Yazurlo stepping down as Tuckahoe superintendent

Tuckahoe Superintendent of Schools Michael Yazurlo announced at the district's Board of Education meeting this evening that he will be leaving the district after this school year.

Yazurlo has served as Tuckahoe's superintendent for the past 13 years.

Tuckahoe Board of Education President Anthony Buonocore said that Yazurlo had notified the board members last week about his plans and indicated that Yazurlo was interested in continuing to work in the field of education.

"He's going to move on to probably do stuff in the college arena," said Buonocore.

Buonocore noted that he had just come on the board when Yazurlo was hired as the district's superintendent and said that the longtime administrator had brought a number of positive changes to the district.

"At the time, the passion he brought to the school, the honesty and the charisma, he brought all those things," said Buonocore. "He's going to be missed."

Buonocore said that the board will have to consider whether to fill the position on an interim basis to allow for a longer search process or whether to try to place someone in the role permanently in time for the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year.

"I'm sure between now and July, we'll have conversations [about how to fill the vacancy] with the current members as well as Michelle and Jim," said Buonocore, referring to Michelle Liscio and Jim Lombardi, the two newly elected Tuckahoe School Board trustees, who will take office July 1.