Mineola schools open with relocated grades

Ongoing changes in the configuration of the Mineola School District -- its beloved Cross Street Elementary was shuttered in June -- sent children to new campuses Tuesday for the first day of the new school year.

Emily Asam, 9, a former Cross Street student, is now enrolled at the Meadow Drive School. She was both excited and nervous about the move.

"There are a lot of people I don't know," she said, standing outside her classroom yesterday morning. "But I feel like I can make friends with them."

School assignments and grade locations are shifting in Mineola as the district adjusts to declining enrollments. Willis Avenue Elementary is slated to close next year.

Meadow Drive used to teach grades 1 to 5 but now works with children in first, second and fourth grades. That will switch again next year, with Meadow housing pre-K, kindergarten, first and second grades. The Hampton Street School has undergone the same transition.

The district prepared students by letting them visit multiple times before the big day.

District officials say the changes will save money. They've rented the Cross Street campus to a Jewish prep school -- Solomon Schechter Day School Nassau County High School of Long Island. Cindy Dolgin, head of the school, said classes there started Tuesday. She expects it to serve about 200 students in grades 6 through 12.

The Mineola district served 2,567 students in 2009-2010. Christopher Munoz, 7, a second-grader at Meadow Drive, said he's eager to find out what he'll learn this school year.

His mother, Carol, said she understands the district's desire to save money but laments that her son will be in yet another school -- Jackson Avenue -- for third and fourth grades before heading off to middle school.

Christopher has two younger siblings and his mother wishes they had a chance to be in the same school together.

"There's too many transitions," she said.

School principals say the children seem to be handling the changes just fine.

Chris Scott, 9, a fourth-grader at Meadow Drive, said the reconfiguration let a close friend to attend school with him.

"It's great," Chris said. "I get to hang out with him all of the time."

Ethan Sargeant, 8, of Mineola, said he was excited to start a new year at Hampton to build on what he's learned so far.

"I knew I was going to do well in the fourth grade," he said. "Third grade was my best year ever. My grades were really good."

With John Hildebrand