The Floral Park-Bellerose Board of Education re-elected President Beth Kierez and Vice President Jaclyn O’Donohue to another one-year term during the Monday night meeting at the Floral Park-Bellerose School library. 

Trustee Laura Trentacoste was also sworn into another three-year term after being re-elected earlier this year in an uncontested race. During the reorganization meeting, Kierez and Trustee Rose Peltonen were appointed to serve as the district’s liaisons to the Sewanhaka Central High School District, which has eight members serving from four middle school districts. 

Kierez has spent the last two decades in the educational field, including as the current assistant principal at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside, Queens. She has lived in the district for over 15 years with her husband and four children.

O’Donohue, a registered nurse, has been active in several local organizations, including as president of the Wednesday Mother’s Club, Liz’s Day board member and co-leader of her daughter’s Girl Scout troop and son’s Cub Scout den. She has been a resident of the district for over 30 years and is a graduate of the district. 

Trentacoste, a writer, is a graduate of both Floral Park-Bellerose School and Floral Park Memorial High School and has lived in the district for over two decades. She has previously served as vice president and president of the board. 

During the board’s annual public hearing to accept the district-wide safety plan, district Facilities Director Fred Mandracchia went through the updates that were added from last year’s plan to the current one. 

Public comment will remain open for comment on the safety plan and the Board of Education will approve a resolution to accept the plan prior to classes starting, Mandracchia said. 

The first update to the plan was the installation of silent panic alarm systems in the district, which was signed into law last year by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The law was enacted in response to the mass shooting in February 2019 at Marjorie Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, Fla. 

Mandracchia said there is currently an ongoing project to install the alarms with an expected completion date on the first day of classes in September.

Students are now required to inform school staff of any direct or indirect threat of violence or actual act of violence to themselves, others or school property, Mandracchia said. 

An emergency remote instruction section was also added to the safety plan, allowing the district to implement remote instruction when allowable. 

The next meeting of the Floral Park-Bellerose Board of Education will be Monday, Aug. 7, at 8 p.m. at the Floral Park-Bellerose School library.