After 34-and-a-half years of working in education, Valley Central Deputy Superintendent Michael Bellarosa will retire effective June 30.

He began his long career in education as a teacher. Bellarosa spent about half of his career teaching English and coaching track and field as well as cross country at Cornwall Central High School, Tappan Zee High School and the United States Military Academy. He also coached track and field as well as cross country at Villanova University.

“They’re all different jobs but it doesn’t get better than teaching and coaching and working directly with kids,” he said. “That was absolutely my favorite part.”

While coaching at Villanova University he earned his master’s degree in administration. This led him to land jobs as an athletic director. He was the athletic director for the Valley Central School District for ten years and at the Cornwall Central School District for three years. Bellarosa also served as the assistant athletic director at Tappan Zee High School. He further showcased his leadership skills as assistant principal of Minisink Valley High School.

In the 2016-17 school year Bellarosa returned to the Valley Central School District as its assistant superintendent. This current school year he was promoted to deputy superintendent. In this position, he is second in charge of the district. Superintendent John Xanthis delegates important tasks to him such as human resources. Bellarosa oversees the other assistant superintendents as well. As a Valley Central High School graduate in the class of 1978, he was happy to end his career at his alma mater.

“This was unexpected to come back here to Valley Central after so many years someplace else,” he said. “But to be able to come back where I grew up and where my family’s from, that was the best to be able to do that.”

Bellarosa is proud of his professional career at Valley Central. One of the most important facets of his job as athletic director was working with the community. During his time as athletic director he oversaw community nights. Football games were organized and skydivers from West Point delivered the ball. One night honored William Moran, the first Superintendent of the Valley Central School District, and another community night honored the 1968-69 football team, who were the only team in program history to win a championship at that time. Bellarosa also helped start the district’s athletic hall of fame.

“It’s really nice because it’s connecting the kids to all these years here...,” he said. “That was a real important piece to me, being able to connect going back to generations before me and my generation and now after me. To bring those people together.”

During his retirement Bellarosa plans to raise his children and take care of his mother. He will also maintain his 18th Century house, which predates the American Revolution. He hopes to get involved with coaching if his children play sports.

“When we bought the place, we bought it not because we wanted it as much as it was a place to raise our family and grow our kids,” he said.