Dr. Peter Rufa Appointed New Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction

The Mount Pleasant Central School District is pleased to announce that Dr. Peter Rufa has been selected as the new Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. The appointment will be formally recommended at the May 14th Board of Education Meeting, with Dr. Rufa set to assume his new role on July 1, 2025. Dr. Rufa will succeed Dr. Adam Bronstein, who has accepted the position of Superintendent of Somers Central School District after 10 years of distinguished service to Mount Pleasant.

Since 2023, Dr. Rufa has served as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at Floral Park-Bellerose Union Free School District. His impressive career includes roles as Principal of Glen Head Elementary School, Assistant Principal at Oyster Bay High School, Director of Fine and Performing Arts for the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District, Choral Director for the Levittown Public Schools, and a General Music Teacher at Franklin Elementary School. This diverse background has provided him with comprehensive leadership experience across curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Throughout our selection process, committee members consistently described Dr. Rufa as confident, knowledgeable, balanced, friendly, and principled. They were particularly impressed by his blend of enthusiasm, passion, and expertise, as well as his concise responses that included specific examples for each scenario. His approach to using both qualitative and quantitative data positions him ideally for success in this role at Mount Pleasant.

"All four of Dr. Rufa's former superintendents confirmed him to be a creative thinker with exceptional relational skills who builds outstanding connections with faculty and community members," said Dr. Peter Giarrizzo, Superintendent of Schools. "They described him as approaching tasks with purpose and leading with clarity. His extensive experience in districts comparable to ours includes a proven record of successfully implementing reading, science, and math programs. Dr. Rufa is known for being extremely present in schools, at evening events, and in the community. I am confident that under his leadership, our Curriculum and Instruction department and the entire district will thrive."

In anticipation of his appointment, Dr. Rufa shared, "I would like to thank the Board of Education, Dr. Giarrizzo, and the members of the search committee for the opportunity to join the Mount Pleasant Central School District. Through my work with schools throughout the region, particularly my curriculum development experience, I have gained a unique understanding of how to best support diverse educational needs. This perspective will enable me to bring the very best instructional leadership to Mount Pleasant every day. I am honored to join the Wildcat family and look forward to working with the talented faculty and staff to enhance learning experiences and exceed the needs of our students, educators, and administrators."

Dr. Rufa holds a Doctorate in Educational and Policy Leadership from Hofstra University, a Master of Science in School Administration from Touro College, a Master of Music Performance from the Boston Conservatory, and a Bachelor of Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.

The Mount Pleasant Central School District welcomes Dr. Rufa to the Wildcat family and looks forward to his leadership in curriculum and instruction.​​​​​​​​​