First round of superintendent search completed

CENTRAL VALLEY-The initial round in the search for a new schools superintendent is complete, Monroe-Woodbury School Board President Claire Perez said during last week's school board meeting. The names of the candidates in the second round are being kept confidential as most are currently employed in other school districts, Perez said. The board is looking for a successor to Frank Moscati, who retired July 31 from the $170,000 position. John Canzoneri, who has previously worked in the district and has served elsewhere as superintendent in the Greenwood Lake and Chester school districts, is the acting superintendent. In other district business: • The district is operating on an austerity budget that totals about $117 million. During the meeting, the budget report included news of an $8 million STAR reimbursement of taxes that will be returned to the school system in January. • New bleachers have been purchased for the athletic field. Dugouts will be built for the baseball field and there are plans to expand the concession stand. • Alethea Schepperly was introduced as the incoming administrator of Special Education. • The Monroe-Woodbury School system has a current total enrollment of 7,450 K-12, with an additional 131 students in outside placement. Middle School alone has 57 buses serving 1,800 students. The school system also has responsibility for transportation, health exams and textbooks for 600 parochial and private school students, although the school board has no say over the curriculum or activities in these schools. Meanwhile, all schools will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 4 and 5, in observance of Rosh Hashanah. Middle School PTA will meet Thursday, October 6, 7:30 p.m., in the Library.