Community Board Fights For Beacon School

program in Forest Hills, and parents, teachers and local leaders are not happy.

After news broke this week that the city was likely to shut down seven of the schools across the city, parents and groups from the mobilized, as well as

At their meeting Wednesday night, District Manager Frank Gulluscio said the board changed its funding priorities this year to put the Beacon program at the top of the list.

The board's priorities list is a ranking of local causes that need funding, and by bumping the beacon school to the top of the list, Gulluscio said he was hoping to catch the attention of local officials and donors.

Beacon youth leadership coordinator Marlena Starace was in attendance, and

"Our program is not just about our youth, our doors are always open,” she said. “We're continuously in a fight, and we continue to fight to the very end. Over 20,000 families could be affected if these seven programs get shut down and we refuse to allow that to happen.”

Starace brought a group of students to the meeting with her, so that board members could see the very people benefitting most from the program.

“We cannot thank you enough for all the support,” Starace said.

Gulluscio, for his part, said the city was making a big mistake in allowing those after school funds to dry up.

"We believe that we're being penalized because of our zip code," Gulluscio said, a reference to the fact that public funding in Forest Hills for places like the Beacon school is seen as less of a need because of the more affluent parts of the neighborhood. "They want to take away our Beacon school, and we can't get the correct funding to finish that library in Rego Park."

Gulluscio and board chairman Joseph Hennessy both seemed livid that students in the area were likely having both after school programs and library hours eliminated.

Tonia Calvo, whose son Robert attends the Beacon School, said she didn't know what she would do if the program were to be eliminated.

"My husband and I both work, and having the Beacon program available puts my mind at ease because I know that Robert has somewhere to go after school," Calvo said. "It's someplace where he gets homework help and positive reinforcement."

She said that while her son can walk home from school, knowing that he's with other students and older role models was a weight off her mind.

"I remember once when my son mentioned a peer group they were giving, he sounded so excited that he would have people to talk to about things that are important to a pre-teen," she said. "I can't express how grateful I was for the Beacon program."