Rockville Centre school officials announce appointment of new superintendent

Rockville Centre school officials announced on Tuesday that they plan to appoint Matthew Gaven as the district's next superintendent at the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday.

Gaven, of Garden City, will take over the position on July 1, when Interim Superintendent Robert Bartels returns to his position of assistant superintendent for business and personnel. Gaven now serves as the deputy superintendent in the Mineola Public Schools, a position he has held for the past three years.

“I have been privileged with a career path that I believe has fully prepared me for the position of superintendent of schools, and it is an honor to begin this phase of my professional journey in the highly-regarded Rockville Centre schools,” Gaven said in a statement. “I eagerly look forward to introducing myself to the staff, families, and broader community, and can’t wait to be part of the team of extraordinary professionals who are helping to guide the district to even greater heights.”

Gaven has worked in Mineola schools since 2006. He started as an elementary school principal and went on to become a middle school principal, director of pupil personnel, director of technology, assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction, assessment and technology and then deputy superintendent. He began his career as an elementary school teacher in the Garden City Public Schools, and went on to serve as an elementary school assistant principal and principal there.

“This is a wonderful exclamation point on a carefully executed search process,” Board of Education President John O’Shea said in a statement released by the district. “Our Rockville Centre school community was fully involved and contributed significantly to the work of our search consultants and the Board of Education. We are profoundly grateful for this community-driven process and thank our many residents and staff members who volunteered their time and thoughts in the effort to secure our next district leader.”

Gaven is a lifelong resident of Long Island and lives in Garden City with his wife, Marie, and their three children, Emily, 20, Patrick, 19, and Katie, 17, along with their pandemic puppy, Sully. Matt and Marie can often be found on the athletic fields during the weekends watching all three children play lacrosse at both the high school and collegiate levels. When lacrosse season is over, Matt and Marie enjoy spending time relaxing at the beach with family and friends.

The board's decision comes in the wake of former Superintendent June Chang announcing his resignation last summer, just more than one year into a five-year agreement with the board. While Chang did not publicly disclose his reasons for leaving, he faced much adversity after taking over for Dr. William Johnson, who had served as superintendent for 34 years before retiring in 2019. Chang had to navigate the district through the coronavirus pandemic in his first year on the job, and deal with the ongoing controversy over masking district students.

Additionally, last July, the school board voted, 3-2, against his recommendation to rehire South Side High School girls’ varsity soccer coach Jennifer Abgarian — Newsday’s All-Long Island girls’ soccer Coach of the Year in 2020 — and her assistant, Chris Aloisi. The board then voted to hire Jude Massillon to replace Abgarian, but Massillon resigned after just one week. In a letter to the board, Massillon, who is Black, said he received numerous anonymous phone calls, many of which he described as “racially derogatory.” He was replaced by Judi Croutier, a district teacher and a former highly successful coach of the soccer team.

The process that resulted in Gaven’s appointment was led by an independent search consultant. Discussion groups and surveys were conducted by the group, which resulted in a candidate profile that helped guide the board’s search. The board then held interviews with seven of the top-ranked candidates and conducted follow-up interviews with a number of finalists, along with background and reference checks.

O’Shea said that the board was impressed with Gaven’s range of school leadership experiences in Mineola and his familiarity with local expectations of the public schools.

Gaven and the Board of Education have agreed on a three-year contract that runs through June 30, 2025. Annual evaluations by the board and discussions with the superintendent will determine future compensation increases. The contract also includes fringe benefits that are commensurate with school district leadership compensation in Nassau County. A copy of the agreement will be made available on the district’s website after approval by the Board of Education.

Gaven holds a professional diploma in educational administration from Hofstra University, a master's in computing and education from Teachers College, Columbia University, a master's in elementary education from Hofstra and a bachelor's in history from Providence College.

Several transition events will be held for Gaven to meet with school community members before the start of his employment on July 1, and one of the first orders of business between the Board of Education and Gaven and his administrative team will be the development of goals for the 2022-23 school year.