Riverhead appoints LI native as new school superintendent

Noting how residents last year rejected the school district’s proposed $147.1 million budget for 2020-21, Tornatore said it is important to build trust.

"It’s clear the community sent a message to the district," Tornatore said. "My purpose is to meet with stakeholders and to understand what items in the budget concern them and how I can present a budget for the community in the future that the community supports."

The biggest challenge facing Riverhead currently, like all districts, is how to successfully emerge from the pandemic, Tornatore said. Meeting this challenge by addressing the social and emotional needs of the staff is something Tornatore said is "extremely important" for the district.

Tornatore wants to assure the district improves support services for general education, special-education students and those for whom English is a second language.

"There is a growing multi-language learner population in the community, so it’s our responsibility to be able to prepare those students for success, and special-education students to look at how we’re meeting their needs, and our general education students, as well," he said. "It’s important to look at all programming and review where we may have shortfalls . . . "

The Riverhead district expects to receive an additional $13.8 million in state aid this year. Tornatore said he would like to visit every district building to see where upgrades and improvements are needed.

"We really have to take a look at how we can provide more instructional space, but also utilizing the aid that’s coming in and saying ‘How can we invest for long-term impact in the district?’ " he said. "It’s funneling the funds so we can get the most impact and return on those funds, especially between capital projects working with BOCES (Boards of Cooperative Educational Services)."