Mount Pleasant Tabs Former District Administrator as Next Schools Chief
The Mount Pleasant School District is welcoming back one of its former administrators to lead the district into the future.
The Board of Education unanimously approved hiring Dr. Peter Giarrizzo as Mount Pleasant’s next superintendent to replace the departing Dr. Kurtis Kotes this summer. Kotes announced in February he is leaving at the end of the current school year to return to the Goshen Central School District to become its superintendent.
Giarrizzo served as the district’s director of special education and curriculum from 2004 to 2007. Since 2017, he has been the superintendent in the North Shore School District in Sea Cliff, N.Y., Nassau County.
At his Apr. 7 appointment, Giarrizzo said he was “delighted” to be returning to Mount Pleasant, calling it “an opportunity of a lifetime.”
“The vision for our schools is to educate each student for endless possibilities tomorrow,” he said. “As I stand before you this evening, I’m hopeful that there are nothing but endless possibilities before us for our students, our faculty, staff, community members and our families.”
Board President Colleen Scaglione Neglia praised Giarrizzo, saying he adds to an already stellar administrative team and faculty filled with great leaders.
“Our district and community have high expectations and we are confident that Peter will be able to further the academic standing for all of our students,” Neglia said.
After leaving Mount Pleasant, Giarrizzo was deputy superintendent in Elmsford before moving on to Pelham Public Schools where he served as assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and personnel then was moved up to superintendent there from 2013 until leaving for North Shore in 2017.
Giarizzo will be starting in his new role on July 1.
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