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Longwood Welcomes Record Number of Attendees to Advocate for Public Education

Longwood Welcomes Record Number of Attendees to Advocate for Public Education

The Longwood Central School District was proud to welcome close to 400 public education leaders, representing almost three-quarters of the school districts from Suffolk County, to advocate for our students, schools, and communities at the Longwood Legislative Breakfast, co-sponsored by ESBOCES and Suffolk Region PTA. Now in its 19th year, the event continues to address the ongoing challenges facing public education and the potential impact on students.

Held on Saturday, February 4, Longwood Superintendent Dr. Lohman opened the program by thanking attendees for their unwavering support for public education.

"Despite the challenges we've faced over the past few years, you have all shown up to ensure that the voices of our students and communities are heard and that we maintain strong working relationships with our elected officials," said Superintendent Dr. Lohman.

The event began with two outstanding presentations from Ryan Ruf, Chief Operating Officer of ESBOCES, and Brian Fessler, Director of Governmental Relations for the New York State School Boards, and continued with an engaging dialogue with district representatives, students, and New York State Senate and Assembly members on topics including universal preschool, mental health, food insecurity, state aid, funding gaps, school safety, and more.

Board Vice President and Legislative Committee Co-Chair Victoria Molloy and Board Member Penelope Blizzard-McGrath also recognized Board Member and Legislative Committee Chair Daniel Tomaszewski for his nearly 20 years of leadership and fierce advocacy for public education.

Congratulations to our outstanding Legislative Committee student-leaders, sophomore Joseph Caliendo and senior Aidan Connor, for speaking on the importance of access to mental health support and increased restrictions on edible marijuana and CBD products, and senior Grace Sutherland for closing out the event with her inspiring remarks!

Thank you to all who attended with special thanks to Congressman LaLota, Senator Murray, Assemblyman DeStefano, Durso, Fitzpatrick, Flood, Smith and Thiele, and Assemblywoman Giglio for joining us!

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