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Schools

Tortorici: 'I've Always Believed in Community Service'

Longtime city resident discusses his 12-year tenure as a Glen Cove BOE trustee.

After serving as a trustee on the Glen Cove Board of Education for 12 years, resident Richard Tortorici decided not to run for re-election earlier this year. To many, such a decision can be interpreted many ways, but Tortorici says his choice was all about knowing when to step down. 

"When the new school board president is somebody who you gave a diploma to, it's time to retire," he said referring to the board's president Ida McQuair, a Glen Cove High alumna who was a student during his first term.

Looking Back

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Tortorici said he has seen good and bad times in the school district during his tenure, which officially began in 1987. 

"I've watched the budget go down three times between 2000 and 2005," he said. "When that happened, that cost teachers their jobs and the board had to cut programs that were necessary to keep the school district thriving."

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He stressed, however, that he always worked to put education and the taxpayer first whenever he made decisions as a trustee even when he knew the choice would not be widely supported by the public. To Tortorici, the backlash is something that often comes along with the volunteer job.  

"The hardest part about being a board member is every time you make a touch decision, half the city is going to disagree with you," he said. "Even though we work with all the facts we have on hand and have the best of intentions for the school district, we know that a sizable amount of the community will disagree."

Tortorici also spoke highly of the district's progress under the leadership of former superintendent Dr. Laurence Aronstein, who retired in June. He touted Aronstein as a seasoned administrator who knew how to, among other things, cut wasteful spending and push the district forward by advancing new programs and capital improvements.  

"Working with 'Larry' was the best four years of my term," Tortorici said. "He is the best superintendent I've ever worked with because he was always able to project problems and he had a plan to solve them."

Moving Ahead

The 36-year school board member may no longer be a trustee, but he is continuing efforts to help the district. He was recently appointed as the district's Supervisor of Adult Education. 

"I've always believed in community service and I've loved Glen Cove from the first day I moved here," he said. "In 1987, I felt I could work with the City of Glen Cove as a school board member to help make it as good a community as I feel it is. My tenure with the board is over, but I will continue to help where and whenever I can."

Tortorici is also using his spare time to focus on his writing career. His vampire suspense book "Blood Relative" has been on the shelves for about two years now, and its sequel, "Blood Bond," will be out in the fall.

While writing away, he said, he will also spend time with his first grandchild.

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