Healy won’t seek re-election; five candidates running for four Riverhead school board seats

Virginia Healy will not seek re-election this year, opening one of four seats on the Riverhead Central School District Board of Education that will be decided in the May 19 school election.

Healy, who has served six years on the board, said family considerations and plans to travel led to her decision.

“It’s been a privilege to serve,” she said Tuesday.

With her eighth and last child graduating from high school this year, Healy said, “My husband and I are finally at a point in our lives where we can travel a bit. We would like to spend more time with our grandchildren and with our children who do not live on Long Island.”

Because she was not sure she could continue to be “a regular presence at board meetings and school events,” Healy said she decided against seeking a third term.

“I hope I can still be of some service to our school community. I will miss being around the students on a regular basis and being inspired by their accomplishments, their talents, their hopes and their dreams,” Healy, of Wading River, said.

Voters will choose four candidates from a five-person field in an at-large election to be held in conjunction with the annual school budget vote on May 19. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Riverhead High School, 700 Harrison Ave., Riverhead, in the gym.

Three of the seats carry full three-year terms running from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029. The fourth is a one-year term running from May 19, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

That shorter term is the remainder of the term of former board member Brian Connelly, who resigned last June. Julio Gonzalez was appointed by the board in July 2025 to serve until this year’s election. 

The fourth-highest vote-getter in the May 19 contest will complete the remainder of Connelly’s term, which expires June 30, 2027.

Five candidates filed nominating petitions, according to the district clerk. Three incumbents are seeking re-election: Erica Murphy, Cynthia Redmond and Gonzalez. Two newcomers, Jasmine Corwin and Natasha Cooks, are also running. Healy is the only incumbent whose seat is up this year who is not seeking another term.

According to documents filed with the district by the candidates:

Erica Murphy of Manorville has lived in the district for 17 years. A self-employed accountant, she has served on the board since 2023. She holds a master’s degree in accounting, a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an associate degree in human resources. She has two children attending Riverhead schools.

Cynthia Redmond of Aquebogue has lived in the district for 22 years and has served on the board since 2023. She works as a prevention supervisor and holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Stony Brook University. She has two children who attended Riverhead High School.

Gonzalez of Riverhead has lived in the district for 21 years. A university professor, he reported holding advanced degrees in special education, fine arts, mental health counseling and developmental psychology. He has two children in high school.

Corwin of Riverhead has lived in the district for 18 years and is seeking her first term. A stay-at-home mother, she holds a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in public relations from SUNY Oneonta. She has three children attending Riverhead schools.

Cooks of Calverton has lived in the district for 30 years and is also seeking her first term. She works as a social worker and holds degrees from Suffolk County Community College and Stony Brook University, including a master of social work degree. She has three children, including one currently attending Pulaski Street School.

School board members serve without compensation; it is a volunteer position.

Candidates are typically given the opportunity to present themselves to the public at the board meeting held prior to the district’s budget vote. That meeting is scheduled for May 6. The board will also hold a public hearing that night on the budget it adopted April 1 before it goes to voters on May 19.