Following an extensive search, the Riverhead Central School District Board of Education announced during a special board meeting on April 27 that Dr. Augustine E. Tornatore will take the helm as the next superintendent of schools, effective July 1, 2021.
“We’d like to welcome Dr. Tornatore to the Blue Wave family,” said Board President Laurie Downs. “He has had major accomplishments while advancing his career, and we are certain he will prove to be a benefit to our students, staff and community.”
A native of Long Island, Dr. Tornatore joins Riverhead from the Liberty Central School District in Liberty, New York, where he served as superintendent since 2018 and as assistant superintendent starting in 2016. Prior to Liberty, he served as the director of social studies for grades K-12 in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District in Newburgh, New York. He also held the roles of social studies department supervisor and administrator for alternative, adult and community programs in the Baldwin Union Free School District. He began his educational career as a social studies teacher at East Rockaway Junior/Senior High School.
Dr. Tornatore is a nominee for the 2021 New York Superintendent of the Year program. Additionally, he won the Sullivan County Health and Wellness Medal for Excellence two years in a row. He is the recipient of the 2021 Educational Leadership Award from the Mid-Hudson School Study Council and was recently selected for inclusion in the Trademark Who’s Who Honors Edition for “demonstrating leadership and professional excellence.”
He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stony Brook University; a master’s degree in secondary education/English and a professional diploma in School Administration and Supervision from Queens College; and a Doctor of Education in administration and supervision from St. John’s University.
He is a member of a variety of professional organizations, including the American Association of School Administrators and the president of the Mid-Hudson Catskill Council of School Superintendents.
“I am excited to be returning home to Long Island and helping to guide the district through the challenges of the year ahead,” said Dr. Tornatore. “I'm most looking forward to working with a wonderful team and getting to know the students and families. I'm grateful for the trust and support of the Riverhead Central School District Board of Education.”