My son is in third grade at Abbey Lane Elementary School and will be going to Salk Middle School in a few years. He currently attends the excellent Levittown After School Program (LAP) at Abbey every afternoon after school. It is a structured program with homework time, snack time and play time. I cannot say enough about this wonderful program and its dedicated staff and I sincerely thank the school district for offering it. I inquired about the middle school after school program in case there might be a waiting list and was stunned and disappointed to discover that there are no after school programs offered at the Salk and Wisdom Lane Middle Schools.

I strongly feel that this is a mistake. Most people moving into the neighborhood now have both parents working in order to be able to afford their high mortgage payments. In my opinion, the school district should recognize these socioeconomic changes and should take more responsibility for what happens with these still young children after school. Yes, there are activities after school, but having attended after school activities myself as a young person, I remember that a) they don't meet every day; b) might last for an hour or so, certainly not until parents would be returning from work; c) don't require or take attendance; d) might be canceled if the teacher running the activity is out ill, etc. Certainly an after school activity does not offer the kind of supervision and structure that my son receives at LAP. And we all know the problems caused by gangs of youngsters wandering around town. I, myself, work in a public library where numerous kids come every day after school because they have nowhere specific to be but are not permitted to be home alone.

That being said, there is an available after school program at the Yours, Ours, Mine Community Center. There is a caveat, though. Wisdom Lane students can attend the program without a problem as the school is right next door to YOM. In order for Salk students to attend, however, there must be at least four students from Salk attending in order to make it financially feasible for YOM to send a bus to pick them up. So, if in the future, I am the only Salk parent attempting to sign my child up for the YOM program, he will not be able to attend. I can only hope other parents will be signing up their child as well, but I will not know until the last minute.

Sign-up for the YOM after school program begins this month and is for the coming year only. Call Roxanne Boniello at YOM at 796-6633 for information. If your child will be attending Salk and you would like to be on a list for future years or would like to discuss this issue, please email me at jesko1810@yahoo.com.

Jessica Koenig