Board of Education

The Riverhead Board of Education adopted an ”Equity in Education Plan” at its board meeting last week aimed at implementing the state’s diversity, equity and inclusion framework within the district. 

The Riverhead Board of Education hired new legal, auditing and architectural firms, honored retirees and made some personnel changes during its meeting Tuesday., the last scheduled meeting of the school year.

The Riverhead Central School District has a new five-year plan that identifies five goals: improving academic success, improving the district’s culture, engaging the community and families, enhancing social-emotional support and improving facilities.

A forensic audit of Riverhead Central School District found no evidence of financial misconduct over the past 5 years, but found the environment in the district’s business office was one of "conflict" and “seeming discontent,” largely due to the number of responsibilities assumed by former Deputy Superintendent Sam Schneider.

The Riverhead school board in a 5-1 vote, with one member absent, appointed a new assistant superintendent for business Tuesday night, Rodney Asse. He will start in his new job July 1.

The Riverhead school district's new STEM director, Jeannine Campbell, will integrate a MakerSpace program in the district.

Riverhead Superintendent Augustine Tornatore said the new assistant superintendent, whom Tornatore hired last year while at Liberty K-12 School District in Newburgh, “was not the top financial person“ in the Rochester City School District when it overspent its revenues by $42 million in 2018-19, leading to a state comptroller’s audit and the appointment of a state monitor. Rodney Asse did “a fantastic job” at Liberty as its business official, Tornatore said, and has “a good reputation.”

Riverhead Central School District voters Tuesday approved the district's $169.7 million operating budget for the upcoming school year and re-elected incumbent trustees Laurie Downs and Matthew Wallace, who beat back a challenge by newcomer Andrew Nadeau.

Residents of the Riverhead Central School District will vote tomorrow on whether to adopt a $169.7 operating budget for the 2022-2023 school year during the annual budget vote tomorrow. 

Riverhead Board of Education candidates Laurie Downs, Andrew Nadeau and Matthew Wallace each answered eight questions posed by RiverheadLOCAL about their goals and opinions on issues facing the school district today. Here are their responses, in their own words.