Board of Education Appoints Dr. Alison Villanueva to be Next Superintendent of Schools

At a specially scheduled work session meeting on Thursday night, the Eastchester Union Free School District Board of Trustees appointed Alison Villanueva, Ph.D. to become the EUFSD’s next Superintendent of Schools. 

Dr. Villanueva comes to Eastchester with a wealth of educational and administrative experience and currently serves as the Superintendent of Schools for the Watertown (CT) Public School District, a position she has held since January of 2021. 

She previously served as the K-12 Humanities Supervisor for the Ridgefield Public School District and as the principal for the Shelter Rock and Scotland Elementary Schools, both of which are located in Connecticut. She is also an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University and Connecticut University, where she teaches in the Educational Leadership department, specializing in educational law and finance. 

After receiving her Honors Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from York University in Toronto, Villanueva earned her first MFA in Literacy Education from New York University. She then completed a Masters of Philosophy from Columbia University and earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University as well.

“I think one of the things that makes Dr. Villanueva stand out is how well-rounded she is, going from the classroom to a building leader, to central office to becoming a sitting superintendent, where she’s really proven how she has rolled up her sleeves in all of those different capacities throughout her career to have a positive impact on the students.” said EUFSD Board of Education Secretary Matt Fanelli. “She spoke a lot about creating individualized pathways for students, really modernizing teaching and education ,and looking at things from a 360-degree view, which is something that really stood out to the board with respect to the different constituent groups.

“And when you look at the work she has done at Columbia, she’s really a leader in the space,” added Fanelli. “Her curriculum and programming knowledge were really unmatched among the finalists that were being considered.”

Dr. Villanueva’s selection as the district’s next leader comes after an exhaustive search process that saw BOE members and various stakeholders—including residents and current high school students—collaborate to ensure that the concerns of the Eastchester community were being properly addressed.

Through surveys and discussions with these various groups, the BOE was able to identify 15 finalists—including Villanueva— who best aligned with the many diverse groups comprising Eastchester’s vibrant community.

“One of the reasons that we chose the search firm that we did—District Wise Search—was because of how inclusive they were in seeking input from multiple constituent groups throughout the community, from the PTAs to the ETA, from the EAA and Sports Club to the Eastchester School Foundation,” said Fanelli. “One of the benefits of this process was really highlighting how we can find someone that has the qualities that all of these different constituent groups are looking for.

“This wasn’t a decision that was just made by nine people,” Fanelli added. ““We meticulously went through many data points as part of our selection process. While this appointment was ultimately the board’s decision, the staff chose her, school leadership chose her and the community chose her.”

Villanueva will step into her new role on July 1, 2025 and said she is eager to begin the work of ensuring that all Eagles have the tools they will need to soar.

“[Eastchester is a] district that is student-centered and all about the children and their families and the experience that they have here,” said Villanueva. “I want to thank you for welcoming me and I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get to work.”