Meet Stonington’s New Superintendent Dr. Van Riley

Dr. Van Riley is beginning to settle into his new role. The California transplant began as Superintendent of Stonington Public Schools just over a week ago and he’s busy getting to know the schools, introducing himself to town officials and figuring out the phones in the office.

“It was very good,” Riley said of his first week on the job.

During that first week he met with members of the Boards of Finance, Education and Selectmen, visited Stonington’s Public Schools and attended a number of school events.

“I want to get to know the district and the people working here,” Riley said.

Getting to know the district and the community at large is one of his top priorities. On Wednesday evening the Mystic Aquarium hosted a meet and greet for adults only who wanted to lay eyes on the Riley. And Riley said he wants to make it clear to the community that they can contact him.

“I really want to be responsive,” Riley said, adding that community members should always feel welcome to call or email him or drop by his office.

Riley also said he wants the community to get to know him and wants them to know that even though his last school district was a large district he is familiar with a district Stonington’s size.

He retired as superintendent of the Huntington Beach Union High School District in California at the end of 2010. That school district had about 16,000 students in grades 9 through 12. But before that he served as superintendent in two smaller California school districts, Ojai and Carpinteria, similar in size to Stonington.

“I really enjoy this size district,” Riley said. “I like being able to really get involved.”

While he begins to get a feel for the community the 2013-2014 budget process is clearly already on his mind. During last year’s budget process the 2012-2013 school budget the school board from their proposed budget after the first town budget failed at referendum. Some of the cuts including making freshman sports at the high school pay to play and cutting transportation to out-of-town magnet schools.

He said that with the budget process getting ready to begin that would be one of his priorities.

Riley replaces former Superintendent Leanne Masterjoseph who resigned unexpectedly in May. She had been superintendent since 2010. Masterjoseph took a position as the Chief Academic Officer for Family Urban Schools of Excellence in Hartford, Connecticut.