Quogue School Board Hires New Superintendent

The Quogue School Board of Education has hired a new superintendent to run the elementary school.Jeff Ryicker, who moved to Quogue earlier this year and will also serve as principal of the Quogue School, started his new position on Friday, July 1. He noted that he moved to Quogue in April because he wants to enroll his two children in the district.“It is very exciting to be here today,” said Mr. Ryicker, who is replacing longtime superintendent Richard Benson after he retired last month after serving the single-school district for 16 years. “I’m looking forward to serving the community in the capacity of superintendent.”Mr. Ryicker served as the assistant principal at E.M. Baker Elementary School in Great Neck for the past six years. Before that, he taught both the third and fifth grades in the Smithtown Central School District. The Board of Education approved the hiring at its meeting on June 29.Lauren Battista, president of the Board of Education, would not say how much Mr. Ryicker will be earning, deferring to District Clerk Lisa Prosano. When reached Wednesday morning, Ms. Prosano said she did not have his salary information yet.“I’m still waiting for his paperwork,” Ms. Prosano said, noting that she expects to have it by the end of the week. “We’re still just settling him in.”Mr. Benson earned $238,718 during the 2015-16 school year, his final year with the district.Ms. Battista said in an email that she is happy with the decision to hire Mr. Ryicker. She also noted that it was a competitive position as 54 candidates applied for the job after it was advertised.“After interviewing many highly qualified candidates over the past few months, the board unanimously agreed that Mr. Ryicker possesses the professional qualifications, leadership skills and vision necessary to successfully lead our students and school district in the coming years,” Ms. Battista said.“In speaking with administrators, teachers and parents from his former district, Jeff consistently received praise for his qualifications and management record,” she continued. “His sense of fairness and integrity were highlighted over and over. Jeff was commended as an innovative educator and someone who is focused on all aspects of a child’s education.”Mr. Ryicker earned an undergraduate degree in accounting from C.W. Post, a master’s in elementary education from Dowling College, and an advanced graduate certificate in administration from Stony Brook University.The Board of Education notified parents about the new appointment through a letter dated July 29.“After a lengthy and rigorous search process, the Selection Committee feels confident that we have appointed an extremely qualified candidate who will be a great fit for our school and will continue to build upon Quogue’s outstanding tradition of excellence,” the letter reads.Shortly after Mr. Benson informed them of his retirement plans this spring, board members asked the Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Services to help facilitate the job search. BOCES officials said 54 people applied for the job and completed the first round of interviews. At that point, the names of all remaining candidates were forwarded to the Board of Education, who then interviewed them, explained Dr. Julie Davis Lutz, chief operating officer of Eastern Suffolk BOCES, who helped with the search.“There was a tremendous amount of interest in the position,” Dr. Lutz said. “There were many qualified candidates that applied.