Patricia Godek, North Babylon superintendent, to retire

North Babylon School Superintendent Patricia Godek has announced that she will retire Dec. 31, bringing to a close a 40-year career in education.

Godek has led the district for three and a half years as it adopted new Common Core standards and weathered a difficult 2013-14 budget year when voters initially rejected the proposed budget.

Godek started working in the district six years ago as assistant superintendent. Before that, she was principal at Bayville Primary school in Locust Valley and Tangier Smith Elementary School in Mastic Beach.

“My own family has expanded, and I’m a grandma,” said Godek, 63. “I kind of promised my husband that I’d make more time for family than I had in the past.”

Of her time leading the district, she said she felt “very fortunate to have worked there, and to have watched what we’ve done over time, the kind of programs we've been able to develop...We were able to set a solid ground for the future.”

Janet Meyerson, North Babylon School Board President said Godek “was an excellent educational leader for North Babylon, and she will continue to be so for the next six months.”

North Babylon schools had a student enrollment of 4,766 for the 2012-13 school year, the most recent for which numbers were available. It passed a $113.6 million budget for 2014-15.

Godek’s total compensation last year was $217,500.

Meyerson said the school board may discuss finding a replacement for Godek at its July 10 meeting. Trustees hope to have a permanent replacement by the time Godek retires, she said.