Her quick thinking — along with that of school nurse Dawn Carrera, security guard Tarrence Laird and school resource officer Kaley Castantine — helped ensure the boy got the care he needed.

The four staff members were honored by the Riverhead Board of Education at its Oct. 23 meeting for their response to the emergency during the two-hand touch football game. The unidentified boy’s injury was not revealed.

“In those moments, you see real heroism and people doing great work for our kids and really care for our children. And, you know, I received notification that there was a situation in Aquebogue, and it was handled as they were telling me about it. It was already done,” said superintendent Bob Hagan at the BOE meeting. “But in the end, what I can say is that we are just so proud to have great people working here in this district.”

Ms. Almonte, of Medford, said she was at lunch when the incident occurred as she described what unfolded that day in an interview with the Riverhead News Review.

Something felt off, and the cafeteria was unusually quiet, she recalled.

“Immediately one of my colleagues walked in and said, ‘Hey, did you hear what happened with your student?’ And I said, ‘No,'” Ms. Almonte said.

Ms. Almonte walked out to where her class was at recess and saw the ambulance. Next, she saw the student’s mom was with him, and the first responders were already helping him. She asked if she could go to the student.

“I didn’t know the extent of the injury, and I didn’t know if they would allow me to, but they said yes,” said Ms. Almonte. 

After hugging the boy’s mom, she knelt down next to the injured student as the paramedics worked on stabilzing the injury. 

“I didn’t look at the injury because I knew that if I actually knew what was wrong with him, that I was going to sort of demonstrate that on my face. I didn’t think I’d be capable of holding it together for him if I was concerned about what was going on there,” Ms. Almonte said. “But he had a large team already kind of working on that, thankfully. So I wasn’t so worried about the physical injury at that moment.”

Paramedics initially discussed transporting the student by medevac helicopter, but ultimately took him to the hospital by ambulance, where he received treatment.

The boy is already back in school and has even begun making short trips without his crutches, Ms. Almonte said.

While Ms. Almonte helped the injured student stay calm, she also had a classroom of other students to worry about.

When it came time to go back inside, she helped them cope with what some of them witnessed. They also made cards for him and talked through what had happened.

“I was kind of checking in on them and there was tears and you know, we were talking about how he’s in the best hands, he’s exactly where he needs to be, for whatever the case is,” Ms. Almonte said.

The post Four Aquebogue Elementary staffers honored for helping injured student appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

The committee is tasked with alerting leadership of community concerns. This includes access to student services and co-curricular programs, as well as language access issues for non-English speaking students and parents.

Once problems are identified, the committee will present solution-oriented recommendations for the Riverhead school board to consider. This group will consist of 20 community members, three current school board members, Riverhead Central School District superintendent Robert Hagan and director of ENL Services and Community Outreach Emily Sanz.

“The board will strive to have the committee’s members each school year be representative of the district’s student population,” the committee charter stated. “Further, depending on the number of applications for committee membership received each school year, the board will strive to cycle through different committee members each school year so as to give all persons interested an opportunity to participate.”

Once established, the committee will hold at least four meetings throughout the school year. The public can attend these meetings, but participation will be limited to committee members unless the chairperson determines otherwise. Translation and interpretation services will be provided at these meetings. Any reports or documents will be available in both English and Spanish, or any other language if deemed necessary.

Any community members interested in joining the committee must submit an application to the board of education. Applicants must currently live within the Riverhead Central School District and have done so for at least one year. They also must have at least one child enrolled and attending the district’s schools.

The school board gives final approval of all community members appointed to the committee.

The post Community advisory committee formed by Riverhead school board appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

The school budget is broken down into five sections: General Support, Instruction, Transportation, Community Service and Undistributed Funds, which refers to employee benefits and debt service. Out of the $9.9 million increase, around $7.7 million is to be used for instruction, which includes general education, special education, athletics and summer school. 

