Malverne superintendent to retire at the end of 2019-20 school year

After 13 years with the district, Malverne’s district Superintendent Dr. James Hunderfund has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2019-20 school year. He will retire effective Aug. 31, 2020.

Hunderfund is leaving Malverne with nearly 50 years of experience as an educator, 26 of which he has served as a superintendent. During his time as Malverne’s superintendent, the high school was named a New York State Reward School for the first time in its history, made the National Advanced Placement District Honor Roll, was the only school in Nassau County to earn the National Policy Center’s Gold Recognition as a school of opportunity, and has been ranked among America’s Most Challenging High Schools by the Washington Post for the past five years. The district’s Howard T. Herber Middle School was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, and Davison Avenue Intermediate School was recognized by New York state for best instructional practices. In addition, as part of the district’s first bond project in 2010, Hunderfund was responsible for the reorganization of the Malverne schools into a Princeton Plan, which included moving the fifth grade from the middle school and into the Davison Avenue Intermediate School.

Hunderfund’s leadership model is a collaborative one, making the entire Malverne community a partner in the educational system. As superintendent, he expanded services to the region through an extensive volunteer program involving students, parents and residents and established a number of committees, bringing community groups and the schools together. Under his leadership, the community passed two bonds that assisted in bringing the district’s buildings up to 21st-century learning standards.

In recent years, Hunderfund has earned the Suffolk County Superintendents President Award, the SCOPE Award for Outstanding Educational Leadership and the Nassau BOCES Education Partner Award. He has served as president of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association, was a member of the SCOPE Board of Directors, and serves the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools as assistant chairperson of its school evaluation committee and as a progress report evaluator.

“Dr. Hunderfund has made tremendous strides in our district by redefining our standards and traditions and bringing our schools, curriculum, students and community together to excel at levels that surpassed our expectations,” said Board President Danielle Hopkins in a news release. “We thank him for his service and dedication to our students and wish him nothing but health and happiness in his retirement. He will leave behind difficult shoes to fill as we seek someone to take our district to even greater heights.”

The Board of Education intends to conduct an extensive superintendent search. “We want everyone in the community to be heard and we want to consider all options,” Hopkins said. “Our district has come so far, and we need to make sure that the person we hire will continue, if not advance, our mission.”

The board will discuss its next steps at a public meeting on Sept. 10. All community residents are encouraged to attend. Any important announcements about the superintendent search will be posted on the district’s website, www.malverne.k12.ny.us.