Says he plans to leave by end of month
Carl Albano, the superintendent of the Garrison School since 2020, announced on Friday (Sept. 15) that he intends to retire this month after 34 years in public education.
Carl Albano at the Garrison School in July 2020 (Photo provided)
Albano said he becomes eligible for retirement under the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System on Wednesday (Sept. 27), when he turns 55, and will retire that day. He came to Garrison in July 2020 from Westchester County, where he had been superintendent of the Tuckahoe district since 2016.
Before that, he was the assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and pupil personnel services for the Tuckahoe district and principal of Tuckahoe Middle School from 2003 to 2012. Earlier in his career, Albano was an elementary school assistant principal, high school assistant principal and fifth-grade teacher.
On Wednesday (Sept. 20), the board appointed James Yap, the district’s director of innovation and learning, as acting superintendent while it searches for an interim to serve the remainder of the 2023-24. (The board plans to meet in executive session on Sept. 27 to consider applicants.) It hopes to fill the position by July 1.
In a letter to parents, Albano wrote: “The choice to retire has not been easy, as I continue to have a deep passion for my work and have cherished the opportunity to serve the Garrison community for the past three years. However, after a careful analysis of my current pension benefits, I concluded that retiring on my eligibility date is the most prudent course of action to provide greater financial security for my family.”
He told The Current had no immediate plans but that he will continue to work in education. In the near term, he said, “my wife’s been after me to paint our dining room.”
In its own statement, the board wrote: “We are grateful for Mr. Albano’s leadership, dedication and contribution to the children of Garrison. During his tenure as superintendent, our district successfully navigated reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic, oversaw the successful completion of the $9.9 million capital project, created a preschool program, implemented a pre-K to 8 environmental science program, and added a third high school option to the district.”
Earlier this month, the school board tasked Albano and Business Administrator Joe Jimick to produce numbers on what would happen to property taxes if Garrison and Haldane were to merge. Albano said he expected to have a response by mid-October.
Garrison has struggled to balance its budget in recent years. In 2022, voters approved an override of the state-mandated tax cap (which requires 60 percent approval) and a 6.6 percent increase in spending, but only after rejecting a request for a 9.18 percent hike. The cap was 2.2 percent.