The decision to remain within the state’s 2% property tax levy cap allows for the preservation of all academic, athletic and arts programs, including fine arts and music, according to the RCSD budget newsletter.

Last year, as the district readied for the 2024–25 budget vote, interim assistant superintendent Marianne Cartisano cautioned Board of Education members about a looming “fiscal cliff” in funding they were likely to face — a challenge many Long Island school districts braced for.

Despite the threat of $19 million in COVID-era aid running dry and elementary school staff cuts, multiple grants made it possible to rehire those teachers. This year, district officials said, they are committed to ensuring there will be no reductions to existing programs. 

“From the beginning, the direction from the [school] board was that we would not pierce the [tax] cap, which is to charge our community more money than what the formula allows,” Ms. Cartisano said. “We are very, very positive about that — this is a fiscally responsible plan for the community, and we’re asking for your support for this educational plan.” 

With a projected $86 million in expected state aid — a spike of more than $5 million over last year — as well as savings from retirements, district officials said they have been able to maximize resources to help offset rising costs for necessary expenses. 

Ms. Cartisano also confirmed at the May 6 budget hearing that there is no line in the budget that pays for former administrators who no longer work at the school district. She said there are “no salary payouts” or “legacy benefits,” such as health insurance or retirement payments, for these former district or building administrators.

There are plans to expand the Universal Pre-Kindergarten program, known as UPK, and the elementary-level Dual Language program. The proposed budget also includes a new elementary level literacy coach. As part of a restructuring plan, three district administrative positions have been eliminated from this year’s budget, including the executive directors of elementary education, STEM and humanities. 

A proposition for capital improvements will also be on the ballot for the public vote, including kitchen and cafeteria renovations at both Riley Avenue and Phillips Avenue elementary schools, totaling $2.9 million. 

Almost half of the money for those projects will be taken from the district’s Cafeteria Capital Reserve Fund, while the remaining $1.9 million will be drawn from the unallocated cafeteria fund balance set in the 2025-26 proposed budget.

There are two open spots on Riverhead’s Board of Education this year, and the candidates running for these three-year terms are incumbents Matthew Wallace and board president James Scudder.

How, where and when to vote on the budget

The annual budget vote will be held on Tuesday, May 20, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Riverhead High School gymnasium at 700 Harrison Ave. The district consolidated polling to just one location this year, citing safety and security concerns. Voters must be at least 18 years old, residents of the Riverhead Central School District and U.S. citizens registered to vote in Suffolk County. 

The last day to register to vote is Thursday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m at the District Office at 814 Harrison Ave., Riverhead. 

For more information on this year’s budget, visit www.riverhead.net.

The post Riverhead 2025-26 school budget vote set for May 20 appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Mr. Hagan’s career in education spans 26 years on Long Island and he currently serves as assistant superintendent of human resources for the Longwood Central School District. He started in 1999, working as a social studies teacher for eight years before entering the administrative sphere as a secondary school assistant principal in the Port Jefferson School District in 2007.

His other administrative positions over the past two decades include assistant secondary administrator for instruction and administration in the William Floyd School District, as well as director of instruction and learning technology and principal of the Bonac Learning Center in the East Hampton School District. 

Mr. Hagan’s initial three-year contract runs through June 30, 2028. He will earn an annual salary of $260,000.

“Thank you so much for the warm welcome. It’s truly amazing,” Mr. Hagan said at the April 9 school board meeting. “It’s really just a privilege to be a part of this wonderful community, amazing team, certainly talking to some of the principals, the directors and some of the community members. It’s just truly an honor and I’m so humbled to be here.”

In a phone interview following his appointment, Mr. Hagan spoke about how his previous professional responsibilities have prepared him for the superintendent role. Through his experiences teaching, coaching, being an adviser and moving up to administrator and assistant superintendent positions in the last five years, he said one of the most important things he has learned is how people are “the absolute greatest asset” when it comes to education.

