Mr. Richard N. Segerdahl

On Saturday, prior to the Homecoming football game, the Middle School was dedicated to former superintendent, Richard N. Segerdahl.
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This is an honor well-deserved by Mr. Segerdahl.

Richard N. Segerdahl to Leave District in 'Excellent' Shape After 20-Year Tenure
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The official announcement was made by Segerdahl at the Nov. 19 meeting of the Island Trees Board of Education.

The superintendent believes that this is the right time for him to retire, as the district is in "excellent shape," and he said that Island Trees will surely attract good candidates.

"After serving 20 years as superintendent, I have decided that it is time to move on to another stage of my life," Segerdahl said, adding that he looks forward to spending more time with his family."I believe that this is the ideal time for me to retire in that the district is in excellent shape and it should be an easy transition for a new superintendent to come in. Island Trees has become a well-respected school district with a strong civil service, educational and administrative staff - supported by a caring board of education and parents that value education.We all have a lot to be proud of."

A search for a new administrator is already in the works and the board of education has contracted with an administrative search team from SCOPE to assist them in the process.

Prior to being Island Trees' top administrator, Segerdahl was a district assistant superintendent.He originally came to the district as principal of Stokes School, after he left the Wantagh School District.

"When I was in Wantagh, I was replacing a gentleman who was on leave," Segerdahl explained of his assistant principal position in the district."I was looking forward to a position as a principal and was offered [that] at Stokes Elementary School."

The superintendent said he fell in love with the district and feels now that it has much of which to be proud.

"[We are] very educationally sound [and have] a very strong administrative, teaching and civil service staff.Everybody works very well to offer the best possible education while still trying to keep taxes as low as possible," he said.One of Segerdahl's greatest accomplishments is getting the district so fiscally sound.

"When I became superintendent 20 years ago, Island Trees had the highest tax rate of any school district in Nassau County," he said, noting that they now rank somewhere in the high 30s.Segerdahl further noted that in addition to being educationally and fiscally sound, the district has a strong physical plant.

"With the support of the recent bond issue, which is dedicated to three roofs and the heating plants of every building in the district, the physical plant of the district is in excellent shape for years to come," he said.

Under Segerdahl's leadership, many new programs were initiated in the district, including All-Day Kindergarten, a nine-period school day, the Island Trees/SCOPE Preschool Program (serving 200 preschool children annually), Summer Preschool Program, Before and After School Child Care, a Staff Child Care Program, the Summer YES Program (which serves over 800 students in grades K-6), Inclusion classes, Dollars for Scholars Program, the Civil Service Thank You Breakfast, Summer Music Program and Summer Sports Camps (which offers 16 different camps for students).

During his tenure, the superintendent worked with the board of education to support many changes in the district that helped them both educationally and financially.
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Segerdahl also allowed for the computerization of all the library collections throughout the district and oversaw the 100th anniversary celebration of the school district (1902-2002).

In the near future, the SCOPE team working to find a new administrator will be setting up meetings with staff members and parents.The purpose of the meetings is to secure input to help identify the ideal characteristics of a new superintendent.The members of the board of education will be working closely with the consulting team to initiate the search as soon as possible with the goal of having a new superintendent on board by July 1, 2004, the day after Segerdahl will officially step down.

Having put so much effort, time and devotion into the district, Segerdahl said there is no way he can step away entirely.

"I can still consult and do a lot of other things," he said."As I said to the board president - I put too much of my life into this district and I care an awful lot about this district.If they have any problems I'm a phone call away."

Segerdahl added that the board requested he work as closely as possible with SCOPE to try to bring in the best candidate possible to fill his shoes.

Although he said the time is right, the superintendent said that there are some things he will surely miss upon his retirement, number one being the people he works with on a daily basis.

"We have a lot of good, caring people who work closely together and support each other," Segerdahl said.

Superintendent of Schools Richard Segerdahl recently announced the many projects occurring at the schools, and is confident that they will be finished once school begins and provide various accommodations to the district and its students.Among the many projects being done this summer, classrooms are being built to accommodate the district's full day kindergarten program which will be offered for the first time this fall.FULL STORY

SPORTS: Island Trees Baseball 9-Year-Old All Stars

As the baseball season comes to a close, coaches of the Island Trees 9-year-old All Star team want to congratulate the boys on an excellent season.

The board voted 4-2 to revert the June 30, 2004 decision that rededicated the Island Trees Middle School to then-retiring Superintendent Richard N. Segerdahl.

31 meeting of the Island Trees Board of Education , the board authorized Superintendent Richard Segerdahl to establish a Prekindergarten Policy Advisory Board.FULL STORY.

SPORTS : Levittown Sports Spotlight

Improvements at the high school will serve a population that is expected to increase by about 250 students during the next five years, said District Superintendent Richard Segerdahl.The school, which does not have a track and field team due to the condition of the existing field, would like to offer more interscholastic activities to students, he said.

The district has tried to fund many of the projects from their yearly budget, but Segerdahl said the bond was an attractive option because of low interest rates.In addition, the 58 percent state reimbursement may be reduced or eliminated in the future.

For the average Island Trees resident, with a home assessed at $5,000, the bond will cost about $15 per year in taxes for the next 20 years.

Should Island Trees Memorial School be renamed for former superintendent Richard N. Segerdahl?
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Originally known as Island Trees Memorial School in commemoration of World War II casualties, the building has been renamed in honor of a longtime superintendent, Richard N. Segerdahl, who retired last summer.
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Others, grateful for Segerdahl's 28 years of service to the district, express surprise that the name change has stirred such a fuss.
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Segerdahl, 61, himself has witnessed much of the district's recent history firsthand.He became superintendent in 1984, after eight years as an elementary principal.At the time he took the top job, the district still was recovering from a bruising legal battle over local attempts to ban 11 books from school libraries.

Segerdahl supporters credit their former superintendent with restoring the district's stability, boosting academic performance and adding popular services such as full-day kindergarten.Last spring, as Segerdahl prepared to retire, board members decided to surprise him by renaming the middle school.

Pictured reviewing the plans for the Island Trees summer programs are: Kevin Regan, director of the Levittown/Island Trees Youth Council; Richard N. Segerdahl, superintendent; Steve Connell, athletic director; and Peter Gibbons, district director of music.

Originally known as Island Trees Memorial School in commemoration of World War II casualties, the building has been renamed in honor of a longtime superintendent, Richard N. Segerdahl, who retired last summer.
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Others, grateful for Segerdahl's 28 years of service to the district, express surprise that the name change has stirred such a fuss.
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Segerdahl, 61, himself has witnessed much of the district's recent history firsthand.He became superintendent in 1984, after eight years as an elementary principal.At the time he took the top job, the district still was recovering from a bruising legal battle over local attempts to ban 11 books from school libraries.

Segerdahl supporters credit their former superintendent with restoring the district's stability, boosting academic performance and adding popular services such as full-day kindergarten.Last spring, as Segerdahl prepared to retire, board members decided to surprise him by renaming the middle school.

The board voted 4-2 to revert the June 30, 2004 decision that re-dedicated the Island Trees Middle School to then-retiring Superintendent Richard N. Segerdahl.