Thursday, October 1, 2026
When I became superintendent of schools in Valley Stream District 30, I said that I viewed this responsibility through the lens of stewardship. To be a steward means being entrusted with something of value and accepting the responsibility to care for it, strengthen it and prepare it for the future. It means recognizing that we are temporary caretakers of something much greater than ourselves.
Valley Stream District 30 has a proud history that began in 1923. For over a century, generations of students, families, educators, Board of Education trustees and community members have shaped the district we know today. As one of the elementary districts serving the Valley Stream community, District 30 has developed its own identity, traditions and commitment to excellence.
Valley Stream represents opportunity: strong neighborhoods, locally owned businesses, convenient transportation, and connections to countless possibilities for our students. It is a community shaped by generations of families who have chosen to build their lives here. Our schools are not separate from our community. They are woven into its fabric.
The purpose of public education extends far beyond preparing students for their next academic step. Schools help young people discover their strengths, develop their talents, and understand their responsibility to contribute to the world around them. Through our curriculum, enrichment opportunities, instrumental programs, arts experiences, career exploration, assemblies, field trips and after-school programs, we provide students with opportunities to develop confidence, creativity, curiosity and connections.
We want our students to become the global leaders of tomorrow, but we also want them to understand what it means to be leaders in their own communities. The students who walk through our doors today may one day become the homeowners, entrepreneurs, educators, professionals and civic leaders who return to invest in the community that invested in them. That is one of the greatest responsibilities of public education: creating not only successful graduates, but engaged citizens.
Our district may be small, but it is mighty. The schools of Forest Road, Clear Stream Avenue and Shaw Avenue are more than buildings. They are places where children form memories, develop relationships, discover passions, and begin imagining the future they will create.
The legacy of Valley Stream District 30 is found in every student who enters our classrooms, every family that entrusts us with their children, and every community member who understands that strong schools help create a strong future.
In 1956, the Board of Education established “the Friendly Schools” as an expression of the district’s commitment to connecting with and serving the community. That identity continues to reflect who we are today: schools in which families feel welcomed, students are celebrated, and relationships remain at the center of our work. The strength of a community is measured by the institutions it chooses to support and preserve. Public education is one of those institutions. Through our collective efforts, Valley Stream District 30, the Friendly Schools, will continue to inspire students, strengthen families and remain a source of pride for generations to come.
It is a privilege to serve a community with such a rich history and a promising future.
Roxanne Garcia-France is superintendent of Valley Stream District 30.