“From teachers to custodial staff, bus drivers, school monitors, teacher aides — just everybody moving in a common direction really is what gets the ball rolling and moving in a direction where children can be successful,” Mr. Hagan said. “I’ve learned to listen more and certainly realize, collectively, we’re going to be able to do this together in a collaborative way.”

Mr. Hagan said he has already gotten a great first impression of the school district this first week and has begun meeting with other administrators, faculty, staff and other members of the school community.

Over the next few months, he said, he hopes to listen and learn from as many people within the school district as possible to get a better understanding of their concerns and aspirations. He plans to continue to move forward with the foundation that interim superintendent Cheryl Pedisich and the current school administration have laid so far.

“Coming to Riverhead, for me, feels like you’re coming home,” Mr. Hagan said. “I just really want to be part of something that is greater than myself and certainly want to work as hard as I possibly can for the children and the community members.”

Ms. Pedisich took the top spot in the district in October 2023 after former superintendent Augustine Tornatore resigned. She was initially meant to serve in the role through June 30, 2024, while the district searched for a new full-time superintendent, but her contract was extended for another year.

Several people expressed their gratitude for Ms. Pedisich’s leadership and commitment to the Riverhead Central School District over the last few years. She said it has been “truly an honor” and a “rewarding experience” to serve the community.

School board president James Scudder expressed his excitement on behalf of the entire board to begin working with Mr. Hagan.

“We look forward to working alongside Dr. Hagan and engaging with the remarkable expertise and enthusiasm he will bring as we further cultivate Riverhead’s outstanding culture of achievement,” Mr. Scudder said. “We will continue to coordinate to ensure a seamless leadership transition.”

The post Robert Hagan tapped to lead Riverhead Central School District appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

The current contract between the school district and Civil Service Employees Association Unit 8792 workers began July 1, 2019, and expired June 30, 2024. The CSEA represents approximately 383 non-teaching employees districtwide, including custodians, food service workers, special education aides, technical support aides, security guards, bus drivers, safety monitors and clerical staff. 

Back in April, the same non-instructional employees stood before the district administration and board members to express their dissatisfaction with their current salaries and benefits — and this sentiment has not changed. 

“We have been in contract negotiations for about a year now, and we are so close to coming to an agreement that will not only meet the needs of the CSEA but the needs of the district as well,” said Indira Abrahamsen, a high school senior office assistant. “We need a contract that is fair and gives relief to all of our union unit members, especially since the majority of our unit is living paycheck to paycheck.”

Union members have collective bargaining rights under the National Labor Relations Act, and if a contract expires before the next contract is put in place, almost all the terms in the expired contract still apply while bargaining continues, according to the National Labor Relations Board. 

One of the biggest sticking points concerns pay rates for new hires compared to those of long-term employees, many of whom are locked in at specific increases per the current contract. Under that agreement, workers hired after Sept. 1, 2010, are paid at the “Bronze Level” of compensation, while those hired before that date receive higher “Platinum Level” wages. 

Without a successor agreement, bronze level employees stay at the current designation for the duration of their employment. 

Ms. Abrahamsen said out of the 383 CSEA employees, 223 of them have been hired within the last five years. Out of those 223, 115 workers have been hired by the district in the last two years alone. 

“For the last 10 years, I personally have had to work a second job to be able to afford living in this district, as well as working in it,” said Lisa Douglas-Aubé, a Riverhead clerical employee for over 20 years. “Many of our veteran employees, as well as our new ones, are in the same predicament.”

Many of the speakers noted that the district would benefit from granting non-instructional staff higher wages because it would lead to improved retention rates and recruitment. Kelly Turbush, a Riverhead school bus driver for 24 years, said the ongoing nationwide school bus driver shortage is largely due to low pay that does not reflect the level of responsibility and requirements of the role itself. 

