracts have been particularly cost effective for the district.  More information on the budget is available on the district’s website, www.ips.k12.ny.us.

  Island Park Public Schools
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  Island Park School District’s Tax Levy

  For the past six years, the Island Park School District’s tax levy has been 1.5% or less. Through the litigation it has pursued and its  active work with local and state representatives, the district seeks the most beneficial outcome (settlement) regarding the Barrett Power Plant for the community. The District is not presently engaged in direct negotiations with LIPA.  In preparing its budget, the District takes a conservative approach to budgeting and sets its tax levy as low as possible to keep taxes low in the event that an agreement (settlement) is reached with LIPA.

  Island Park Public Schools
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  Island Park Staff Members Honored Through Library Resources

  The Island Park Faculty Association and the Island Park Public Library hosted their annual book dedication ceremony on April 3. This collaborative effort honors deceased members of the Island Park School District who have made lasting impacts on the education program and lives of students and colleagues.

  Each year, the IPFA provides a donation to the library, which is used to purchase a selection of books and hands-on learning kits as a tribute to the celebrated individuals. This year’s honorees were former Board of Education member John Marino, past Superintendent of Schools Dr. Erich J. Stegmeier and Transportation Department member Fran DiLeo. In addition to the dedication, their names were inscribed on a plaque that will be displayed in the library.

  Current and former members of the Island Park Public Schools’ faculty shared reflections about the individuals. Board of Education Vice President Diana Caracciolo remembered Mr. Marino and retired school nurse Barbara Gould spoke about Ms. DiLeo. Several staff members highlighted the contributions of Dr. Stegmeier. Music Coordinator Marie Sambolin, retired music teacher Joe Bonelli and retired industrial arts/technology teacher Neil Swernofsky reflected on Island Park’s second-ever Superintendent of Schools’ 26-year career in the district, which began with a principal position at Hegarty.

  Members of the district’s Board of Education and staff, along with the families and friends of the honorees, were present at the event. All had the opportunity to view the dedicated books and learning tools, enjoy refreshments and speak to other attendees. Special thanks was extended to IPFA President Pat Collins and retired math teacher Phyllis Baranoff for their efforts in coordinating this meaningful acknowledgment of Island Park educators.

  Island Park Public Schools
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  Summer Camp Application

  City of Long Beach
  Department of Parks & Recreation
  Summer Camp Application

  See Attached...

  • Long Beach Summer Camp Application.pdf

  Island Park Public Schools
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  Letter From Superintendent NYSED Testing Program

  Dear Parents & Families,

  In a few weeks, the New York State Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics Tests will be administered to students. The ELA exam will be administered on April 2^nd and April 3^rd and the Mathematics exam will be administered on May 1^st and May 2^nd.

  Over the past few years, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) has instituted several encouraging changes to the annual ELA and math testing program that I would like to share with you. Below you will find a summary of the changes that were made to the Grades 3-8 English Language Arts and Mathematics Tests as well as Teacher and Principal Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) over the past several years.

  Changes to the NYS Testing Program

  • Fewer testing sessions and questions. Last year, the Grades 3–8 ELA and Math Tests were reduced from three test sessions per subject to only two sessions per subject, meaning each subject originally designed to be 90 minutes in length on each day is now designed to be the same length over two days. The tests now have fewer questions, lessening fatigue for students and better enabling them to demonstrate what they know and are able to do.
  • Despite their design, the tests continue to be untimed so students who are still working on their exams will be allowed to continue to work at their own pace.
  • Test questions were reviewed and written by New York State Teachers, not a testing corporation. Hundreds of New York State educators were involved in creating and reviewing questions for 2019 Grades 3-8 ELA and math Tests and selecting the questions for the test forms.

  Changes to Teacher and Principal Evaluation/APPR

  • Student performance on the 2019 Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests will have no employment-related consequences for teachers and principals evaluations. This means the evaluations of teachers and principals in New York State public schools will not be affected by the results of the 2019 Grades 3-8 ELA and math Tests.

  Release of Test Questions and Instructional Reports

  • Test questions and instructional reports will be released before the end of the school year. This means teachers and principals will review all relevant data from the tests to help them evaluate current instructional programs and practices as well as address students’ needs during the last month of school. This same data will continue to be used in September by students’ new teachers.

