The Mineola Board of Education filled the high school principal vacancy by naming supervisor of guidance Ed Escobar as the school's new principal. Escobar will succeed Dr. Michael Nagler, who was recently appointed the new deputy superintendent.

Escobar said he was honored to have been offered the position. As a former assistant principal and supervisor of guidance, Escobar was highly visible around the school and had frequent contact with the students.

Escobar said he would like to keep the success realized at Mineola High School going. In 2005, MHS had an excellent senior class with 77 percent going on to four-year colleges and 87 percent graduating with Regents diplomas.

Escobar vowed to keep the students' interests at the forefront and said his focus will be on increasing student achievement on benchmarks such as Regents results, students attending four-year colleges and students earning Advanced Regents Diplomas.

"A principal's primary goal is to improve teaching and learning in order to graduate young adults with intelligence and character," he said.

As part of the board of education's reorganization meeting, which was held June 7, board members Mary Ellen Williams and Lawrence Carroll were sworn in. Williams and Carroll both won the election in May. Williams will serve another term on the board while Carroll will begin his first term. Carroll is filling the seat that was occupied by RoseAnn Buglione for 12 years. Buglione decided to retire from the board. In keeping with the board's rotation, Donna Strein, who served the past year as vice president of the board of education, was named president. Williams was named vice president. The board will be meeting Thursday, July 21 at 8 p.m. in the cafeteria of the Willis Avenue School for a business meeting.