She highlighted the reality of working as a school bus driver includes long hours — most starting the day in the early hours of the morning and ending late into the night — and sometimes not being able to take a break. If a child is alone, bus drivers will stay with a child until a parent arrives and at times, Ms. Turbush said, they put themselves at a physical risk, particularly in situations involving students with disabilities or those with behavioral challenges. Additionally, these workers undergo extensive testing and other requirements, such as random drug and alcohol tests, both written exams and road tests every two years, annual physical examinations, defensive driving courses and more. 

“Drivers and monitors are far more than transport providers — we play multiple roles in the students’ lives,” Ms. Turbush said. “We act as caregivers, teachers, helping students with their homework, counselors, even surrogate parents, [and] provide support and guidance to children who may experience difficult situations at home or in school.” 

Kerry Harrison, a computer lab assistant at Riley Avenue School, said just as technology has evolved, so has her role in the last seven years. The position requires more, higher-level work, however, she said technology department staff remain one of the least paid in the district. 

According to the Department of Civil Service, a computer laboratory assistant in Suffolk County typically makes between $24,877 and $48,036 annually. The current CSEA agreement states that in 2019-2020, bronze employees made $17.99 per hour, while platinum employees received $23.74 an hour. 

In the 2023-2024 school year, the hourly wage for a bronze-level computer lab assistant was $19.47 and $25.69 for platinum. These staff members work 7.5 hours and 183 days out of the year, according to their contract. 

“What we take on and what we do, we do it happily,” she said to the board. “We’ve lost a few tech people this year — it’s not sustainable living on Long Island at all.” 

Liam Russert, the regional director for CSEA Long Island, spoke in solidarity with the Riverhead CSEA unit and went into detail about the reality of living on the wages listed in the current contract. 

For example, a school bus driver currently makes $26.06 an hour at the bronze level, Mr. Russert noted. However, they work between five to eight hours a day and only 183 days a year. He argued that it is not easy for these employees to find a second job during the summer months, and many of the listed salaries are less than what a car costs today. 

“When you look at the rates on paper, you actually see a number that might be decent, but what it really translates to, when you look at the cost of living and the hours they work, it’s a lot less,” Mr. Russert said. “I really need [the board] to think long and hard about the importance of what [non-instructional employees] do and what those numbers actually translate to, and ask [them]selves, ‘What would … life be like if [they] got paid the same amount?’”

Contract negotiations are ongoing, and it is unclear if the CSEA non-instructional unit at Riverhead schools is considering a strike at this time. 

Correction: Workers hired after Sept. 1, 2010 are paid at the “Bronze Level,” those hired before that date receive higher “Platinum Level” wages. This information was misstated in a previous version of this article.

The post Contract for Riverhead school non-instructional employees past expiration appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Beginning July 1 through June 30, 2025, the Riverhead Board of Education will pay 50% of the cost to employ one of the two SROs. For the 2025-2026 academic year and beyond, the school board agreed to pay 50% of the cost for both SROs, the agreement stated.

Officer Eric Cohen will be assigned to Riverhead High School and Officer Kaley Castantine will be monitoring Riverhead Middle School. Although these are their primary assignments, both officers may be required to visit other schools in the district, the contract stated.

“We are excited about the opportunities the SROs present for our students,” interim superintendent Cheryl Pedisich said in a letter to the school community. “The SROs will enhance the safety and security at these two buildings, while also serving as helpful resources for our students and their families, providing educational opportunities, and enhancing the relationships and the community with law enforcement.” 

Both SROs will remain employees of the Riverhead Police Department and will be posted at their respective school locations five days a week, according to the contract. The main duties of the school resource officers are to provide security and surveillance in their assigned areas, as well as take note and report any “irregularities, dangerous practices and conditions, accidents, fires and other acts or circumstances, requiring police or other action, which affect the health and welfare of students and school personnel.” 

The officers may carry weapons either openly or concealed when authorized by the police chief. An open carry may be required in situations where an “armed presence” could provide a “useful deterrent,” while concealed is defined in the contract as “only while in plain clothes and in circumstances where the officer may wish to act informally with students, parents or faculty.” 

