Porcupine Soup is reporting the Catskill school board has announced the appointment of Thomas Bongiovi to serve as the district's interim superintendent, beginning August 1. Bongiovi is stepping into the shoes of outgoing superintendent Dr. Ronel Cook, who leaves Catskill on July 29, to become the superintendent of the Englewood, New Jersey, public school district. Bongiovi said, “I’m very excited to be here at Catskill, to share my experience and mentor our teachers and staff, and assist with the district’s search for the next superintendent in any way I can.” Bongiovi is a retired educator with administrative experience who now provides interim services for schools. He served as superintendent of the Highland Central School District from 2017 to 2021 and superintendent of the Port Jervis Central School District from 2013 to 2017. He holds a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from SUNY Stony Brook, and a Bachelor of Arts from LeMoyne College. Bongiovi was inspired to become an educator by his much older brother, who was an English teacher at his high school. Bonbiovi began his career as a high school social studies teacher on Long Island, where he taught for 12 years, and later served 17 years with the Port Jervis Central School District, where he advanced up the administrative ladder and ultimately to the superintendency. He now lives with his family in the Poconos. Until Cook's departure on the 29th, Bongiovi will be working closely with him and the Catskill administrative team to familiarize himself with the immediate and long-term needs of the district. Read more at porcupine soup [dot] com.