Malverne seeks superintendent

The village of Malverne has been on the hunt for a new superintendent of their school district. At this time, they have a wide pool of applicants but are not opposed to receiving more. Now, they are looking to community members to help them decide who this person should be. Board of Education President Jeanne D’esposito provided some exclusive information about the defining qualities that the new superintendent should possess.

“We’re looking for someone with experience,” she said. “We need someone who understands what it is to cultivate a diverse, equitable and inclusive school district. They must have strong management skills. We have fantastic teachers and staff, so we need a really strong leader for them. Someone who communicates well and will be open with their team. There’s more but those are the main things we seek out.”

The current superintendent is set to step down on Jun. 30, 2025. The new candidate should expect to start their job the very next day, July 1. The candidate will likely have a PhD in Education, though it is not a firm requirement. Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates is the firm enlisted to conduct the search for superintendent, soliciting established educators for the job. The Board of Education in Malverne is looking to have their decision made by Jan. 2025, Feb. the latest. Prior to the selection of the superintendent, there will be two opportunities for community members to give their input on the decision.

Both community forums will be virtual on Zoom. They are set to take place on Oct. 1. at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Community members may visit the Malverne website, go to news, and then message from the board of education to access the registration links. The list of applicants is strictly confidential, but may include current superintendents or assistant superintendents who are working elsewhere and ready to move up.

Ultimately, the five members of the school board will make the decision on who this new administrator is. However, the community’s opinion on this selection is of utmost importance. Village member participation is strongly suggested in these forums to provide guidance to the board on how to make their decision. Community members need to know that their voices and opinions matter, especially when it comes to the education of their children.

D’esposito expressed her concerns for the school community by naming some primary tasks the new superintendent would be expected to handle. “We have a budgeting problem. The district is trying to cut funding throughout schools. Changes in technology require funding and inflation isn’t helping. Curriculum needs to be improved. Since Covid-19, our students have been faced with behavioral and mental health issues like we’ve never seen before. The resources we need to amend that are hard to find. The new candidate needs to be creative enough to solve these issues on the walk-in while simultaneously getting kids excited about learning again,” she said.