There was much to celebrate during the board of education meeting on March 24, as the district commended students and athletic staff for their recent accomplishments.
Ex officio board member Kyara Ozil, a junior at Sewanhaka High School, helped open the meeting by delivering the Student Report. She highlighted districtwide events, including the P.S. I Love You Day celebrations across all five buildings and the successful and upcoming spring musicals.
Superintendent Regina Agrusa began the recognitions by honoring Anthony Brancato as the 2026 Section VIII Athletic Administrator of the Year. Serving as the athletic director and chairperson of physical education and health at H. Frank Carey High School, Brancato’s commitment to the Franklin Square community and Section VIII athletics is evident through his many leadership roles, including Section VIII boys golf coordinator, and member of the Section VIII sportsmanship committee and the Section VIII council and planning committee. He received this prestigious award at the New York State Athletic Administrators Association’s annual conference.
The celebration of excellence continued with another distinguished educator. Ahkeel Rodney was recognized for being named the 2025 National High School Coach of the Year by the Black Soccer Coaches Leadership Team. As the varsity boys soccer coach at Floral Park Memorial High School, he has led the team to remarkable success, including a New York State Soccer Championship in 2024 and a second consecutive Nassau County Championship in 2025.
Student achievements were also featured throughout the evening. Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Richard Faccio recognized five students from the Class of 2026 who were recently named finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Congratulations to Floral Park Memorial High School student Nathan Gee, and New Hyde Park Memorial High School students Anirudh Arvind, Shohom Chakraborty, Darsh Mirchandani and Ava Su.
In addition, Superintendent Agrusa and the board presented five student artists with certificates of achievement for having their work displayed in the 2026 Nassau All-County Art Exhibition, hosted by the Art Supervisors Association. These five students were among 50 graduating senior art students selected for the ASA Senior Scholarship. The recipients are Elmont Memorial’s Clara Pelissier, Floral Park Memorial’s Kelsey Werthmuller, H. Frank Carey’s Chloe Urban, New Hyde Park Memorial’s Theodora Doukas and Sewanhaka’s Marissa Ramirez.
Rounding out the evening, Career and Technical Education students in the architecture program delivered a special presentation. They shared detailed renderings and plans for a proposed new and enhanced guidance suite at H. Frank Carey High School. Under the guidance of teacher John Koscinski, students developed their designs based on budget considerations and an analysis of the building’s requests. They also presented their concepts to industry professionals, incorporating valuable feedback from experts in the field.