By Brian T. Dessart
On July 1, the Lynbrook School District will officially welcome its new superintendent, Dr. Philip S. Cicero, who will replace retiring superintendent William Metkiff. Metkiff, who was named superintendent in 1991, announced in mid-November his plans to retire at the end of the school year.
"I think ... that as the new person, you need to understand the values and beliefs of the district," Cicero said. "You need to talk to all the constituents who comprise the district -- that is a learning process, and you learn by listening. You have to show you really want to be part of the school district."
Cicero enters the Lynbrook district with an impressive resume. He received degrees from Manhattan College, Adelphi University and New York University, and earned his administration certifications from Hofstra. He was named assistant superintendent of the Island Park School District in 1994, and eventually took over as superintendent, a position he held for three years. Cicero is currently superintendent of the Center Moriches School District in eastern Suffolk County, and will leave after having served a four-year stint.
"His education background is superior," said Lynbrook School Board President Phyllis Caruso. "He has been a superintendent in two districts, and his personality is a good fit for Lynbrook's community."
During his time in Center Moriches, Cicero was responsible for the renovation and upgrading of the district's facilities. At the high school, he was a key factor behind the construction of a library media center, a gymnasium and a track-and-field facility. The middle school saw the addition of a new wing for the grades six through eight. On the elementary level, a new computer lab and playground were added. Cicero was also responsible for hiring counselors, a social worker and a dean on the elementary level to help better meet the needs of the students.
As superintendent, Cicero served on a variety of committees, including those sponsored by BOCES and the Nassau and Suffolk Councils of School Superintendents. This year he was a member of the New York State Council of School Superintendents' Wellness Committee.
Cicero was selected for the Lynbrook position from a pool of 11 applicants considered by the Lynbrook Board of Education, narrowed from a field of 41 reviewed by SCOPE, an executive search firm. "Our challenge was to find someone who would take Lynbrook to a better place than we already are academically," Caruso said. "We are pretty near the top right now."
Cicero and his wife, Joanne, live in North Bellmore, but are no strangers to Lynbrook. In the 1970s, Cicero was a member of the Mur-Lees baseball team, and it was then that he met his wife. His father-in-law still lives in Lynbrook.
Cicero is an accomplished athlete, having competed in the Long Island Marathon and Half Marathon as well as the New York City Marathon. He regularly takes part in 5K and 10K races and biathlons.
The Lynbrook Board of Education invites the community to say farewell to Metkiff and to welcome Cicero on June 9 at 9:00 p.m., in the high school cafeteria, following that night's Board of Education meeting.
