Following the January announcement that Superintendent Dr. Teresa Prendergast will retire from the Great Neck Public Schools effective July 21, 2023, the Board of Education immediately took steps to initiate a comprehensive Superintendent Search. The Board vetted several reputable consulting firms and has engaged District Wise Search Consultants to facilitate a nationwide search.

At the February public action meeting, representatives from District Wise presented information about their search strategies with a strong focus on developing a candidate profile that reflects the unique needs of our District. Over the coming weeks, District Wise will conduct focus groups with several different constituent groups to help determine the desired characteristics of the next Superintendent. All members of the GNPS community are invited to offer their input via the survey linked below. This survey, which is also available on the district website, will remain open until April 28.

For updates about the Superintendent Search, including video of the District Wise presentation from the February Board meeting, visit https://www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/suptsearch2023.

In support of its 2022-23 Board Goals, the Board hosted its first Advisory Committee meeting on Feb. 8. During the February public action meeting, the Board acknowledged and thanked 40 GNPS community members who are serving on the Committee. Updates about the Committee and its work are posted on the district website at www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/committees.

At the conclusion of the Feb. 15 Board meeting, trustee Barbara Berkowitz announced her intention to resign from the Board of Education effective June 30, 2023. Her current three-year term on the Board is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2024. Mrs. Berkowitz is among the longest-serving trustees in District history, having served on the Board of Education for 31 years. Read more here.

The District is pleased to announce that Teresa Lester and Andrea Zinn have been named Master Teachers through the New York State Master Teacher Program (NYSMTP). They are among 221 teachers statewide who were announced as the program’s newest class for the 2022–23 school year. Both educators are faculty members at South High School, where Mrs. Lester teaches biology and Mrs. Zinn teaches mathematics. Master Teachers are recognized for their dedication to providing the most innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education to their students, their commitment to professional growth, and their enthusiasm for sharing their successful practices with colleagues.

The U.S. Department of Education has announced four seniors as candidates in the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program: Benjamin Rubin from North High School, and Amit Saha, Joy Yang and Richard Zhuang from South High School. Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors; application for this prestigious program is by invitation only.

DECA has announced North High School and South High School as winners in the 2022–23 DECA Chapter Campaign Program. Each high school earned an Achievement Level award in recognition of their respective chapter’s growth, involvement, engagement, and outstanding activities.

For more student accolades and school activities, follow GNPS on Facebook and Instagram! #DiscoverGreatness

Join Community Education this spring for creative classes and Broadway trips! The Community Ed Spring 2023 Catalog is available online and registration is currently open. Classes will begin on March 20. For more info: www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/ce.

Enrollment remains open for Kindergarten and Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) programs for the 2023–24 school year. Online registration applications are available on the district website: www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/registration.

All students who will attend Kindergarten in a public or private school must register with the District. To be eligible for Kindergarten for the 2023–24 school year, a child must be 5 years old on or before Dec. 1, 2023.

The District offers a UPK program for children who will be 4 years old on or before Dec. 1, 2023. UPK is a half-day program offered to residents at no cost; a supplemental half-day, tuition-based enrichment program called “Fun For Fours” is also available with limited enrollment.

The District provides free transportation for children attending non-public schools who meet walking distance-from-school requirements. The deadline to apply for non-public school transportation for the 2023–24 school year is Apr. 1, as determined by State Education Law. A student must be registered with the District before a non-public school transportation request can be processed. For more info: https://www.familyid.com/programs/non-public-school-transportation-textbooks-request-2023-2024.