The SROs will not have access to student lockers or personal belongings and their responsibilities exclude lunchroom, hall and other monitoring duties. In her letter, Ms. Pedisich said the officers are not “school disciplinarians,” as that is the school’s responsibility. 

However, if an incident is believed to be in violation of the law, the SRO will be contacted to determine if law enforcement is needed. All actions taken by these officers will be coordinated with their building principal, director of safety and security, district administration and staff members. 

In terms of the community-based aspect of the program, the SROs are to serve as “role models” for the students to look up to and turn to for any assistance. They will be an educational resource as well for students and their families through presentations on specific topics, such as security, crime prevention, drug and alcohol prevention and other related issues.

Before schools start up again in September, the officers will undergo a one-day orientation, Ms. Pedisich confirmed. Both Mr. Cohen and Ms. Castantine are familiar with the layouts of the high school and middle school, the superintendent said. They are also familiar faces to the students, as they are already involved in the school’s “Council for Unity” class. 

This orientation will focus on scheduling, reporting, information sharing, strategies and review of district emergency plans, Ms. Pedisich said. 

SROs have been around in schools for decades, but gained traction in the 1990s due to increased federal funding, spike in school shootings, like at Columbine High School in Colorado, and growing concerns of student safety. 

Calls for more SRO programs in schools spiked nationwide following the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, which claimed the lives of 20 children and six educators. 

This is not the first time the RCSD has considered implementing school resource officers on campus. The district allocated funds in the 2018-19 budget to hire a school resource officer from the Riverhead Police Department, officer Byron Perez. 

The Board of Education started having serious conversations about the logistics of bringing SROs back to the district over a year ago, Ms. Pedisich said in her statement. The decision comes after a series of incidents occurred during the 2023-24 school year, during which parents and students requested “heightened security,” according to previous reporting. 

“We know that school districts all across the country are constantly reviewing and enhancing their security measures, and the Riverhead school district is no different,” said school board president James Scudder. “We will continue to be proactive and we want the community to know that we take the safety of all our students and staff to be paramount.” 

At the July 16 Town Board meeting, Supervisor Tim Hubbard said even though the bulk of the funding is coming from the town — and essentially the taxpayers — he believed it was important to bring the SRO program back to the school district. 

“The funding is coming from the same people, which is the taxpayers, so whether the town pays for it or the school pays for it, we’re hitting in the same pocket,” Mr. Hubbard said. “Schools do much better with SRO officers in them than if they don’t, and in today’s day and age, we can’t be safe enough.” 

Councilman Ken Rothwell voted in favor of the program, but said he thinks the school should have covered the cost of the officers in its entirety. 

“I do want the resources in there, I think they are instrumental in guiding our youth, so I support this — but it is us that’s funding the majority of the money,” Mr. Rothwell said. 

Marianne Cartisano, interim assistant superintendent for business, said the cost of the assigned SRO the district needs to pay is determined by the town’s finance administrator. She said in an email that she expects this number to be included in the town’s reimbursement billing after the school year begins in September.

The post Armed school resource officers approved for Riverhead district appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

At its latest reorganizational meeting held last Tuesday, Riverhead Central School District’s Board of Education provided more details about administrative changes and the recalling of staff ahead of the 2024-25 school year.

In March, dozens of employees were informed of impending termination as the district announced nearly 60 classroom staff positions — the bulk at the elementary schools — would be cut due to almost $19 million in COVID-era aid running dry.

Four months later, interim district superintendent Cheryl Pedisich said there is a plan in place to rehire those teachers through multiple grants, including the Universal Prekindergarten Expansion grant, which Ms. Pedisich said allowed the district to bring back additional teaching staff to work in local preschools.

“I’m really happy to announce that all of the elementary teachers who were excessed at this point have either been brought back or offered a position,” Ms. Pedisich said at the July 2 meeting. “Some have declined at this point — they will remain on the excess list or the preferred eligibility list, but have taken jobs in other school districts.”

