Thursday, October 1, 2026
Amid a series of policy reversals being implemented by the Board of Education, led by President Michael Pomerico, and Superintendent Fia Davis’s first public appearance since she was reinstated last month, significant change has come to the Freeport school district, with the promise of more on the way.
At a school board meeting on Aug. 12, the board presented and approved several new initiatives that it introduced to faculty, students and parents. Several — namely, the restoration of a handful of administrative roles, the effective firing of the Perkins Consulting Group and the rehiring of previously suspended or terminated district employees — were direct reversals or contradictions of previous board decisions. The most high-profile example was the district’s decision to drop its lawsuit against Davis late last month and to reinstate her.
Pomerico, the newly installed board vice president, Gabriela Castillo, and new Trustee Edward Gordon now comprise a majority of the five-person board, and have been able to implement many changes quickly.
The titles of executive director for personnel and human resources, executive school business administrator and executive director for pupil personnel services, created under then board President Sunday Coward last summer, are now assistant-superintendent positions. And the job of assistant superintendent for educational and administrative services, which was previously discontinued, was restored.
In response to emailed questions, Pomerico told the Herald that returning to the original job titles was “appropriate” and would help “end the divisiveness” in the school district.
“These are important positions that carry significant responsibilities and require a high level of trust and accountability,” Pomerico said. “We believe the titles should accurately reflect the roles these individuals perform and the responsibilities entrusted to them.”
The board also voted to rehire former district employees Marie Gaboton-Swift and Jimmy Jones. Gaboton-Swift, who was the interim director of personnel for the district, was terminated by then Interim Superintendent Shakirah Miller in May. While the district had not offered an explanation, several faculty members and Freeport residents have told the Herald that they believe it was in connection to an anonymous posting on Facebook of documents detailing the district’s spending on the Perkins Consulting Group.
Pomerico declined to comment on previous board decisions, saying simply that last week’s decisions were “based on the needs of the district today” and the “confidence in the individuals we have entrusted.”
Jones, who was the high school’s head varsity football coach and a phys. ed. teacher, was reinstated last week. Jones was placed on leave in June 2025 by the school board amid an investigation into his conduct with the football team. Pomerico said only that a “reassessment of the relevant issues” led to the decision to reinstate Jones.
Mike McQueen, who took over head coaching duties during Jones’s absence, told the Herald that he would no longer be involved with the team, but wished the players well.
Attendees at last week’s meeting appeared particularly enthusiastic about the hiring of Danielle Ballard, a former Freeport student and teacher, as the district’s interim assistant superintendent for personnel and human resources. Coward, who remains a trustee, was the sole vote in opposition — one of many dissenting votes Coward cast in a series of board decisions confirmed by counts of 4-1, with Trustee Alphonso Hardwick continually voting in line with Pomerico, Castillo and Gordon.
Coward’s clear disagreement with the reversal of decisions made while she was board president, and continuing friction between her and Pomerico, have prompted questions about the cohesion of the board. Asked after the meeting why she was opposed to many of the board’s latest decisions, Coward said, “I’m one person and one vote. We’re a whole board. So the board has voted to approve these changes.”
Davis and Pomerico asserted that the board and the district’s administrative team would be able to work effectively despite dissenting opinions and disagreements.
Davis, who announced that she was implementing a new theme for the district, “Welcome back, welcome home” — a tribute to Freeport Teachers Association President Patricia Langan’s welcome to Davis when her reinstatement was announced — said that while the district does not prioritize a potential hire’s previous Freeport connections, it is “an added benefit.”
“I truly believe there is no more accomplished or dedicated administrative team on Long Island than the team we have assembled for the start of this school year,” Davis said. “They bring a tremendous depth of experience, a shared commitment to our students and a deep understanding of what makes Freeport such a special community.”
The change that has likely been the most well-received was the termination of the district’s agreement with the Perkins Consulting Group. The district has paid the firm an annual professional services fee of $63,480, as well a monthly retainer of $5,290, according to meeting documents.
Perkins is largely responsible for the implementation of the district’s Infinite Campus Student Information System, which began replacing SchoolTool, a platform that administrators previously described as problematic, this summer.
The written board action pointedly criticizes a clause in the district’s contract with the firm that the current board alleges sought to prevent future district boards and administrators from ending the agreement with Perkins. The action goes on to state that such a clause violates state public policy that prohibits the contractual binding of successive boards. The Herald was able to verify that such relevant state policies and legal precedents exist.
Asked if the district would consider seeking any similar consulting services, Pomerico said that any decision to do so would be based on district needs and upcoming budget considerations.
Hardwick, Coward and their former fellow board trustees have maintained in the past that the consulting work the Perkins Consulting Group was doing for the district was not irregular. The consulting firm did not immediately respond to the Herald’s request for comment.
Another major change was made at another board meeting a week later on Aug. 19, when among multiple announcements of new hires, the school board voted and approved the hire of a new interim principal for Freeport High School, David Zimbler.
Shomari Akil was hired by the district on May 21, to serve as Freeport High School principal, replacing Gisselle Campbell-Ham who announced her departure from the district earlier. Pomerico told the Herald after the most recent board meeting that Akil had resigned from the position, leaving Zimbler less than a month since being hired to prepare for the beginning of the new school year in September.
