Valley Stream North H.S. principal to become assistant superintendent

The Valley Stream Central High School District Board of Education hired North High School’s principal as the district’s new assistant superintendent for personnel and administration on March 10.

“I’m excited, I’m elated and I’m honored,” said Clifford Odell, who has served as the principal at North for 10 years. “It’s an absolutely wonderful opportunity.”

Odell will officially begin the new position on July 1. He will fill the vacancy left by Tracy Nekulak, who resigned the position earlier this year. He said he hopes to “hit the ground running,” when he moves in to his new office.

“I’m looking forward to having an impact on all four schools in the district,” he said. “I’m excited to work with our faculty and our staff to make sure we have the most talented staff working with our students…my focus is really all about the students. I’m willing to try anything we can to make our schools better for them.”

The board voted eight to one to hire Odell. Trustee William Stris was the lone dissenting vote.

“My no vote stems from the fact that, in my opinion, there was another candidate that was more qualified,” he said. “With that said, I wish Mr. Odell the best and will support him, as I know all my colleagues will, in his new assignment.”

Board President Lawrence Trogel congratulated Odell on the new position, saying he was “confident” he would do well and that Odell's experience in the district set him apart from other applicants considered for the job.

“We had two very qualified candidates that we considered, but the majority of us thought Mr. Odell was the better of the two finalists,” he said. “His knowledge of how the district operates, the culture of the district — what our students really need — really made us feel he was the best candidate.”

Superintendent Bill Heidenreich also praised Odell’s experience.

“He was the most qualified candidate we interviewed for the job,” Heidenreich said. “He has a decade of service in our district, and he has shown the commitment to work with a diverse community to solve problems and better our schools. He understands the importance of hiring a strong staff and, as a result of his time here, he has the institutional memory that is necessary as a hiring officer.”