High school assistant principal appointed to new administrative position

Riverhead High School Assistant Principal William Galati was hired by the school district last night as executive director of secondary education, grants and student outcomes, a new administrative position. 

Galati, a former principal at Hewlett and Southold Junior-Senior High Schools, will resign his position as assistant principal and begin his new role at the start of the school year, July 1. He is to be paid a $180,000 pro-rated annual salary, plus insurance and benefits. 

Galati, who joined the district at the beginning of the school year, said in an interview after the meeting that he is “privileged and honored” to be selected for the new position. “I look forward to working collaboratively with Dr. Tornatore and certainly with the district office cabinet, our board of education, and our stakeholders, administrators and teachers, to educate our wonderful students here in the Riverhead Central School District,” he said.

The measure to approve personnel changes was passed unanimously by the Board of Education. The resolution to approve Galati’s employment contract was approved 5-0, with Trustee Christopher Dorr abstaining and Trustee Therese Zuhoski absent.

The new position is part of a broader shakeup of the district cabinet over the past few months, which started after Superintendent Augustine Tornatore entered the office of the district’s highest administrative position in July.

See prior coverage: Riverhead school board approves the promotion of one senior administrator, and accepts the resignation of another

The most recent of these is the departure of Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Christine Tona, who was hired as superintendent of Mahopac Schools in upstate Putnam County last week. 

See prior coverage: Riverhead assistant superintendent leaving for superintendent’s post in Putnam County

Tornatore said after Tona was hired to Mahopac that the district would hire an executive director of secondary education, grants and student outcomes instead of a new assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Lori Koerner, formerly the executive director of curriculum, instruction and professional personnel, was promoted to a new assistant superintendent position last month.

The board of e÷ducation approved Tona’s resignation last night effective at the end of the school year, June 30. All members of the board individually thanked Tona for her service to the district. Tona was hired as assistant superintendent in 2016 and stepped into the shoes of interim superintendent after the abrupt resignation of former Superintendent Aurelia Henriquez at the start of the 2020-21 school year.

“Christine, we worked together daily last year. Daily. And sometimes nightly. And sometimes weekends. And sometimes during dinner. And in between shower time — we worked together hard,” board President Laurie Downs said. “I know that this is what you really wanted, this is your goal in life — and I am so pleased. I don’t want to see you go, but you gotta do what you’ve gotta do. You’ve got to spread your wings.”

The appointment of Galati to a new administrative position would leave the Riverhead High School down one assistant principal. The building, which instructs nearly 2,000 students, has one principal and three assistant principals. 

Tornatore said in an interview after the meeting that the district will begin the process to search for Galati’s replacement at the high school. He added he also wants to see “how things go regarding the budget vote, because that certainly will impact a lot of different things and decisions.”

Also during the meeting, the board approved the appointment of Jennifer Solomon, a speech teacher in the district, to the position of acting assistant principal at Pulaski Street Elementary School through the end of the school year. Solomon will act in the position held by Callan Lonergan. Lonergan was not placed on leave last night or resigned. Tornatore said in an interview after the meeting that Lonergan will be taking a leave of absence from the district and the board will approve her leave at a later date.