By JEFF LIPTON
The district hired Michael Allegra, a professor at Adelphi University, for about a week last month, at a fee of $800 per day, to gather information from both high schools to help determine which was best suited to Island Park students. But Allegra, who lives in Huntington, was told his services were no longer needed after it was revealed that he is a neighbor of Island Park trustee Michael Hastava's brother. Allegra, whom Hastava recommended to the superintendent for the consultant's job, was dismissed to avoid any perception of impropriety, district officials said.
"We felt that there was so much angst in the community about whether Mr. Allegra was unbiased," said Island Park Superintendent Dr. Edward Price. Price said that in addition to being a respected longtime educator, Allegra has also served as a consultant to other school districts, and was the prefect candidate to lend his expertise to the contentious issue in Island Park.
Every five years since the 1967-68 school year, the Island Park district has signed an agreement to send its high school students to West Hempstead High. The latest five-year contract is set to expire in June, and officials are deciding whether to send incoming freshmen to Long Beach instead. The prospect of switching schools has produced heated arguments among parents, students and community members. One of the main questions is whether Island Park and Long Beach students can peacefully co-exist.
The Island Park district chose Allegra over another candidate for the consultant's job, and then decided to poll the school board about his work at an Oct. 22 meeting. The board was split 2-2, with one member having to leave the meeting after she took ill. During the meeting, Al Pozin, an Island Park resident who favors continuing to send Island Park students to West Hempstead High, asked Hastava if Allegra was related to him or a family member, because he has the same last name as an aunt of the trustee. Hastava denied being related to Allegra.
"I just felt something wasn't right, that it was an unethical situation," said Pozin, who was defeated by Hastava for a school board seat four years ago. "I thought Hastava was doing something underhanded."
Since the board could not come to a decision on Oct. 22, a special meeting was called on Oct. 26, but before a vote could be taken, Pozin said he had done research online and found a connection between Allegra and Hastava's brother, Greg. Pozin presented the information to Price, who, he said, "looked kind of stunned." The superintendent then held a brief, informal meeting with trustees, who voted 4-0 to pay Allegra for his work and release him from his district obligations.
Hastava said that at the Oct. 22 meeting he did not volunteer the information that Allegra was his brother's neighbor because he did not want to further incite residents in what was an already emotionally charged meeting. "I didn't want to be attacked that night," Hastava said. "Outside of geography, with my brother [living near Allegra], there is nothing else there. It was never my intention to try to subvert the process."
Even though Hastava strongly denies that he has made up his mind about whether he favors one high school over the other, residents like Pozin firmly believe that Hastava is committed to sending Island Park students to Long Beach High School. Hiring Allegra could possibly push that decision in his favor, residents said.
Allegra could not be reached for comment.
Hastava said that Allegra's job was to look into course offerings and other data from the two high schools and present his findings to the district in December. "He's a very accomplished person, and it was decided that he would not be part of the solution, but part of the problem, because in gathering the information, half of the people would think that he's fudging the figures," said Hastava. "A wise man once said that perception is always worse than reality."
School officials said it was unfair to drag Allegra into the controversy, so the board decided to let him go. "Our counsel said there were no improprieties in selecting Mr. Allegra, but there are people in the community who have that perception," Price said. "We want the board to go forward."
Frank Bettineschi, an Island Park resident who favors West Hempstead over Long Beach, said he was investigating the school board's code of ethics to see if Hastava violated any regulations. He said he would file a complaint with the state Education Department to try to oust Hastava from the board. "I want to know how he found this guy," Bettineschi said of Allegra. "We're not idiots over here. I don't know who they're expecting to fool. We're doing our homework over.
"You can't just sneak around," Bettineschi added. "The board has no integrity now. They can't be trusted, because of this latest thing with the consultant."
"What for?" Hastava said when told of Bettineschi's efforts to kick him off the board. "I definitely underestimated the reaction of the public."
Price said the district is seeking a new consultant. In the meantime, the boards of Island Park, Long Beach and West Hempstead have been discussing a variety of options regarding where to send Island Park students. "I'm neutral," said Price. "These are two fine high schools providing a very good education. I would have no trouble sending my kids to either school. This has been a very emotional issue, with different points of views being expressed."
Pozin, whose son is senior class president at West Hempstead High School and who has another child who will attend high school next year, said, "We're very happy with West Hempstead. If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Bettineschi, whose daughter attends West Hempstead, said she is on the swim team and cheerleading squad and loving every moment of her high school experience. He said his other daughter is taking a test to get into private school just in case a decision is made to send students to Long Beach High. "Long Beach is overcrowded, and I don't think these students will be accepted into the school right away," he said.
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
