In September, South Huntington’s current Superintendent, Dr. David Bennardo, announced his retirement after nine years of tremendous service and dedication to the district. As such, the Board of Education has worked tirelessly to secure a candidate who will continue the legacy Dr. Bennardo is leaving behind, while also making his/her own impact on the district. An advertisement for Superintendent was published in The NY Times and Newsday on September 20th, and over 20 candidates responded accordingly. Interviews were conducted on four different occasions - December 12th, December 18th, December 29th, and January 9th. With the long and rigorous process concluded, the South Huntington Board of Education proudly selects Dr. Vito D’Elia as the next Superintendent of Schools.
“Dr. D’Elia has the experience, leadership skills, work ethic, vision, and moral compass to build upon the incredible success of Dr. Bennardo and continue South Huntington's upward trajectory,” said Nicholas Ciappetta, J.D., the President of South Huntington’s Board of Education, after announcing Dr. D’Elia as the next Superintendent during Wednesday evening’s Board Meeting. “During the interview process, Dr. D’Elia impressed the Board of Education with his passion to be Superintendent and understanding of the Wildcat culture. I look forward to working closely with him to reach our shared goal of making South Huntington the finest school district on Long Island.”
The Vice President of the Board, Laura Carey, gave her insight into the Board’s decision, saying, “We believe that he will lead our school community in the coming years with confidence, poise, and conviction.” The Board of Education is confident and optimistic about their decision. Ms. Carey went on to say, “The members of our South Huntington Board of Education look forward to working with Dr. D’Elia as our new Superintendent of Schools.”
While reflecting on the Board’s decision and why Dr. D’Elia will be a perfect fit for the job, Dr. Bennardo explained, “I have worked with Dr. D’Elia for the past nine years and had the good fortune of watching him successfully lead a dynamic and vibrant intermediate school into his role as Assistant Superintendent of Business. Dr. D’Elia possesses a tireless work ethic and maintains the highest standards for students, staff, and himself alike. I can confidently say that South Huntington’s new Superintendent will bleed maroon and white and successfully lead this incredible school district into its next exciting chapter.”
Dr. D’Elia is hopeful for the future of South Huntington Schools. When addressing the Board and the South Huntington community, the future Superintendent stated, "Our goal in South Huntington will be to have students become lifelong learners where every student that graduates from Walt Whitman High School will have the ability to go on and extend their knowledge. Our work will be to enable students to be college-ready, career-ready, and citizenship-ready. We will continue to work collaboratively with all members of our learning community to ensure our students are reaching their full potential."
About Dr. Vito D’Elia:
Dr. Vito D’Elia has centered his life around education. His journey began at St. John’s University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree. Five years later, Dr. D’Elia started teaching at Francis F. Wilson Elementary School in Rockville Centre, where he taught first grade for three years and fourth grade for two years. During his time teaching, Dr. D’Elia was dedicated to furthering his education - he received a Master’s in Science for Elementary Education and a Professional Diploma in Educational Leadership and Administration from Long Island University. He completed his successful educational journey by receiving a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership and Accountability from St. John’s University. Dr. D’Elia continues his passion for teaching in a classroom by being an Adjunct Professor at Stony Brook, where he currently teaches a graduate course in the Educational Administration Program.
Before becoming the Superintendent of Schools for South Huntington, Dr. D’Elia held many administrative roles throughout his career. While still teaching in Rockville Centre, Dr. D’Elia became the Academic Facilitator at his school. He later became the Assistant Principal of South Side Middle School in Rockville Centre. Dr. D’Elia strived for greatness in his career. In 2006, he was welcomed into the South Huntington learning family as the new Principal of Maplewood Intermediate School. During this time, Dr. D’Elia went beyond his role as Principal by becoming a South Huntington Title 1 Schoolwide Coordinator, a Curriculum Council Member, and a Policy Board Member. After 13 successful years as Principal, Dr. D’Elia became the Assistant Superintendent of Business and District Operations for the South Huntington district. Two years later, he is the selection to be the new, proud Superintendent of Schools effective July 1, 2021.