67.0°,
Mostly Cloudy A new leader for high schools
After months-long search, board promotes assistant superintendent
Sitting in front of several hundred people at a Valley Stream Central High School District Board of Education meeting on June 14, Dr. Bill Heidenreich had a subtle but confident smile. He remained humble through the cheers and applause that filled the room when it was announced that he would be the district’s new superintendent, starting July 1.
The board, and community, gave a resounding “yes” to Heidenreich, who has served as the district’s assistant superintendent for personnel and administration for the last seven years.
“I look forward to the challenges,” he said, “and I look forward to working with the community in the future to bring the schools to higher success.”
No stranger to the high school district, Heidenreich was mentored by former Superintendent Dr. Marc Bernstein, who retired in December. He also shadowed interim Superintendent Dr. Richard Marsh, who has led the district since January and will be leaving his post at the end of this month.
Heidenreich says he has a thorough understanding of the district and knows the parents, students, teachers, administrators and board members. He is familiar with the district, and has 17 years of educational experience.
After growing up in Brentwood and graduating from St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington, Heidenreich earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University. He considered law school, he said, but he always enjoyed working with kids.
Working at a soccer camp during his college years changed his life. “That experience led me to pursue a career in education,” he said.
Starting as a social studies teacher in the Bethpage School District in 1994, he spent five years performing a host of duties. He coached the boys’ varsity soccer team and was the Student Council advisor. He chaperoned students on numerous field trips to places like Boston and Washington, D.C. “It was great because I got to work with the kids directly,” he said.
Heidenreich’s next stop was the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, where he was director of instruction and technology services from 1999 to 2004. He described that experience as “rewarding” because he worked with students and make a positive impact on district-wide programs.
