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Friday, December 29, 2023
Vol. 72, No. 52
N E W H Y D E PA R K
HEALTH, WELLNESS AND BEAUTY GUIDE
DANIEL NACHMANOFF DIES
HOCHUL SIGNS EVEN-YEAR ELECTION LEGISLATION
PAGES 19-22
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North Shore schools earn top rankings Herricks, NHP-GCP in top 30 in math, English state tests for grades 3-8 BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y The East Williston School District earned top rankings across New York state out of 661 schools for the percentage of students in grades 3-9 who are proficient in math and English, according to data from the state Department of Education. The district is joined by the North Shore Central School District, Manhasset, Great Neck, Herricks, Roslyn and New Hyde Park-Garden City Park as districts on the North Shore to rank highly among the state in either assessment. The education department earlier this month reported district scores for students statewide who participated in spring tests last school year under new learning guidelines known as “Next Generation.” The new guidelines were adopted in 2017 and enacted this year, replacing the previous Common Core guidelines. Annual testing on the new standards started in April and ended in May with the math exams. This year’s data were released three months later than last year and a news release was not issued when it was published. Statewide, 52% of students in
grades 3 through 8 were proficient in math, the data shows, while 48% of students in the same grades were proficient in English. Because this is the first year of new learning standards, the education department said this year’s test results are not comparable to prior years due to changes. The department made similar statements in the previous years due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning. In English, East Williston was tied with Scarsdale for the highest percentage of proficiency in the state at 86%. North Shore and Manhasset were tied for third with 85%, Great Neck was ranked No. 13 with 81%, Hericks was tied at No. 15 with 80%, Roslyn was tied at No. 21 with 77% and New Hyde Park-Garden City Park was tied at No. 27 with 74%. In math, East Williston was No. 1 in the state with 93%, North Shore was tied at No. 5 with 91%, Herricks was tied at No. 9 with 89%, Roslyt and Manhasset were tied at No. 11 with 88% and New Hyde Park-Garden City Park was No. 24 with 84%. For English proficiency in Nassau County schools, Sewanhaka is ranked Continued on Page 37
PHOTO COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Center Street fifth graders lend a hand to Trees for Troops. See story on page 16.
NYC Dem charged with submitting phony ballots BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y A Floral Park man received a 140-count indictment Tuesday for allegedly casting 20 absentee ballots that belonged to other voters during the 2022 Democratic primary election, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. Abdul Rahman, 32, pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records, criminal possession of a forged instrument and other crimes related to submitting false absentee ballots.
Rahman faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. “Every vote has to count. Election integrity is the foundation of a viable, working democracy. We will vigorously prosecute anyone who threatens in any way to undermine that integrity,” Katz said in a statement. “To investigate and prosecute anyone for voter fraud takes time and resources I am willing to commit. I thank my Public Corruption Bureau and the Board of Elections and for their important work on this
case. The integrity of elections will be upheld in this borough.” Rahman in 2022 ran an unsuccessful campaign to become the judicial delegate in Assembly District 38 two months before the ballots were allegedly cast. Prosecutors did not say who Rahman voted for with the ballots or what race the alleged fraud occurred in. Only a state Senate seat was on the ballot in Richmond Hill that primary cycle. Continued on Page 38