  The demands of today's world require that our students learn and master many skills. Today’s students are learning and growing in an ever-changing knowledge-based, highly technological world which necessitates that students master higher-order thinking skills and that they are able to see the relationships among seemingly diverse concepts. In the Island Park UFSD we pride ourselves on offering students many instructional, extra-curricular, and recreational opportunities to practice and hone in on these crucial 21^st Century skills. In addition, we focus on other important skills needed for college and the workplace such as teamwork, collaboration, and character building, traits that cannot be measured by traditional tests. 

  As a school district, we also acknowledge the need to measure student achievement, growth, and progress using multiple measures of student performance rather than a test score on a single assessment.  We understand and value the approach of using multiple measures of student performance and use the scores from the NYS Testing Program as only one of the several measures used to help us gauge each student’s performance, achievement and to measure the impact of our instructional programs and practices.

  How Test Data Are Used

  Data from the NYS Testing Program is only one of several measures used by the District to assess student performance as well as the effectiveness of instructional programs and practices. Test questions and instructional reports will be released by NYSED on or around June 1. This early date gives teachers and principals time to use the information before the end of the school year in the following ways:

  • Teachers and the principal identify achievement gaps that exist among different student populations.
  • Teachers and the principal examine current district curricula to identify achievement gaps and the resources required to fill each gap.
  • Teachers learn about each student’s strengths and for the purpose of individualizing instruction.
  • Teachers determine strategies that are working well and those which are not.
  • Teachers identify the skills that individual students and groups of students have mastered and, therefore, do not require re-teaching; in this way, instructional time can be spent targeting skills that are still developing.
  • Student data is stored in our Instructional Data Warehouse (IDW), the district’s repository for student data collected from multiple sources and organized for analyses and reporting. The IDW provides a wide variety of reports for all NYS assessments so that students’ longitudinal growth can be measured over several years’ time. In this way, trends that emerge over time can also be corrected.

  How Parents Can Use the 2019 Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Test Results

  We anticipate NYSED will make test results available in August along with redesigned score reports. Shortly after the release of the results, parent reports will be uploaded into the “Student Portfolio” section of Parent Portal.  The Commissioner says the updated reports will be easier to understand and provide more information about what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. We encourage parents to use these reports in the following ways:

  • Use your child’s score report as one measure to guide a discussion with your child’s teacher(s) about additional supports that may be helpful in school, as well as ways to support your child’s learning at home.
  • See State test results as just one measure of your child’s achievement. Use the information from the reports to compare progress and achievement against report card grades which are cumulative (based on many factors over time, including attendance, work habits, class participation, homework, quizzes, tests, and other instructional activities) and establish the picture of a child’s true academic achievement.
  • Use the information to compare your child’s performance to other students across the State, especially with respect to specific skills and concept areas. For example, the ELA report gives scores for both reading and writing; the math report gives scores for the key math concepts for your child’s grade level.

   Academic Intervention Services (ELA & Math Lab)

  Beginning September 2019, we have redesigned our ELA and math Lab practices. ELA and math Lab teachers will predominantly spend their time assisting students within the confines of the students’ regularly scheduled ELA and math classes in lieu of pulling students out to receive additional support.

  Thus, based upon the changes made by NYSED to the annual Testing Program and the District’s approach to using the data produced from these assessments, we are encouraging our families to have their students in grades 3- 8, participate in the ELA and Mathematics tests scheduled in the spring of 2019.

  Respectfully,

  Rosmarie Bovino 
  Superintendent of Schools            

  Vincent Randazzo
  Assistant Superintendent

  • Letter From Superintendent NYSED Testing Program(1).pdf
  • Parents Frequently Asked Questions about NYS Annual Grades 3-8 ELA and Math tests.pdf
  • The 2019 Grades 3-8 NYS Assessments-What Parents Need to know.pdf
  • What Parents Need to Know About the NYS Assessments.pdf

  Island Park Public Schools
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  Little Doctors Lend Helping Hands

  Student Council members from Island Park’s Lincoln Orens Middle School eagerly took on jobs that made a difference on Jan. 31, during the district’s annual blood drive. The group of “Little Doctors” volunteered hours of their time to support the New York Blood Center by escorting participants, writing thank you cards and distributing snacks and juice to donators.   

  As a result of the students’ efforts and community’s participation, 30 pints of blood were donated – equivalent to 90 lives saved. The Little Doctors Program is organized by the New York Blood Center and is designed for faculty members and students at elementary and middle school levels to increase their knowledge and understanding about the science of blood and the body’s circulatory system as well as to learn about volunteerism and community service.

