Ricardo Soto named permanent schools chief in Center Moriches

Ricardo Soto, interim Center Moriches schools superintendent since his predecessor abruptly resigned last August, has been appointed to the position on a permanent basis.

Soto will fill the district’s top seat through July 30, 2029, unless his tenure is extended, according to the four-year contract approved by the Center Moriches Board of Education and posted on the district’s website. His base salary for the 2025-2026 academic year, effective July 1, 2025, will be $245,000.

Until previous Superintendent Ronald Masera stepped down unexpectedly, effective last Aug. 6, Soto had served as the district’s assistant superintendent for student services, personnel and instructional technology, Newsday reported at the time.

Masera, who was appointed superintendent in 2019, vacated his seat close to a year before his contracted departure date of June 30, according to a 12-page agreement last summer he reached with the district, and reported by Newsday. No reason was given for Masera’s early exit, which included a district payout of $282,366, Newsday reported.

“Dr. Soto’s service as our interim superintendent of schools has showcased his leadership and communication skills and his unparalleled ability to build cooperative and collaborative relationships with parents, the larger Center Moriches community, and the faculty and staff of the District,” board president Lauren Slionski said in a statement issued Tuesday announcing Soto’s appointment.

“There is a new energy in our District,” Slionski added, “a positive excitement for all that has been accomplished and a palpable confidence in all that will continue to be achieved under Dr. Soto’s stewardship.”

Soto has been employed by the district for 21 years and has lived with his family in Center Moriches for the past 19, according to the district’s announcement.

In recent years, while he was an assistant superintendent, Soto served as the district’s DEI chair, overseeing an annual board-approved equity plan that included among other tasks a review of field trips and the appointment of DEI liaisons, Newsday previously reported.

Soto was not available for comment Tuesday.

Last year, he told Newsday: “We are engaged in [DEI] work to give our students every opportunity to understand the global environment that exists outside of their immediate homes.”