Westbury Freshmen Attend First Day Of School At Nassau Community College

Ninth graders at Westbury High School began their first day of classes in the leased space at Nassau Community College's North Annex.

About 400 freshmen were sent to Nassau Community College to alleviate overcrowding during the upcoming school year. The district was granted permission to lease the space last week.

Westbury Superintendent Eudes Budhai announced in August the district urgently needed additional space to prevent an overcrowding situation at the start of the 2017-18 school year.

"It was a pleasure to have worked closely with SED Commissioner Elia and Superintendent Budhai to provide classroom space at the Annex as a solution to Westbury’s overcrowding situation,” Sen. Elaine Phillips, who worked to solve the overcrowding issue, said in a press release. “I am extremely pleased that we were able to provide the children with a safe learning environment.”

Phillips immediately contacted the State Education Department Commissioner MaryEllen Elia after learning about Westbury’s urgent need for space. The request was originally denied, but she worked with the school and SED officials over the course of the next few weeks to come to a solution.

Image via Office of Sen. Phillips: Senator Phillips welcomed ninth-graders from Westbury High School to Nassau Community College.