WH Secondary School

March 23, 2022

Dear West Hempstead School Community,

It is my pleasure to inform you that at last evening’s Board of Education Special Business Meeting, the Board unanimously appointed Joseph Pumo as the principal of West Hempstead Secondary School, effective July 1, 2022. As you know, Mr. Pumo has faithfully served as the interim principal of West Hempstead High School since the start of the 2021-22 school year and has done a tremendous job connecting with students, teachers, and parents.

Prior to his position as principal, Mr. Pumo served as an assistant principal for grades 7-9 at our secondary plant and as the assistant principal at West Hempstead Middle School from 2017.

With his experience working in both our schools, it is my firm belief that Mr. Pumo is the perfect administrator to lead the creation of our new West Hempstead Secondary School (which was discussed in great detail at the February 1 Board meeting).

Through this merger and under Mr. Pumo’s guidance, the district will be able to improve instructional consistency at the secondary level, create a better alignment with our programs in grades Pre-K-12, and create environments within our schools that continue our mission of innovation and reimagining 21st-century learning. Please be assured that most operational functions of the schools will stay the same (more details will be shared with the community over the coming months).

Mr. Pumo will help lead the district through this transition, focusing on the overall well-being of our students. For those of you who know Mr. Pumo well, you know that he emphasizes educating the whole child and understands the importance of meeting the social and emotional needs of all students while balancing high academic expectations. Over the course of the past year, he has highlighted the importance of a strong school/home partnership and has done an outstanding job.

Please join me in welcoming Mr. Pumo as our new Secondary School principal. I look forward to his continued contributions to our school district!

Sincerely,

Daniel Rehman

Superintendent of Schools