The start of a new school year is always filled with the excitement of anticipation. The 2004-2005 school year in the Levittown Public Schools promises to be another year of significant changes and continued progress.

Changes in district administration include the departure of Dr. Alan Groveman, assistant superintendent for administration, who left the district to take the position of superintendent of schools for the Connetquot School District in Suffolk County. The Levittown board of education appointed Vincent Longaro to replace Dr. Groveman. Mr. Longaro comes from our next door neighbor, Island Trees, where he has served as high school principal for the past 16 years. The principal of East Broadway Elementary School, Diane Koprowski, retired in June, and has been replaced by Mrs. Susan Waidenbaum.

The old New York State Regents graduation standards came to an end last spring, and the new Regents standards take full effect with the Class of 2005. The most immediate and dramatic change that the community will likely notice is an increase in the Regents diploma rates for Levittown students, which is expected to increase from the record high of 78 percent in 2004 under the old Regents standards to over 90 percent for the Class of 2005 under the new Regents standards. It should be noted that this increase does not represent any specific improvement in student performance on state tests. Rather, it is simply a reflection of the lower standards required for a Regents diploma, which simply makes it easier for all students in New York State to meet the minimum requirements. The new and lower standards required for a Regents diploma presents the Levittown School District with the challenge of setting and maintaining high standards for its students. Whereas the old Regents standards served as a viable method of setting goals for our students, the new standards do not represent a challenge commensurate with the abilities of our children. Consequently, and in order to provide our students with appropriately challenging goals, the district will be revising local graduation standards to include criteria that go beyond simply passing Regents exams, and include mastery levels as goals for student achievement. Look for more on this issue during the school year.

The issue of internal financial controls is of concern to all school districts, especially in the wake of the scandals that emerged in the past few months in several school districts. The Levittown Public School District is proud of its extensive internal fiscal controls, which we believe protect the district against any planned scheme of embezzlement. These controls are detailed in an accompanying article.

With the passage of the 2004-2005 school budget in June, the Levittown School District maintains fiscal stability and strength. As a result, all residents can feel secure and be proud about the quality of education the community is providing to its children. By all indications, the 2004-2005 school year will be another year of record-breaking progress for the students in the Levittown Public Schools.