New Superintendent Selected To Lead Enfield Public Schools
ENFIELD, CT — A veteran administrator who spent the past six years improving a northern Connecticut town’s graduation rate to 98 percent will attempt to turn around the Enfield school system as its new superintendent, during what Board of Education member Tina LeBlanc called “a turning point in our district, where we’re going to be rebuilding.”
At a special meeting late Tuesday afternoon, the school board appointed Steven Mocchio to the position vacated by the departure of longtime superintendent Chris Drezek, who left in May to assume the same position in Old Saybrook.
Assistant superintendent Andy Longey, who decided not to pursue the top job, acted as interim superintendent for the last two months, and received considerable praise from board members for his assistance in the search for a new superintendent.
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Mocchio began his career in education teaching physics and earth science at Windsor High School, then moved on to Newington High School. Following completion of his sixth-year degree, he left the classroom and accepted his first administrative position as assistant principal for academics at West Springfield High School in Massachusetts.
He returned to Connecticut as assistant principal at Ellington High School for three years, then served six years as principal at Windermere School. He moved on to Suffield High School as principal for four years prior to taking the top job in Stafford in 2018.
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“He is a proven leader, with a strong background in budgeting and financial management,” board chair Charlotte Riley said. “I am excited for Enfield Public Schools.”
Board member Jean Acree said she was impressed with Mocchio’s previous experience in Windsor.
“He said he worked in Windsor and was taught diversity and culture,” she said. “I thought that would be a great plus for our district.”
The vote was 8-1 in favor of appointing Mocchio, with vice chair Peter Jonaitis the lone dissenter. He said he was in favor of another candidate who currently works in the Enfield system.
“I’m very disappointed with the choice that we made,” Jonaitis said. “Nothing against Steve, but I will not be voting for him.”
Unable to personally attend the meeting due to being on a family cruise, Mocchio did participate via Microsoft Teams.
“I am deeply honored and very grateful for the opportunity to lead Enfield Public Schools,” he said. “Running an educational system is really about collaboration, communication, transparency and mutual respect for everybody in terms of moving the district forward.”
He comes to Enfield during a difficult period of transition, in which the school board was granted several million dollars less than requested in its 2024-25 fiscal year budget proposal to the town council. Consequently, more than 100 teachers and staff members received layoff notices, and a number of programs and services were eliminated, including board-funded AP exams, the team teaching model at John F. Kennedy Middle School, and freshman and middle school sports.
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