West Babylon school custodian-turned-superintendent retiring

West Babylon schools Superintendent Anthony Cacciola plans to retire next January, the district announced in a release yesterday.

Cacciola, 52, has worked for the district 38 years, starting as custodian in 1976 and rising through the ranks until he was appointed superintendent in 2007.

A West Babylon Senior High School graduate who studied at Long Island University, Cacciola wrote in a letter of resignation to the school board that “the district is not a place where I work. It’s my home, my life. The past 38 years have been rewarding and memorable. The friends, colleagues and associates I have come to know are countless and many will always be a part of my life, but I am ready to begin a new chapter in my life.”

In a statement, Board of Education president Diane Thiel described him as a “true West Babylon success story. ... His lifelong commitment to his home community is an irreplaceable resource that we are truly saddened to be losing.”

West Babylon has an enrollment of about 4,101 students. The board plans to meet soon to discuss finding a replacement, a district spokeswoman said.