Parents in the Hauppauge School District made their opinions over a plan to incorporate homeless children into the classroom loud and clear in a public meeting on Wednesday.
Parents are worried about the swelling number of students entering Hauppauge schools from the shelter located near the LIE. They say class sizes are already at full capacity and are worried that, as taxpayers, they will be forced to foot the bill for additional resources.
However, the parents of homeless children living at the shelter say their kids are entitled to the same education as any other children.
Legislator John Kennedy says he has received more than 250 phone calls from angry parents, but will not discriminate. "We need to go ahead and make sure that we fulfill our responsibility to assist in educating homeless children," he says.
Kennedy also says he is working with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone to distribute the homeless children among other school districts.