John F. Kennedy High School Hosts College Decision Day

Plainview Old-Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School hosted its annual “college decision day” last Monday, during which graduating seniors wore apparel representing the colleges they plan to attend in the fall.

The school, which has a graduation rate of 98 percent, had 341 students attend four-year colleges and another 36 attend two-year colleges last year. With a senior class of 386 students, POB looks to achieve similar numbers this year.

Of the commitments currently listed on student college guidance website Naviance, Binghamton University leads with 12. Close behind are Nassau Community College and Farmingdale State College with 9 student enrollments each.

Students planning to attend Binghamton University have cited attraction to the academic prowess at the more affordable rate of in-state state tuition as the primary reason behind their attendance.

“I originally applied to Binghamton because it was the school that everyone applied to on Long Island,” said Erica Garzino, 2015 POB graduate and current Binghamton University sophomore. “I am extremely happy with my decision. I have made my forever friends and honestly never want to graduate because I absolutely love it here.”

For some students, dream destinations, prospective career paths or special programs lead students to out-of-state colleges. One such student, current POB senior Jayme Shrank, has set her sights on the University of Miami’s School of Nursing and Health Studies.

“I had to factor in many components when deciding between schools, such as the annual cost of attendance, the amount of scholarship I was granted, the college’s general vicinity, clinical opportunities and alumni network,” she said. “For me specifically, as soon as I started to hear back from colleges, everything seemed to fall into place.”

Shrank, amongst other students, is excited for the independence and newness of life outside of her hometown. She will only be accompanied by two of her classmates to Miami in the fall.

“I can honestly say that I am looking forward to everything that college has to offer,” said Shrank. “I’m excited to be immersed in a new environment – one that is extremely different from New York – and to meet so many new people living outside of the Plainview Old-Bethpage realm.”

A district oriented toward education funding, POB is in its first year of nine-period school days, a one period increase over the schedule last year. The community passed this measure in a 2,063 to 602 vote despite the 2.19 percent budget hike that it necessitated, a testament to the town’s commitment to scholarship.

The 2017-2018 district budget is up for a vote on May 16. It features new educational measures such as the addition of high school electives and academic counselors.

The senior class will graduate on June 25 during a reception at the Long Island University Post Tilles Center beginning at 1 p.m.