Westbury special education program expands to nine sections

The Westbury school district now operates nine sections of its RISE special education program, up from two in the 2024-2025 academic year. Director of special education Michael Mack presented these figures at the October 27 board meeting. The RISE program, which stands for Reaching Independence through Support and Empowerment, spans the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Mack began a new monthly series of departmental presentations at the Tuesday board meeting. He outlined five areas of growth under his supervision: the RISE program, night school, in-district staffing, scholar re-entry, and instructional sports. He stated that the team’s work focuses on supporting students, families, and teachers in the community.

The night school program expanded over the past two years to include special education, counseling, and resource room services. The district also replaced outside agency staff with in-house occupational therapists. Mack noted that this internal staffing provides better community engagement and awareness of student needs. The district also added behavioral analysts to its team.

These updates have allowed the district to keep more students enrolled locally. Mack reported that 30 students returned to the district and 25 additional students were retained through the new programs. Special education services for bilingual students now cover grades K-3.

The district’s instructional sports division saw success in its Challenger soccer program. The team finished the recent season with a 6-1 record. Mack shared photos of staff interacting with students, including moments with costumes and pie-throwing, to illustrate the culture of the department.

Mack told the board that working in education is the best job ever. He acknowledged that the work is stressful and challenging but said some of the greatest moments of his life occur when he plays with students.