  Island Park Public Schools
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  Transportation Application Private and Parochial School Students

  To the Parents/Guardians of

  Private and Parochial School Students: 

  Residents of the Island Park School District with children that will be attending a private or parochial school during the 2019-2020 school year, must submit a transportation application to the Transportation Department on or before April 1, 2019. Island Park residents must use our application as we will not accept any private/parochial school’s applications.  An application is enclosed with this letter.  It is also posted on the District’s website, www.ips.k12.ny.us and copies may be picked up at the Transportation Office.  The top of the form must be completely filled out by a parent/guardian.  The application must then be completed and verified by the school the student is attending.  Please do not delay in submitting this form, a delay in response from the school will not change a missed deadline.  

  FAILURE TO SUBMIT THE TRANSPORTATION REQUEST FORM ON OR BEFORE THE DEADLINE OF APRIL 1, 2019 WILL RESULT IN THE STUDENT BEING INELIGIBLE FOR DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR.  IN THOSE CASES, THE COST AND THE ARRRANGMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION WILL REST WITH THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN.

  Please be advised that enrolling a student in a school after the April 1^st deadline does not constitute a reasonable excuse for the failure to submit a timely transportation request to our office. If you are awaiting acceptance from a school(s), you should complete an application prior to the April 1^st deadline for each school that your child might attend.  Transportation authorization is not automatic or continuous from one school year to the next.  A request must be filled out for each individual child, each school year. (Example: If 4 children in the household are attending, then you must submit 4 applications each year).  All new residents and students who move within the Island Park School District must prove residency.  Mrs. Paula Di Lorenzo can be reached at (516) 434-2618 if you have any questions concerning the registration procedures.

  Transportation is not provided for schools over 15 miles from the student’s home.  It is understood that transportation will not be provided on the following days: Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, the day after Christmas, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day.  In addition, each general election day and any day appointed by the President of the United States or by the Governor of New York may be declared public holidays.  There will be no bus service for orientation days that are prior to the Island Park School District’s opening date.  If the Island Park School District is closed for inclement weather, there will be no transportation provided for any school and that will include any private/parochial schools. If the District is operating on a delayed opening schedule all schools will be on this delay.  School closing information can be found on the District website, Facebook page and Channel 12 News.  Please refer to the District calendar for further information.

  If you have any questions, please contact this office at (516) 434-2607/2608.

  Sincerely,

  Mrs. Kelly Angelo
  Transportation Supervisor

  • Letter transportation application 2019.pdf

  Island Park Public Schools
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  Summer Recreation Programs

  An important message from the Superintendent of Schools

  Re:  Summer Recreation Programs 

  Alternate Summer Recreation Programs may be planned as the District moves forward with planning the summer construction projects.    It is likely that the summer recreation program will not run during the summer of 2019.  Alternate arrangements are being planned and definite information will be provided to parents within the next two weeks.  If you have any questions, please contact the Superintendent’s Office at 434-2610.

  Island Park Public Schools
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  12/14/18: Settlement between LIPA and Brookhaven Town have Implications for Island Park

  A settlement agreement between LIPA and Brookhaven Town was reached in mid-December. It includes a reduction in taxes LIPA pays for its Port Jefferson power station of approximately 50% over nine years, beginning  

  2OI9-2020. This means LIPA’s annual taxes will go from $32.ó million to just over $1ó.8 million. Thus, the tax burden of $15.8 million will gradually shift to property owners. 

  The implication is that the State Supreme Court will rule similarly on LIPA’s cases with school districts, including Island Park.  We anticipate a decision will be rendered on Island Park UFSD’s lawsuit with LIPA in early February.  An appeal by the district is planned.  

  Discussion on the issue will take place with the district’s legal counsel, Robert H. Cohen, Esq of Lamb & Barnosky LLP at the Board of Education Meeting on Monday, January 28 at approximately 7:20 PM (after Students of the Month are recognized) in the Conference Center at 99 Radcliffe Road. 

  Read the article attached, “State judge OKs Brookhaven – LIPA tax settlement.” 

  • State judge oks Brookhaven - Ll PA tax settlement.pdf

  Island Park Public Schools
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  Harbor Isle Cleanup

  See attached: Letter to Mr. Nick Acampora - Division of Environmental Remediation

  • Letter to Mr Nick Acampora-Division of Environmental Remediation.pdf

  Island Park Public Schools