Carey’s ESL program raises concerns for some parents

At the Sewanhaka Central High School District Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 15, some parents expressed concerns about the district’s English as a Second Language program. The concerns focused on the fact that the program is only held at the H. Frank Carey High School, although there are four other schools in the district.

Cammie Spillane, a mother in the district, who spoke at last week’s meeting, said the ESP program has brought an additional 200 students to the Carey High School, which she believes has caused congested traffic near the school, over-crowding in the school’s cafeteria and hallway, and an unsafe school environment.

“This excess is taking a toll on our schools, streets and community,” Spillane said at last week’s meeting. “Please consider if each school was responsible for teaching ESL students in their own communities.”

However, Warren Meierdiercks, superintendent of the Sewanhaka district, said the district, which includes more than 8,500 students, is very safe. He added that many of the parents’ concerns brought up at the meeting were based on incorrect data.

“I am in each of the five school buildings, and if I didn’t think that the buildings and hallways were safe, we would make changes,” Meierdiercks said, adding that the ESL program has been at the Carey school since 2001, and he has only recently heard complaints about it. “The (ESL) students are achieving; they are doing well. Kids have fun in this program, they like it there, and they mix well with other students.”

Meierdiercks said that Carey’s population is currently 1,882, which is similar to the district’s other schools — the Elmont Memorial High School houses 1,893 students, and the New Hyde Park Memorial High School’s population is 1,771. Innocuous crowding occurs at times in each school, he added.

“It’s a typical junior-senior high school, with grades 7 through 12. We have plenty of room in the building with the number of youngsters going there,” Meierdiercks said, adding that the program has no impact whatsoever on bus traffic.