The Mineola School District held its annual reorganization meeting Thursday evening and this year, there was quite a bit of reorganizing. The district welcomed a new director of facilities, a new principal of the Cross Street School and bid farewell to an assistant superintendent.

As is the custom each year, the board of education chooses a new president and vice president. For the 2004-2005 year, RoseAnn Buglione will serve as the president and Donna Strein, who was re-elected in May and sworn in for another three-year term, will serve as vice president of the board of education.

The board then approved the district's appointment of Devra Small as the new principal of the Cross Street School. Ms. Small will succeed Rosa Dluginsky as principal of the Williston Park School.

Ms. Small's experience includes a year as assistant principal of the Stratford Road Elementary School in the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District. Before that, since 1993, she was a teacher in the Harborfields Central School District. She even has ties to the Cross Street School. Her mother and father met while working at the Cross Street School. Her mom was a special education teacher and her father was a school psychologist. Ms. Small said her parents were thrilled she got the job as the school's principal.

Ms. Small began on July 2.

The board of education also approved the appointment of Dan Romano as director of facilities. Mr. Romano has 17 years experience, having worked for four years in a private school in the Bronx and 13 years for the Freeport Public Schools. He also lives locally in Carle Place.

Mr. Romano begins on Aug. 2.

Also during the reorganization meeting, the board and district promoted director of elementary education Sherri Goffman to assistant superintendent for elementary education.

Superintendent of Schools for the Mineola School District Dr. Lorenzo Licopoli said Mrs. Goffman was promoted since her work has been nothing short of exceptional. The new assistant superintendent will be a part of the district's leadership team as it moves forward.

The district and board did also accept the resignation of assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment. Mr. Mucci is leaving Mineola to take a position as the superintendent of schools of the North Bellmore Union Free School District. Mr. Mucci said his job change is bittersweet since he enjoyed his time in Mineola.

Other appointments included:

Andrea Antonelli - Art Teacher

Stephanie Honig - Guidance Counselor

Melissa LoFrese - Special Education Teacher

Maria Sant'Angelo - Home and Careers Teacher

Meredith Stillwell - Music Teacher

Jenique Nijboer - Art Teacher

Martha Sosa - Leave Replacement ESL Teacher

The board granted an unpaid leave of absence to Bruce Vatske for the 2004-2005 school year and an unpaid leave of absence to Diane L. Rodocker, speech language pathologist, for the 2004-2005 school year.

The board also accepted a donation of $7,000 from the Mineola Athletic Booster Club for the purchase and installation of a new scoreboard in the high school gymnasium.