Riverhead school board closes out school year by honoring students, approving contracts

The Riverhead Board of Education honored students and approved agreements with administrators at its last meeting of the 2024-2025 school year last week. Here’s a summary of what took place.

School board members honored Annabelle Dunn for serving as the board’s student representative for the 2024-2025 school year. Board President James Scudder said Dunn’s contributions “set a lasting precedent for student representation and engagement in governance.” Dunn served as the first non-voting student representative on the board following voter approval during the May 2024 budget vote.

Interim Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich also presented Dunn with a scholarship from the Suffolk County Superintendents Association.

Brady Hubbard and Matthew Zambriski, varsity baseball players, were recognized for being named to Newsday’s “Diamond Stars” list. Angelina Gust and Madison Marshak were honored for becoming the first Riverhead girls golfers to qualify for and compete in the New York State championships.

Track and field athletes Christopher Jones, Brandon Nieto, Victor Huron, Franz Ortiz-Galdamez and Kayleanne Campbell were acknowledged for their record-breaking performances during the school year.

District administrators also recognized members of the Riverhead varsity softball team, which won the Suffolk County softball championship for the first time in school history.

Administrator agreements: 

The school board approved the contract for the new assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, Laura Arcuri, through June 30, 2029. Arcuri will be paid $195,000; 80% coverage for medical, dental and vision insurance; and a $6,500 contribution to the tax-sheltered annuity of her choosing. She previously served as principal of Pulaski Street Intermediate School and has held various administrative roles in the district since 2020.

Three interim administrators were also reappointed for another year:

• Vincent Mulieri, Interim Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, will be paid $1,200 per working day, without benefits. He has served in the role since January 2024.
• Marianne Cartisano, Interim Assistant Superintendent for Business, will earn $1,300 per working day, also without benefits. She has served since October 2023.
• Faith Caglianone, Interim Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent for Business, will be paid $150 per hour, with no benefits.

The district also hired three former administrators as consultants starting July 1:

• John Fleming, former interim director of facilities, will earn $175 per hour to manage the district’s $28 million energy performance contract. He was hired to serve through the end of the current school year.
• Leslie Moore, retired transportation director, will be paid $150 per hour to assist with creating bus schedules — particularly to separate Pulaski Street Intermediate School and Riverhead Middle School routes. Moore’s employment runs through the end of 2025.
• Terry Culhane, the district’s security director, will be paid $150 per hour. Pedisich said Culhane is retiring from his role at Allied Universal, the district’s security contractor, and will be retained part-time to assist the next security director, who has not yet been hired. His employment also runs through the end of 2025.

Pedisich added that both she and Alan Baum, interim assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, will assist with leadership transitions under similar consultant arrangements.

Pedisich, who has led as interim superintendent since the abrupt departure of Augustine Tornatore in October 2023, gave her farewell to the district at the meeting.

“Serving this district during these past two years has been a privilege and a profoundly meaningful experience,” Pedisich said. “You have inspired me, and I will forever hold dear the memories of my time in Riverhead. I remain confident that with such a strong and engaged community, the district is and remains poised for continued success.” 

The school district’s new superintendent, Robert Hagan, assumed office Tuesday. 

Also during the June 24 meeting, the school board. 

• Granted tenure to 59 employees.
• Recognized 24 retiring district employees.
• Appointed Stacy Woodhull, the assistant principal at Sag Harbor Middle School, to the position of principal for Pulaski Street Intermediate School. Woodhull will be paid an annual salary of $168,523. 
• Appointed Chirstopher Marino as director of pupil personnel services. Marino will be paid an annual salary of $188,413.
• Approved a donation of acrylic paints, canvas, frames, crafts and an easel from Robert and Dr. Rita Reis Wieczorek, at the approximate value of $2,000.
• Accepted the resignation of Brian Sacks, the district’s director of Physical Education, Health and Athletics, effective July 15. 
• Approved agreements with four employees, who are members of the Riverhead Central Faculty Association, to allow them to participate in the retirement incentive program, despite the employees not meeting eligibility requirements for the incentive program.
• Approved an agreement with SUNY Stony Brook, at no cost to the district, to develop and establish a clinical education and training program for SUNY Stony Brook students in student teaching, speech language pathology and educational leadership.
• Approved an agreement with Southampton Town for $900,000 to fund the connection of Phillips Avenue Elementary School to a new sewage treatment plant being developed by the town nearby.
• Heard a presentation from Riverhead High School administrators about the 2024-2025 school year.