William Floyd to fill three seats, unopposed

The William Floyd School District will elect two trustees to the board of education for terms of three years commencing July 1 and ending June 30, 2026. The two seats are currently held by trustees Angelo Cassarino and Robert Taiani. They will also elect one trustee to the board of education to fill the remainder of the term previously held by Robert Guerriero, expiring on June 30, 2025. This seat is currently held by trustee Luis J. Soto. All three incumbent trustees are running unopposed.

Robert Taiani
Taiani is a board of education trustee and the current vice president. He will be seeking reelection for a sixth three-year term serving the William Floyd school community.
Taiani is a lifelong resident of the William Floyd community and a William Floyd High School alumnus (Class of 1991). He has served as a member of the William Floyd Board of Education for the past 15 years, first elected in 2008 and reelected every three years since. He was recently selected unanimously by his colleagues to serve as the board vice president, after the death of fellow trustee, Robert Guerriero.
Taiani is no stranger to service, as he recently retired from a decorated 21-year career as an emergency services unit officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, stationed at the World Trade Center. He also volunteers his time serving as a youth football coach, commissioner and chair of the Lynvet Colonials Youth Football, an organization dedicated to providing children ages 5 to 14 with the opportunity to play football, stay active and have fun. He is also a member of the William Floyd Athletic Hall of Fame (Class of 2017). 
Taiani resides in Moriches and is happily married to his wife, Lisa, and is the proud father of four boys, two of whom are also alumni and two who are currently attending William Floyd schools.
“I am extremely proud of how far the district has come during my time serving in this volunteer capacity,” he said, mentioning that when he first started, the district’s graduation rate was at 67 percent, and now, 14 years later, it is at above 91 percent. “During my time as a trustee, the district has added many new and innovative programs, such as the Career and Technical Education academies, which are providing students an opportunity to gain skills they can use throughout their lives.”
He is also proud of the district’s music, arts, science, and athletics programs.
“I am also proud to serve on a board that continues to put the students first, while at the same time is considerate of the fiscal needs of our residents,” he added. “We are proud to propose a budget that reduces taxes for the second consecutive year—a tax reduction, providing much-needed tax relief for our community, while at the same time adding programs and planning for the future in an intelligent manner.”
“I look forward to continue serving our students and community as a trustee, and I appreciate their confidence and support,” he continued.

Luis J. Soto
Trustee Luis J. Soto was appointed by the board of education to fill the vacancy due to the death of former trustee and vice president, Robert Guerriero.
Soto has spent the past 18 years working in the public sector serving in various capacities, including public transportation, labor relations, and health care. For the past 10 years, he has served as a bus operator for the New York City Transit Authority/MTA.
As a community-minded individual, Soto has served local youth athletics organizations in various capacities, including as a head coach, assistant coach, league representative and commissioner in New York City, and in similar capacities with the Lynvet Colonials.
He also serves as assistant scout master for the Boy Scouts of America Troop 29 out of East Moriches. Soto resides in Shirley and is happily married to his wife, Eva, and is the proud father of four children, two of whom are currently enrolled in William Floyd schools.
“It has been my honor and privilege to serve the students and residents of our community over these past several months,” he said, hoping for reelection. “As a trustee, my main focus is to ensure that the highest quality of education continues to be provided for our students, while being sensitive to the fiscal needs of our residents.”
He also mentioned being proud of the tax reduction that the budget put forth again this year.
“As a trustee, I will continue to support innovative programs at all levels, including Career and Technical Education, Special Education, English Language Learners, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts & Mathematics); ensure that all students and educators can learn and work in spaces that are safe, supportive, enriching, and equitable; maintain the integrity of our policy and keep it aligned with district goals so that our students can continue to succeed and our employees flourish; support our students, community members, and stakeholders alike, all while listening to new ideas,” he added. “As a professional and as a community and board of education volunteer, I know the difference in ‘just doing a job to get it done’ and doing a job right. I will continue to always put our students and residents first. I look forward to continue representing our district in this capacity, and I thank the community for their confidence and support.”

Angelo Cassarino
Trustee Angelo Cassarino is seeking reelection for a second three-year term serving the William Floyd school community.
Cassarino is a lifelong resident of the William Floyd community and a William Floyd High School alumnus (Class of 1994). He was first elected to the school board in 2020—at a time when the nation was in crisis due to the COVID pandemic—and, along with his colleagues, provided steady and dedicated board leadership.
Cassarino resides in Shirley with his family and is employed with the Town of Brookhaven. He is happily married to his wife, Tracy, William Floyd High School alumna (Class of 1993), and together they have two daughters, one who has graduated and another who is currently attending William Floyd schools. Angelo and Tracy chose to live and raise their family in the William Floyd community because of the fond memories they had growing up, as well as to provide their children with the multitude of opportunities that the district offers.
“Throughout my tenure, I have seen firsthand how my colleagues on the board tirelessly lobbied for more state aid to our schools and community. This has recently come to fruition with New York State finally pledging to fully fund foundation aid,” he said, proud of this year’s budget. “The reason that I wish to continue to serve is the same reason I got involved in the first place—to represent a school community that I love and has given me so many opportunities in life. The least that I can do is continue to give back through my service on the board of education. I will continue to do everything I can to ensure our students get the best possible education while still remaining fiscally responsible to our residents. We live here, too, and want the best for our children and our neighbors. I look forward to continue being a positive voice within our district and am excited to see the extraordinary things we can continue to accomplish as a district and community!”