Northport-East Northport Superintendent To Retire

NORTHPORT, NY — Robert Banzer, superintendent of the Northport-East Northport School District, announced he plans to retire effective Dec. 31.

Banzer joined the district in 2015.

"During his tenure, [he] has expanded the district’s educational program to be one of the most diverse on Long Island while simultaneously implementing significant capital improvements and navigating challenges including the pandemic," the school district wrote in a statement.

Banzer's planned retirement was approved by the Northport-East Northport Board of Education at a Thursday meeting.

"It has been my distinct honor and privilege to lead the district over the past eight years and I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish during this time," Banzer said at the meeting. "The opportunity to serve this community and lead the district where I grew up and graduated from has been the most rewarding and challenging of my career and I am grateful for each and every day."

The Board of Education is set to hire a professional consulting firm for the recruitment process of the district's next superintendent.

Board members thanked Banzer, with Larry Licopoli, president of the board, congratulating Banzer and his family.

"Making this type of decision is not the easiest one and I know it took a great deal of personal reflection," Licopoli said.

Trustees David Badanes and Donna McNaughton reflected on Banzer's recruitment eight years ago, and they emphasized his connection to the district, love for the community and growth as a superintendent.

"From the time that he was appointed, his passion for this community and commitment to student success were evident," the board wrote in a letter to the community.

The board also acknowledged his leadership through challenging circumstances including
the coronavirus pandemic, LIPA settlement and district reorganization.

Banzer also organized the remediation of Northport Middle School in 2020, which closed for several months after high levels of mercury and benzene were found in sanitary systems on school grounds. PW Grosser, an environmental firm, found the school safe to occupy but issued several recommendations to clean the school. The firm's 7,000-page report addressed concerns that went back decades.

Banzer, at the time, said the district began "aggressively addressing" PW Grosser's findings. Remediation at Northport Middle School began in March 2020. Contaminated sludge or liquid was pumped out from the septic tanks and leaching pools, according to Banzer.

The retiring superintendent also cooperated with the New York State Department of Health on a 20-year study that found a "statistically significant" 3 percent excess cancer rate among people living in the entire Northport-East Northport School District between 1999 and 2018.

"This 3% excess was statistically significant, meaning it was unlikely to occur by chance," the study wrote.

The study looked at 23 different types of cancer and found 4,593 cases of cancer among district residents compared with the 4,454 that would be expected.

"We appreciate the hard work of the NYSDOH in this endeavor and look forward to continuing to provide our students and staff with a safe learning environment," Banzer wrote in a letter to the community in July 2022.

Banzer said he is excited to spend more time with his family, including his granddaughter, during his retirement in 2024.

He previously served as director for human resources at Wayne Central School District and served as the assistant superintendent for instruction at Brockport Central School District for six years. Before that, he held the positions of middle school principal and assistant high school principal in Brockport, each for three years.

Before becoming an administrator, Banzer was a classroom teacher for 11 years in two school districts in Maryland and Brockport High School where he primarily taught U.S. History and Economics.

Banzer received New York State certifications in school district administration, social
studies 7-12 and business and distributive education. He earned a master’s degree in education
with a concentration in social studies from SUNY Albany and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hamilton College.