East Meadow schools' new president, board members sworn in for 2024-25 school year

As students and teachers begin to enjoy their summer break, members of the East Meadow School District Board of Education were sworn in at the July 2 reorganization meeting, setting plans in motion for the 2024-2025 school year.

The purpose of the reorganization meeting was to officially install new and returning board members. This marks the start of the terms for a new board president and vice president, as well as two new trustees, as decided by the May board of education elections.

Jessica Ricco-Simeone was sworn in as president, with David Carl named vice president. Maria Talluto and Nikole De Luca were selected as board trustees. This is Talluto’s and De Luca’s first terms on the board. The other trustees include Matthew Melnick, Jodi Luce, and Nancy Wildman.

Judy Kandel was sworn in as district clerk; Jeanne Puma as district treasurer; and Kenneth Rosner will serve his second year as superintendent of schools.

“I am excited to start this year off on the right side — we all have things that we hope to accomplish this year for our schools, our community, and, most importantly, our students.” Ricco-Simeone said. “Everyone sitting up here plays a major role in the progress we can make this year, and I look forward to seeing what we can do.”

“I’m proud to sit here with our new board, and my message to the community is clear: for some years now, your voices have not been heard,” Carl said. “We are here to represent the children, parents, and taxpayers of this district. To those who have not felt heard, you now have a voice, a new voice. Welcome to the new East Meadow.”

The newly sworn in board members congratulated recently graduated students and expressed their commitment to meeting high academic standards.

“I would like to congratulate all the graduates of the East Middle School District and East Middle High School, W.T. Clarke High School, W.T. Clarke Middle School and Woodland Middle School,” De Luca said. “Thank you East Middle community members for placing your trust in me to represent your interests on the board of education. It is an honor to be given this opportunity to contribute and make positive changes to our school district.”

Talluto has a similar message to the community she will represent.

“I am honored to sit here today,” Talluto said. “I want to thank you for your support that led me here. I represent you, your children, and our community, and I vow to do so passionately and fairly. I want the best for our children, and for the values of our homes.”

Wildman, whose term on the board expires in June 2025, congratulated the members of the Class of 2024.

“It was an honor and a pleasure to attend both high school graduations and shake our graduates’ hands as they received their diplomas,” Wildman said. “Their smiles were contagious, and they were so excited to start the next chapter of their lives. Parents, job well done. To our graduates, reach for the stars and follow your dreams.”

After the new members were sworn in, the board approved motions establishing contracts with the educators and service providers for the upcoming school year, as well as codifying amendments to internal auditing procedures.

The motions covered topics that are essential for the school’s performance for the upcoming school year. This includes contract resolutions with the music department, and for the extension of their contract with Whitsons Nutrition LLC, the district’s current food service provider, as well as a motion to approve an amended internal audit corrective action plan.

The board members also formed several committees to manage the district’s education, business, and safety throughout the upcoming school year.

At the meeting, the new principal for Barnum Woods Elementary School, Amanda Sagnelli, was announced. She is the successor to former principal Gregory Bottari, who retired at the end of the school year. Sagnelli was previously principal at Stewart Manor School in Elmont.

The selection of a new principal “was an extremely rigorous process that started in 2006, because in 2006, this young lady was my assistant principal,” Rosner, who formerly worked in Elmont schools, said, “I was principal, and I watched her grow and flourish into an incredible principal and incredible leader.”

Sagnelli’s background is deeply rooted in the East Meadow community, as she was a student at Parkway Elementary, Woodland Middle School and East Meadow High School. The board expects a bright future ahead for Barnum Elementary School under Sagnelli, Ricco-Simeone said.