Schenectady City School District Superintendent Anibal Soler Jr. has officially been appointed to the same role at Yonkers Public Schools. He was chosen unanimously by the Yonkers Board of Education, the district announced Tuesday.
Soler, who has been Schenectady's superintendent since 2021, will begin his new role in Yonkers on May 1.
"I will come, I will look to listen, I will look to learn, and learn about what makes Yonkers a special place. And I look forward to continuing to elevate that work," Soler said in a press conference following his appointment, according to the Rockland/Westchester Journal News.
In his weekly superintendent's brief distributed to the Schenectady school district on Friday, Soler addressed his potential departure from the district. He was initially hired in Schenectady in July 2021, when he was superintendent of the Batavia City School District.
The Daily Gazette columnist Andrew Waite wrote about the impact Soler's departure would have on the school district.
“Please know that regardless of what happens, I am committed to the work we have started and are doing,” Soler wrote in the community newsletter. “I will work with the Board of Education and the Executive Leadership Team to ensure those initiatives continue regardless of what happens to me. I know it’s difficult for something like this not to create a disturbance, but I encourage all of you to keep focused on the critical work underway and keep pushing forward. Schenectady is rising because of each of you. Never forget that.”
WELCOME! Yonkers Board of Education Unanimously Confirms @AnibalSolerJr as New Superintendent of Schools
— Yonkers Public Schools (@YonkersSchools) January 10, 2024
The appointment marks a significant milestone in the District's commitment to excellence in education.
Mr. Soler Begins His Appointment on May 1, 2024https://t.co/eFBsJyxhAB… pic.twitter.com/1pm6bhRfmm
The Schenectady school board will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Mont Pleasant Middle School. Board of Education President Bernice Rivera previously said on Monday that the the school board would hold an executive session following that meeting to discuss potential options if Soler were to accept the Yonkers job.