Rodriguez named interim superintendent

The Yonkers Board of Education Trustees have appointed Luis Rodriguez to the post of Interim Superintendent of Schools. Superintendent Edwin Quezada retired on July 3 after 25 years with the school system. Rodriguez is due to serve a one-year term in the position.

A search for a permanent superintendent is underway with the school board retaining the firm Hazard Young Attea & Associates to assist in the search. Hazard Young describes itself as having worked in 42 states and assisted more than 1,600 school districts.

“We look forward to a successful collaboration (with Dr. Rodriguez) as we continue to strive for the best for the Yonkers Public Schools community,” Board of Education President Rev. Steve Lopez said.

Rodriguez moved into the interim superintendent position on Aug. 1 after having served for nine years as assistant superintendent for special education and pupil support services. Prior to joining the Yonkers Public Schools, Rodriguez was an official the New York City Department of Education. He previously was an assistant professor at New York Medical College in Valhalla. He also was an adjunct faculty member at Fordham University and Southern Connecticut State University. Rodriguez holds a Master of Science in Urban Leadership & Education degree from Mercy College and a Master of Public Health degree from Columbia University. He received a law degree from Fordham University School of Law.

Rodriguez recently expressed support for Mayor Spano’s Backpack to School program, now in its 12th year, which invites residents to make backpack and school supply donations for Yonkers Public School students most in need. Donations are accepted at Yonkers libraries and police precincts through Aug. 20.

“The cost burden of sending students back to school can cause significant financial stress on families, particularly those with multiple school age children. Our students often see the strain on the family budget, and that can diminish the excitement of returning to school,” Rodriguez said, adding that the program “allows our families and students to share the excitement of returning to school, focused on the upcoming school year.”

A survey on the cost of school supplies in 2023 by the National Retail Federation found that  families with children in grades K-12 expected to spend more than $890 on average for school items in 2023, approximately $25 more than last year’s record of just over $864.