Among the administration updates, Alan Baum will fill the new position of interim assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, effective July 2 and running through June 30, 2025. He previously worked as the executive director of secondary curriculum and human resources for Three Village Central School District, according to the district website.

The role oversees the executive director of elementary education, Ms. Pedisich said. Mr. Baum will receive $1,200 each day he works during the 20242025 school year without benefits, according to his contract. He is taking over for William Galati, who retired on June 30.

Lori Koerner also retired from her position as assistant superintendent for elementary education at the end of June, but Ms. Pedisich said her responsibilities will be divided up among remaining administrators.

“I don’t like to use the word ‘downgraded,’” Ms. Pedisich said, “but it is not an assistant superintendency anymore. [The new position] will allow for a focus primarily on our elementary and [universal pre-K] programs — she or he will no longer be responsible for registration or other services that fell under Dr. Koerner.”

The district is also in the process of hiring a new director of facilities and in the meantime, John Fleming will temporarily fill the role through next school year, according to his employment agreement. He will receive $175 per hour without benefits.

Several administrator contracts were extended through June 2025, including the agreements for Ms. Pedisich, interim assistant superintendent of business Marianne Cartisano, interim assistant superintendent for human resources Vincent Mulieri and the interim assistant to Ms. Cartisano, Faith Caglianone.

As far as other changes for next school year, Ms. Pedisich said the district’s North Star Academy — an alternative school program to help high schoolers get back on track to graduate — previously had a facilitator, but will now be overseen by one of the assistant principals beginning in September.

This decision was made to incorporate North Star within the district’s evening academic program to make it “more effective and efficient,” Ms. Pedisich said.

The district was also able to hire assistant director Ivette Cortes to support Emily Sanz and her current role as director of English as a new language services, community outreach and diversity, equity and inclusion.

The post Grants allow laid-off Riverhead school staff to be recalled appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

During the reorganization meeting, Mr. Scudder and Ms. Healy took their oaths as school board president and vice president, respectively. Former president Colin Palmer did not seek reelection this year after serving on the board for three years. 

Mr. Scudder, a board newcomer, and Ms. Healy, who won a second term in May, are both parents of Riverhead students and are active in the Riverhead community 

With a busy school year ahead, both said they recognize the responsibility they have to find a permanent new superintendent for the district. 

“We asked James [to be president] and I loved his response. He said, ‘You know me; I will always step up and do whatever for this district,’ ” Ms. Healy said. “We appreciate him leading us.” 

The post Riverhead Board of Education selects new leadership appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Due to its “economic interests,” the school district provided this incentive to permanent, non-aligned central office administrators who have completed at least two years of service and are eligible to retire.

The Riverhead Board of Education accepted Ms. Koerner and Mr. Galati’s contracts, which were signed May 20, following the 2024-25 school budget vote Tuesday night, May 21.

Under the agreements, each retiree will be paid a severance of “one and one half month’s salary,” which according to school board president Colin Palmer, is calculated by the number of years of service. Mr. Galati has worked for the district for three years, so he will receive 4.5 months of pay, while Ms. Koerner, who has been employed for four years, will be paid for six months. Any accumulated unused vacation days will be factored in as well.

Mr. Galati began working in Riverhead as assistant high school principal in August 2021 and was promoted to executive director of secondary education, grants and student outcomes in April 2022.

In the latter role, he received an annual salary of $180,000 from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. This original agreement was extended through June 30, 2024, and came with a pay raise to $184,500 a year.

After former superintendent Augustine Tornatore’s short leave of absence and then resignation in October 2023, Mr. Galati briefly filled the position of interim superintendent, for which he received $300 a day on top of his annual salary, until he was no longer needed in the role.

Ms. Koerner’s employment at Riverhead began in 2019, when she was hired as the district’s executive director for curriculum, instruction and professional personnel. From July 2019 to June 30, 2020, she was paid $163,200 annually. 

