For high school students interested in non-academic fields, there's a large number of occupational, artistic, and career-oriented programs offered as options and alternatives. But, the decision to use many of the programs, offered by BOCES and the Levittown Vocational Center, falls into the hands each individual school district's board of education.
The Levittown program is a half-day program where students spend two and a half hours at the center and the remainder of the day is spent at the high school.
BOCES, a cooperative partnership between the 56 school districts in Nassau County, offers programs in differing areas of study. There are two main divisions, the Nassau Tech program and the Cultural Arts Center. The Cultural Arts Center is a program offered by the BOCES system that allows students to study fields in the fine arts; including dance, drama, creative writing, visual arts, and music. The center offers both full-day programs and half-day programs.
"If a youngster has a primary interest in a vocational program then we offer them that opportunity," said James Brucia, superintendent of schools in the Massapequa School District.
Brucia noted that there are many programs that are offered at the Levittown Vocational Center free of charge for students. Many of the programs can lead to licenses in vocational fields. In Massapequa, the Levittown center is the primary occupational education facility, while BOCES is also offered. In Plainedge the situation is reversed.
In the Plainedge School District, all of the BOCES Nassau Tech programs are offered, along with a limited number of the Levittown programs. According to Michael Brenner, director of Student Support Services in Plainedge, the district uses the Levittown program when they determine that the programs are more enriched, such as Levittown's Culinary Arts program.
Many of the vocational programs offered at Levittown are also offered by the four BOCES educational centers, located in Carle Place, Old Brookville, Republic Airport and Westbury.
Brucia said that, with state aid, the Levittown programs are less expensive for the Massapequa School District while Brenner said that the Levittown programs are slightly more expensive than the Plainedge School District.
However, in Plainedge, the BOCES Cultural Arts Center, located in Syosset, is not offered as an option to students.
In the Massapequa School District, the Cultural Arts Center's half-day program is offered to interested students. According to Brucia, auditions are required for acceptance into the program. But according to one parent with a child enrolled in the program, the center is not well publicized. And, in Plainedge, one parent has fought, unsuccessfully, with the district's policy of not participating in the Cultural Arts Program.
"The programs cost a lot of money and that is one of the reasons that the district limits what is offered," said Alice Mateos, director of Public Information for the Plainedge School District. "And, of course, we emphasize academics," she added.
"The opportunities for kids to take occupational education courses are decreasing," noted Brenner.
Brenner says that because the State of New York's Board of Regents has begun setting higher standards for high school graduation, the number of available elective credits for students to enroll in has decreased. With the state moving to require more basic courses, like Mathematics and Foreign Language requirements, Brenner said that the new standards "have unquestionably had an effect on kids' daily schedules."
Currently only 20 students are enrolled in Occupational Education programs in Plainedge.
In Massapequa, during school year 1996-97, 53 students were enrolled in the Vocational Education program in Levittown at a cost of $287,000, paid by the district. The previous year, 70 students were enrolled in the program. The amount paid by the district for the BOCES program, including the Cultural Arts Center, was $27,000 less. In addition, Brucia said, the school district is reimbursed by the State of New York for about 48 percent of the district's costs for the Levittown programs.
The Nassau Tech division of BOCES offers programs in: Agricultural Education, Aviation/Aerospace Maintenance, Manufacturing and Repair, Business, Construction Industry and Building Maintenance, Food Service, Graphics and Communications, Health Education, Rehabilitation/Habilitation Aide, Personal Services, Computer Repair, Electronics/Avionics, Environmental Studies, Vehicle Maintenance and Repair.
