Plainedge Union Free School District
The Plainedge Union Free School District is a school district which serves the hamlets of Plainedge and North Massapequa.
Administration
The current Superintendent is Dr. Edward A. Salina Jr.[1] The school board is currently composed of President Catherine Flanagan, Vice President Raymond Paris and trustees Jennifer Maggio, Dr. Lynnda Nadien, Dr. Joseph Netto, Sonny Spagnuolo and Sisi Townson.[2]
The principals of the elementary schools are Emily O'Brien (Eastplain), Joseph A. Maisano (John H. West), and Jennifer Thearle (Schwarting), with Sara Azizollahoff serving as assistant principal at all elementary schools.[3][4][5] The principal of the middle school is Anthony DeRiso and assistant principals Jennifer Wiesman and Vito Mannino.[6] The deans of the middle school are Casey Kornharens and Brian Wipperman. The principal of the high school is Robert Amster and the assistant principals are Jennifer Vitale and Kevin Burgoyne.[7]
History and organization
The first Plainedge school was housed in a two-room, wood-frame schoolhouse that became known as the "Annex." It served the district until about 1952 when the John H. West elementary school was built. It was then updated and used as the school district's administration office.
On February 19, 1985, the Plainedge School Union's Board of Education was sued by Carl McCall for a refusal to promote her based on her gender.[8][9]
The school district is composed of 3 elementary schools, John H. West elementary, Eastplain elementary and Charles E. Schwarting elementary. The middle school is Plainedge Middle School and the high school is Plainedge High School. Former schools include Robert E. Picken elementary, which was sold to the Town of Oyster Bay to serve as a smaller town hall for the southern part of the town; Northedge Elementary (then Kindergarten), which was knocked down to make room for the new Middle School; Baldwin Drive Elementary and Southedge Junior High, which were demolished and the land sold for housing; and Sylvia Packard Middle School, which was shut down after the school, at 40 years of age, was deemed inefficient to serve the continuing needs of the community.[10]
Since Plainedge is not an official town, its students come from parts of Massapequa, North Massapequa, Bethpage, Seaford and Farmingdale.
As a result of school closures caused by the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic, the Plainedge school district arranged a community effort to turn on stadium and porch lights between 8:20 and 8:40PM on May 1, 2020 to honor the graduating senior class.[11]
Notable alumni
- Manjul Bhargava[12], mathematician and recipient of the Field Medal (2014)
- Edward Byrne[13], New York City Police officer killed on duty in 1988
- Steve Guttenberg[14], actor
- Jim Hodder (musician)[15], drummer with Steely Dan
- John Melendez[16][17], television writer and radio personality
References
- "Administration - Plainedge Public Schools". www.plainedgeschools.org. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- "Plainedge Board of Education Members". Plainedge Public Schools. 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- "Administration - John H. West Elementary School". jhw.plainedgeschools.org. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- "Administration - Charles E. Schwarting Elementary School". sch.plainedgeschools.org. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- "Administration - Eastplain Elementary School". eps.plainedgeschools.org. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- "Administration - Plainedge Middle School". pms.plainedgeschools.org. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- "Administration - Plainedge High School". phs.plainedgeschools.org. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- York (State), New. New York Court of Appeals. Records and Briefs.: 80 NY2D 490, AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF part 10, THORESON V PENTHOUSE INTERNATIONAL LTD. p. 43.
- Matter of Bd. of Educ. of the Plainedge Union Free Sch. Dist. v. Mccall, 108, February 19, 1985, p. 855, retrieved 2020-05-02
- "Community center project under way". Newsday. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
- "Stadium lights at Long Island high schools shine tonight to honor graduating class". longisland.news12.com. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
- Bhargava, M. Curriculum Vitae Manjul Bhargava. Retrieved from http://www.claymath.org/library/research_award/Bhargava/CV.pdf
- Krajcek, David J. (February 27, 1988). "Rookie police officer Edward Byrne is gunned down while guarding a witness in 1988". New York Daily News. republished online January 20, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
- Fischler, Marcelle S. (January 19, 2003). "Long Island Journal; A Cheese Slice and a Dose of South Shore". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
As a teenager, Mr. Guttenberg hung out and played arcade games at the pizzeria. In June 1976, two days after he graduated from Plainedge High School, 63rd out of 570 students, he headed for Hollywood.
- Hodder, Jim (October 1995). "Mojo Interview". Mojo – via steelydan.com.
- Controversial personalities who stutter. Archived 2008-04-18 at the Wayback Machine Minnesota State University, 1998-10-12. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
- John Melendez. National Stuttering Association. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.