New Center Moriches super to focus on 'whole-child' education

The Center Moriches School District has hired Ronald Masera as its new superintendent. Masera comes from the top post at the 140-student Remsenburg-Speonk School District to replace retiring superintendent Russell Stewart.

“The entire school community will benefit from his knowledge and wealth of experience in education,” Stewart told the Tide recently. “I think Dr. Masera will continue the progressive vision of the district and lead Center Moriches to many new achievements.”

Masera hails from Eastport, where he’s lived for 20 years with his family. He has led the Remsenburg-Speonk district for eight years, after being principal of Westhampton Beach Elementary School for five years. He is also the vice president of Suffolk County School Superintendents Association. Masera also previously lived in the Moriches area before moving to Eastport, and said he’s excited to come back to the community for the job.

 “I feel connected to the community in a pretty special way,” Masera said.

This is Masera’s first time leading a K-12 district, upgrading from his 140-student school to the 1,500-plus in Center Moriches. He was attracted to the role by the strong sense of community and the direction that the district has been going in the past few years. He also admires the implementation of International Baccalaureate programming, which will start in the middle school this year and then begin at the high school. He was also happy to see efforts to educate students on a social-emotional level, one of the philosophies he’s been passionate about.

Masera said it concerns him how levels of mental illnesses like anxiety and depression are rising in young people, and how schools can always do better to help students understand that part of their being. He said it takes a close-knit level of really knowing kids and understanding their needs, intervening early when red flags are noticed, and teaching kids how to understand self-care techniques for themselves to adequately educate them.

“I think Center Moriches is doing a lot of things well,” Masera said.

The incoming superintendent said he wouldn’t be rushing to make changes, as he plans to spend time getting to know his colleagues, parents, and students. A big change, he said, will be the requirement to delegate high-level responsibilities of the district. In Remsenburg-Speonk, he was the superintendent, handled business matters and the budget, curriculum, and was the principal of the elementary school. But now, he has fellow administrators who deal with those areas.

“The Center Moriches Board of Education was extremely pleased to choose Dr. Ron Masera to lead our district,” said Joshua Foster, president of the Center Moriches Board of Education.  “Our decision was based upon his vast experience as a teacher, principal and superintendent, as well as his track record for success. We believe that he will instill professionalism, build morale, and support the board and community’s vision for growth of our academic and athletic offerings, while ensuring that we continue to meet the divergent needs of all children in our district.”

Masera will assume his role in July.