After a four-month search for candidates suitable to replace Dr. James Grossane as Superintendent of the Levittown Public School District, members of the Levittown Board of Education have appointed Dr. Tonie McDonald to the position, effective July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2017.
For McDonald, who is currently assistant superintendent of business and finance in the nearby Plainedge Union Free School District, the appointment was a warm welcome home to the Levittown School District, where she had previously worked as both an administrator and as a teacher for more than 10 years.
“I couldn’t be happier,” McDonald said of her return to Levittown. “There are so many amazing people who live and work there.”
In order to choose a suitable candidate to fill Dr. Grossane’s shoes, members of the Board of Education used the services of School Leadership LLC—a national leadership search firm, which conducted an online survey to determine the qualifications most important to the community.
“The Board of Education has taken the responsibility of selecting a new superintendent very seriously,” said Board President Kevin Regan. “After input from all of the district’s stakeholders, and as a result of working with a professional national search firm, we are extremely confident that Dr. McDonald possesses the professionalism, experience, character, communication skills and vision to lead our school district to even greater levels of success.”
According to school officials, the response played a significant role in mapping the final criteria for the most viable candidates. From a pool of more than 25 highly qualified applicants, McDonald was selected by the firm as one of five candidates to present to the Levittown Board of Education.
With a B.A. in social sciences and an M.A. in secondary education from Adelphi University, combined with a doctorate of education from Hofstra University, McDonald clearly met the school board’s requirements.
“Dr. McDonald is an outstanding choice,” Regan added. “Her professional qualifications, combined with her prior experience working in our school district, made her the majority choice of the board.”
Prior to her appointment in the Plainedge School District, McDonald held several positions in the Levittown, including assistant superintendent for business and finance, director of pupil services, social studies chairperson and district testing data coordinator. She also taught as an adjunct professor at Hofstra and Dowling College.
“I would like to thank the Board of Education for the confidence they have shown in me,” McDonald said. “I am looking forward to working with the Board of Education, administrators, staff, parents, students and community residents to move our students and school district to the next level of success.”
