Manhasset Board of Education to replace Cardillo by July 1

The Island Now

The Manhasset Board of Education intends to hire a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Charles Cardillo by July 1, according to a statement from the district.

In a unanimous decision at the board’s Nov. 16 meeting, it selected the firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to assist with the search for a replacement. 

“Charlie Cardillo leaves very big shoes to fill,” said Regina Rule, president of the Board of Education. “With their extensive capability, both nationwide and regionally, we feel Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates’ team of Debbie Raizes and Bob Roelle have the requisite knowledge, experience and flexibility to assist the board in all facets of the search process and to help us attract the most qualified pool of candidates.

Raizes and Roelle, both consultants with the firm, live in Westchester and Huntington, respectively.

Roelle said the firm carries out  nationwide searches but said, “the reality of superintendent jobs is they generally attract regional candidates.” He suggested that his and Raizes’ local roots will help with such a search. 

“Our next step with the Board of Education is to engage the school community,” he said. “The purpose of such engagement is to help us establish a profile for what they’re looking for in their next superintendent.”

Beginning on Tuesday and continuing through Wednesday, Dec. 7, Raizes and Roelle will conduct focus groups and hold two open community forums, a district statement said.

Community members are encouraged to attend one of the two open forums: Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in the middle school library and Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 9:30 a.m. in the high school library conference room, the statement said. For those who are not able to attend a forum, an online survey will be available on the district’s website from Tuesday, Nov. 29, through Friday, Dec. 9, to provide members of the community opportunity for input.

“From what the online survey and focus groups yield, we will create a leadership profile report,” Roelle said.  

Roelle and Raizes will present this report to the board at its regularly scheduled public meeting on Thursday, Dec. 22, at 8 p.m. in the middle school library, the school statement said. 

Roelle said he expects to present the board with a list of candidates in January. 

“We’ll want to push the board along as rapidly as possible because in order to have a superintendent start July 1 the board may have to get them released from their current contract,” Roelle said. “A candidate might have a clause requiring 90 days notice or as much as six months notice to their board in order to get a release.” 

As they conduct focus groups and open forums, Roelle and Raizes intend to hold one-on-one conversations with school and community leaders. One of the names on their list for such an interview: Superintendent Cardillo.

BY MAX ZAHN

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