Jill Karp

The Merrick Union Free School District's Special Education Plan outlines its commitment to providing high-quality, individualized instruction and appropriate educational services for students with disabilities within the least restrictive environment. The plan emphasizes maximizing student potential, fostering parent and community involvement, and ensuring due process rights. Key objectives include establishing pre-referral interventions, providing access to general education and extracurricular activities, offering comprehensive professional development for staff, and detailing procedures for evaluations, IEP development, and a continuum of support services for preschool and school-aged students.

This Investment Plan outlines how the Merrick Union Free School District will utilize its Smart Schools Bond Act allocation to enhance educational technology. The plan focuses on upgrading wireless and network infrastructure, expanding VMware server virtualization, and implementing new classroom technology to support 21st-century learning. Key goals include improving connectivity, ensuring sufficient infrastructure for new devices, and fostering a learning environment where technology is integrated to promote student engagement and digital literacy.

This District-Wide Safety & Emergency Management Plan outlines strategies to prevent and effectively manage emergencies, minimize their impact, and coordinate with local resources. The plan encompasses risk reduction, prevention, intervention strategies, robust internal and external communication protocols, and comprehensive multi-hazard response procedures. Key areas addressed include ensuring continuity of operations and instruction, as well as providing disaster mental health services for recovery.

This document details the Merrick School District's plan for utilizing federal ARP-ESSER funds. The plan focuses on key priorities including operating schools and meeting student needs by hiring an additional nurse, addressing COVID-19 pandemic impacts such as learning loss through an ENL summer program, implementing evidence-based strategies for social-emotional, mental health, and academic needs via an SEL afterschool program, and offering extended learning opportunities like reading and math summer clubs. The overall aim is to support student well-being and academic recovery during the 2021-2024 period.

The community forum focused on presenting the voluntary remote learning model for the upcoming school year. Key discussion topics included student eligibility, the requirement for a trimester-long commitment, the process for returning to in-person instruction, class size and staffing considerations, technical support, grading and assessment procedures, and the integration of special services, including special education and special area subjects. Additionally, the district addressed inquiries regarding student social and emotional needs, instructional schedules, and the potential impact of future in-person school closures on the remote program.