Superintendent honored by Island Park Chamber of Commerce

At its annual awards dinner, the Island Park Chamber of Commerce presented the organization’s Community Service Award to Dr. Rosmarie Bovino, Island Park superintendent of schools. Bovino, a Merrick resident, was honored for her ongoing involvement in numerous Island Park community initiatives and activities.

“Dr. Bovino has demonstrated consistent care and concern for the children, families, and residents of Island Park,” said Diana Caracciolo, president of the Island Park Board of Education and the award presenter. “Several of the programs she has developed are rooted in the spirit of mutual cooperation she shares with the community at-large. For example, Island Park is the only district in Nassau County whose entire inventory of textbooks is catalogued in the local public library. Through a cooperative project with the Island Park Public Library, she arranged for all texts to remain on reserve for students who may forget them in school. Texts also can be searched and located online from home, then used in the library so that homework is completed on time.

“She has been a friend to local groups such as the PTA, Civic Association, Little League, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Jimi Gubelli Foundation, and the Fire Department,” Caracciolo added. “Last year, she partnered with LI Blood Services and initiated the district’s first annual Community Blood Drive and Little Doctor’s Program for 5th Graders. In June, Dr. Bovino worked with the Board of Education, Island Park Faculty Association, administrators, and residents to host the District’s first annual Community Day.”

Bovino has served Island Park Schools for more than ten years as assistant superintendent, deputy superintendent and in her current role as superintendent of schools. During her tenure, she developed a Comprehensive School Improvement Plan that integrated instruction and assessment to improve student performance, using stu­dent achievement data to drive teaching. As a result, the district earned the NYS Education Department distinction of “Most Improved” and Bovino received the SCOPE Instructional Leadership Award.

In addition to her involvement in Island Park, Bovino is active in many professional organizations including the New York State Council of School Superintendents, Nassau County Council of School Superintendents, Association of School Business Officials, Nassau Association School Business Officials, Phi Delta Kappa and the American Association of University Women. She has been a member of several accreditation teams for Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the National Association of Independent Schools. Bovino has served as a consultant to the Chinese American International School in San Francisco and the Ministry of Education in Cairo, Egypt through USAID, where she worked for the Ministry of Education and created a computerized card catalog for a dual English/Arabic professional library.

She earned a Master of Science degree in Special Education from Hofstra University. Bovino also holds a Master of Arts degree in Computing, Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Doctorate in Educational Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is an adjunct associate professor at Queens College.