Riverhead High reports gains in academics, lower incidents and growth in alternative programs

Riverhead High School Principal Christopher O'Hara told the Riverhead Central School District Board of Education on June 24 that the high school recorded gains in advanced coursework, career-technical participation and reductions in disciplinary incidents while alternative programs expanded to help students recover credits and graduate.

O'Hara said 564 Advanced Placement exams were administered this year, 506 students registered for dual-enrollment courses, 242 students enrolled in BOCES career and technical education programs, and 44 students registered for an early-college program this year. He also reported a multi-year decline in disciplinary referrals and fewer physical altercations, which he attributed to increased presence of counselors, social workers, neighborhood aides and school resource officers.

The accomplishments include athletics and arts highlights that school staff presented as part of the year-end report. Baseball coach Kevin Kerman noted sophomore pitcher Matthew Zambriski threw “Riverhead Baseball's first perfect game in school history,” while praising senior Brady Hubbard’s playoff-winning hit. Girls golf coach Steve Faella said two Riverhead players qualified for the New York State championships for the first time in district history. The principal said the district again qualified as a school of excellence, with 23 of 25 varsity teams meeting standards.

The presentation also described two alternative-education initiatives that administrators said supported improved outcomes. Assistant principal La Rochester outlined the Riverhead Evening Academy as a hybrid, credit-recovery program that grew from about 48 students to about 75 this year and offers individualized instruction and counseling to students outside the traditional school day. North Star Academy director Mrs. Stisham told the board North Star serves roughly 40 to 60 students annually, has recovered “over 200 credits” through the Odysseyware platform, and produced 20 graduates directly from the program over three years; the district expects 31 students to graduate this coming Friday with credits recovered in part at North Star.

O'Hara and other presenters highlighted initiatives addressing attendance and vaping. The district reported a drop in chronic absenteeism and a reduction in overall attendance concerns, and credited personalized outreach — including home visits and checks by guidance counselors, social workers and neighborhood aides — with some of the improvement. On vaping, O'Hara said the district received additional vape sensors from Riverhead CAP and that vape-reduction efforts combine education, intervention and counseling options.

Why it matters: the data and program descriptions give the board a picture of where the high school has focused resources — academic acceleration, credit recovery, and behavioral support — and document both outcomes (enrollment numbers, recovered credits, athletic milestones) and continuing challenges (chronic absenteeism remains a statewide issue). The presentation also connects programs and interventions to classroom time preserved and transition plans for students returning from alternative settings.

Board members and the public praised staff and students during the presentation, and multiple coaches and program leaders joined administrators in noting individual achievements and program metrics. The board did not take formal action on the presentation itself; it served as information and context for district priorities going into the 2025–26 school year.

The district shared a slide deck and a short video as supplemental material; the board suggested members would review the materials at their leisure.