2013 was a big year for Babylon Village, and might be best known for it being the year following the impact of Hurricane Sandy.
As the area recovered from the aftermath of the storms, many news items made headlines for us, especially in our school districts. Here's a quick look back at some the biggest stories in 2013.
School District Bond Proposal Passes By Slim Margin
The Babylon School District bond proposal for a capital project to help repair the three schools has passed – by the slimmest of margins.
Voters approved the $26.6 million bond by a final vote count of 581 "yes" to 576 "no."
Chromebooks Now a Part of Babylon Schools' Future
Babylon School District students are using a brand-new system after a summer of new additions to the school's technology, including the use of Google Chromebooks in the classrooms.
Carole Polney-Marinello, who is currently the district's Coordinator of Assessment Data, Learning, and Technology, presented the changes to the Babylon School Board during a work-study meeting held on Monday at Babylon Junior-Senior High School.
Babylon High School Recognized as State Reward School
The Babylon Junior-Senior High School was among 105 schools islandwide designated "Reward School" by the New York State Education Department for the 2013-2014 academic year.
Among other criteria, Reward School status is awarded to schools that are identified among those schools with a four-year cohort graduation rate that exceeds 80%, and the school must exceed the state average for students graduating with either a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation or a Career and Technical Education (CTE) endorsement.
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Babylon Sup.: New State Test Results Still a Shock
The statewide decline on most recent New York State tests given came as no surprise to many across the area, but Babylon's Superintendent told parents in attendance at last week's school board meeting that the results were "still an eye opener and a shock."
Superintendent Richard Rozakis told the large summer crowd he, along with other school district heads had been forewarned about the expected results, but he said he was still surprised by the drop across the island, including within the Babylon School District.
Goldberg Named New Grade School Principal
The Babylon Board of Education has appointed Steven Goldberg the new principal of the Babylon Memorial Grade School, replacing the outgoing Dr. Randee Bonagura on July 1.
Goldberg, the current Babylon Junior-Senior High School assistant principal, will resign from his position on June 30, as per district regulations when moving to a new position.
Babylon Schools Budget Passes; Bencivenga, Katz Re-Elected
Residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of proposed 2013-14 Babylon School District budget and elected Dominic Bencivenga and Roger Katz to the Board of Education.
The $47.56 million budget was passed by 934 residents, or 73.1 percent. A total of 1,278 residents turned out for the vote and election.
Babylon School Board Approves New Elementary Principal
The Babylon School District Board of Education unanimously approved a new probationary principal of the Babylon Elementary School, effective July 1, 2013, during a public meeting on Monday evening.
The board voted to hire Jessica Kemler, who has spent the last five years as an assistant principal at Public School 182 in Jamaica, Queens. Kemler will start in the district with a yearly salary of $125,000.
W. Babylon HS Library Renamed for Former Senator Johnson
A lifetime of service came full circle on Tuesday evening as West Babylon Senior High School renamed its library in honor of former Senator Owen Johnson.
The ceremony, which featured nearly 100 guests including past school district superintendents, local government officials and current high school students, honored the lifelong West Babylon resident for his over 40 years in the New York State Senate.
Babylon High School Unveils New Research Lab
Babylon High School celebrated the grand opening of the Babylon Science Research Laboratory with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 10, in honor of Babylon resident Theresa Patnode Santmann.
Last summer, Mrs. Santmann made a generous $270,000 donation on behalf of the Theresa Patnode Santmann Foundation Inc. to redesign the high school’s previous art room into a state-of-the-art science research laboratory, and the ribbon-cutting event provided her with the first opportunity to view the room.
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