The school district created the new title of assistant superintendent for human resources and elementary education for Ms. Koerner in 2022, and she received a significant pay hike to $201,467 per year.

Her title changed once more to assistant superintendent for elementary education and educational services, and her original agreement was extended to June 30, 2024, which came with an increase to approximately $211,666 annually, as well as 2.5% longevity payment on top of the base salary.

Ms. Koerner was reassigned to work remotely at the start of the current school year after an incident involving Rodney Parrish, former secretary to the superintendent, who called Riverhead police from the school district office on Sept. 22, accusing Ms. Koerner of harassment, according to a police report. The investigation into Ms. Koerner’s involvement in the incident has since been resolved, Mr. Palmer said.

Ms. Koerner took to social media to announce her resignation and retirement, as well as reminisce on her career in education.

“When I reflect upon the last 34 years in education serving faculty, staff, students and families as a teacher, principal, professor, executive director and assistant superintendent, all I can do is smile,” Ms. Koerner said on Facebook. “It has been a magnificent career and I am truly grateful for every opportunity and for each person who has impacted my life and my journey.”

As for what’s next, Ms. Koerner said she will continue to “inspire leaders in every field, empower teachers” and make sure “all of the children are well” through her other venture, Actually, I CAN Consulting LLC.

The post Two top Riverhead administrators sign retirement agreements appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

She has over 25 years of experience in education, but this will be her first run for election to the school board. 

As the parent of a Riley Avenue Elementary School kindergartner and avid attendee of school board meetings, Ms. Freeborn said she believes she can add a unique perspective. 

“I’ve always been in education, I’ve always worked with children,” Ms. Freeborn said. “I want my child to have the experience that I had growing up in Riverhead and I’m really looking forward to adding what I can.”

A Riverhead High School graduate, Ms. Freeborn holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Rider University, as well as a master’s degree in educational administration from Montclair State University. 

During high school and college, she worked as a summer camp counselor for the Riverhead recreational department and gained experience running various programs. 

After college, she began her career as an educator teaching kindergarten in Newark, N.J., and then spent nearly 14 years as a first-grade teacher at Ironia Elementary School in Randolph, N.J. 

Following that opportunity, she decided to segue into administration and took a job as a principal at Irving Primary School in Highland Park, N.J. 

“It was a wonderful four years. They were lovely and I had such great experiences,” Ms. Freeborn said. “I got pregnant — my husband and I are both from Riverhead — and we said the best place to be would be home with our families with our baby, so we came back to Long Island.” 

She landed a job at East Quogue Union Free School District, where she has worked for the last six years. 

As a Board of Education member, Ms. Freeborn said she wants to prioritize working collaboratively with the school community, maintaining transparency and setting up the district for success in the future. 

Among the more pressing issues she would like to focus on are state funding for schools, the rising costs of health care and pensions and, most important, the process of choosing a new superintendent next year. 

As someone who experienced the significant changes school districts confronted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Freeborn said evaluating the needs of students and the community over the next few years, and proper planning, are crucial.

“I think we need to focus a little bit more on the future,” Ms. Freeborn said. “Education is a changing landscape. We are dealing with things we never have in our lives — we need a stable leadership and a plan going forward, a long-term vision of what we want for the district.” 

Ms. Freeborn described her educational career as running the “gamut.” From working with preschoolers all the way to high school and serving as a coach, teacher and administrator, she said she believes she can bring a “wealth of experience” to Riverhead’s school board. 

With a child who will attend school in the district for the next 13 years, Ms. Freeborn added, she is invested in seeing the district thrive. 

“I want good things to happen. I think Riverhead has a lot to offer and sometimes I think, within the media and different areas of social media, it gets murky,” Ms. Freeborn said. “I know what Riverhead is and I know what it offers students, and I would love to be a part of helping strengthen the relationships with the community.” 

Voting for Riverhead’s annual school budget and Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21.

The post Longtime educator Kelly Freeborn announces run for Riverhead school board seat appeared first on Riverhead News Review.