Here’s what Seaford kids want in the 2023-24 budget

When it comes to school budgets, the views of the taxpayers are typically front and center. But at a Board of Education meeting on March 22, a dedicated group of Seaford students made their voices heard on what they’d like included in the 2023-24 budget.

Budget season for the 2023-24 school year is in full swing. The Board of Education’s budget is set for April 4. The BOCES budget vote is set for April 18. Throughout April and May, presentations on the proposed 2023-24 budget will be conducted for various groups in town, including the Seaford PTA.

May 16 is voting day, where residents will be voting on both the budget and two Board of Education candidates.

But the students had a few requests before Rhonda Meserole, assistant superintendent for business and operations, officially presented the proposed budget. The students would like to see a continuation of the Leos Club, two new clubs, and an additional play performed every year at Seaford High School.

The Leos Club only started this year, with the help of the Seaford Lions Club. Like the Lions Club, the Leos’ primary goal is fighting blindness, but partakes in charity of any kind. But being in its first year, this was more of a foundational year for the Leos Club than anything else.

“But even while doing that, we were able to have some successful service projects,” William Cassio, club co-president and senior, said “Which included the sock drive for veterans, a glasses drive, and a collection for victims of domestic abuse. And all of these have been very successful with the help of our administration, our members and our advisors.”

Taylor DiFondi, also co-president, wants to see this go even further, and wants to see individual members be allowed to spearhead their own projects.

The new clubs proposed by students are the Knitting and Crochet Club and the Fishing Club. The Knitting and Crochet Club would aim, according to student Lena Millindorf, to teach students how to knit as well as donate their knitting creations to those in need. These donations would consist of baby blankets to hospitals, caps for chemotherapy patients, and blankets for shelter animals.

The Fishing Club would be exactly what it sounds like. The Wantagh-Seaford area is not only close to the bays and ocean, but also close to some of the most popular freshwater ponds in Nassau County, including Mill Pond, Twin Lakes Preserve, and Massapequa Reservoir. According to the students who want this club to come to fruition, fall and spring would be spent fishing, whether on charter boats for saltwater or taking the trip over to those nearby ponds. The winter months would be spent learning fishing technique.

“Teaching youth to fish is a powerful and rewarding way to introduce them to the outdoors,” Paige Gregorek, one of the student presenters, said. “Fishing is something that can be passed on from their family, on to families and friends that will create memories to last a lifetime.”

Following the success of Seaford High School’s performance of “Young Frankenstein,” the Drama Club, led by its choreographer and director Samantha Gates-Weber, proposed that the school add another play. This would mean that, in addition to the usual spring musical, there would be a fall drama as well.

“There is an entire group of students who are not joining because they feel scared to sing or dance,” student Troy Tyznar said, speaking of the importance to add a non-musical performance. “Our schedule right now is to live from December to February, with our new show being with our show being in the first week of March. If we add this play through our 12 we will be able to start in September. That’s seven months total compared to three that the students are able to commit to the club.”