Half Hollow Hills Celebrates School Board Recognition Week

The New York State School Boards Association recognizes October 21-25 as School Board Recognition Week, which is a time to promote awareness and understanding of the important work performed by school board members. The Half Hollow Hills Central School District of Huntington and Babylon is joining all public school districts across the state to celebrate School Board Recognition Week to honor local board members for their commitment to our community and children.

These volunteers devote countless hours to making sure that the schools in Half Hollow Hills are helping every child learn at the highest level. School board members make tough decisions every month and spend many hours studying education issues and regulations in order to provide the kind of accountability that citizens expect.

The members serving Half Hollow Hills and their years of service are:

• Eric Geringswald, President, serving since 2009

• Betty DeSabato, Vice President, serving since 2011

• Diana Acampora, Trustee, serving since 2011

• Stephanie Gurin, Trustee, serving since 2015

• David Kaston, Trustee, serving since 2012

• Adam Kleinberg, Trustee, serving since 2015

• Michael Prywes, Trustee, serving since 2017

“I am very lucky and honored to have the opportunity to work with a Board of Education that maintains a constant focus on what matters most: student success, teacher and staff excellence, and organizational wellness,” said Dr. Patrick Harrigan, the Half Hollow Hills Superintendent of Schools. “These objectives translate to the type of schools our community can be proud of, our employees thrive in and our students deserve.”

Harrigan said the key work of school boards is to raise student achievement by:

• Creating a shared vision for the future of education;

• Setting the direction of the school district to achieve the highest student performance;

• Developing a budget that aligns district resources to improve achievement; and

• Supporting a healthy school district culture in which to work and to learn.

“School board members give our citizens a voice in education decision making. Even though we make a special effort to show our appreciation in October, their contribution is a year-round commitment,” added Harrigan.

An education-oriented community with high academic expectations, the Half Hollow Hills Central School District is located in a residential area of 50,000 people in the central part of Long Island, approximately 40 miles from New York City. Providing for the education of almost 8,000 students, the school district has five elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. Half Hollow Hills High Schools are fully accredited by the New York State Department of Education. The district is committed to providing all students with opportunities to excel in academics, athletics and the arts.