Genesis School finds a home in East Meadow

St. Raphael’s Parish, on Newbridge Road, is now home to the Genesis School, for students with autism who are between ages 5 and 21, and an extension of Eden II, a Staten Island-based nonprofit organization that provides schooling, adult programs and services to families dealing with autism. Its adult programs, which extend to those as old as 28, will also be held at St. Raphael’s.

The school was previously located at St. Pius X Church in Plainview, but the church was not big enough to accommodate Eden II’s services, which were at Briarcliff College in Bethpage. Eden II offers consultation, in-home services, an onsite behavioral clinic, a speech clinic and vocational and fitness programs.

Eden II opened the first Genesis School on Staten Island in 1995, because, according to Randy Horowitz, Eden’s associate executive director of educational services, organization officials felt that the services most school districts offered children with autism were “inappropriate.”

Eighteen years later, the program now boasts five schools and more than 125 students. St. Raphael’s is the only Long Island location; all of the other schools are on Staten Island.

Eden II officials wanted to house the school and its programs in a single building, and began seeking alternate facilities earlier this year. Around the same time, St. Raphael’s officials learned that its lease with the Nassau County Emergency Medical Services Academy, which held training services in the church, would not be renewed for 2013-14.

The two entities got together with the help of Merrick resident and Eden Trustee Michael Giangregorio, and Rich Wiemer, of East Meadow, who has been a St. Raphael’s parishioner for 46 years. Both are involved in local Boy Scout organizations, and it was Wiemer who told Giangregorio that St. Raphael’s needed a new tenant. Giangregorio relayed the message to Eden II officials.

After months of dialogue, Eden II and St. Raphael’s reached an agreement, and the Genesis School had a new home. At a ribbon- cutting on the church lawn on Sept. 18, which attracted more than 100 school and parish officials, parents, faculty, students and local elected leaders, the school was introduced to the community.