Superintendent Robert Banzer announced last night his resignation from the Northport-East Northport school district, effective at the end of this calendar year.

“I have given this a lot of thought, a lot of deliberation and I have made the decision to resign for the purpose of retirement on December 31, 2023,” Mr. Banzer said at the regularly scheduled board of education meeting.

Born and raised in Northport, Banzer has been superintendent of schools of the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District since 2015. He has over 30 years’ experience as a public educator.

“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,” the superintendent said at the January 26 meeting, sharing a letter he had previously sent board members. “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.”

Prior to his role as superintendent in his hometown, Mr. Banzer served as director for human resources at Wayne Central School District, as well as assistant superintendent for instruction at Brockport Central School District, both in upstate New York. In addition, his resume includes the titles of middle school principal and assistant high school principal in Brockport, each for three years; he was also a classroom teacher in two school districts in Maryland and Brockport High School, where he primarily taught U.S. history and economics.

While looking forward to spending more quality time with his family and friends, including in his newly acquired role as a grandfather, Banzer said, he assured the board meeting audience that his efforts over the next 12 months will include a “continued focus on leading the district and assisting the Board with the transition of new leadership.”

“I have often stated that our work is a collective effort, and I will especially miss working alongside dedicated and talented faculty, staff and administration who put their hearts and souls into shaping the lives of young people in our community every day,” he said. “The people of this school community have left an indelible mark on me as a student and superintendent and I will be forever proud of being a Tiger.”

In a January 27 email to district residents, board members reflected on Banzer’s announcement. “The board would like to acknowledge the numerous contributions of Mr. Banzer during his nearly eight years as superintendent. From the time that he was appointed, his passion for this community and commitment to student success were evident,” the email read.

Board members commended the superintendent for leading the district through challenging circumstances, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the district reorganization and school closures and the LIPA settlement. “It takes a true leader to successfully navigate even one of these issues, and Mr. Banzer has graciously guided our community through each of them with a diplomatic and considerate approach...

“We want to thank Mr. Banzer once again for his commitment to our school community. We look forward to working collaboratively over the next 11 months to continue leading our district and wish him a wonderful and relaxing retirement in 2024.”