When Anthony White thinks about his journey to becoming superintendent of Wallkill Central School District, he traces it back to a high school classroom where he wasn’t even supposed to be teaching. As a senior with a half day schedule and college classes filling some slots, White found himself with free time. A special education teacher noticed and asked if he would volunteer in the life skills classroom instead of hanging out in the senior lounge.

“It was just rewarding and great to see,” White says, “teaching and being involved with students who have disabilities.” That moment opened his eyes to what he could do, and it set the course for everything that followed.

Twenty-plus years later, White has come full circle. He started as a special education teacher at Pine Bush Central School District, where he taught for 11 years before pursuing his administrative degree. His first administrative role was as assistant director of special education in Wappingers Central School District. After three years there, he saw an opening at Wallkill for director of pupil personnel services and was hired in March 2014. He held that position for eight years, then served as assistant superintendent for educational services for four years before being appointed superintendent this past October.

For White, leadership isn’t about one defining influence. It’s about the collection of people who shaped him along the way.

“I was an athlete in high school, I played three sports—soccer, basketball, and baseball—and in college, I played baseball,” he says. “I would say the coaches and fellow administrators that I’ve worked with have influenced how I lead. What he learned from all of them is consistent: ensure everyone feels included and involved, give 100 percent every day, and build connections and relationships. “You can inspire people to do more than what they think they could do.”

Leading the district where he’s already spent more than a decade feels natural.

“It’s a dream come true,” White says. “I love Wallkill.”

He credits Kevin Castle, the previous superintendent, with setting a strong foundation and teaching him a lot about leadership. “I love the community, and the kids in the district are great,” he says. “Going into the buildings and they all make eye contact with you, they all say hello.” It’s those small moments—the ones that happen in hallways and at after-school events—that White believes make all the difference.

His vision is straightforward. As he wrote in his October 6 letter to the community, it’s to ensure every student feels valued, supported, and prepared for success, both in school and beyond. “I believe that the power of meaningful connections, whether it’s a smile in the hallway, a word of encouragement, or a breakthrough in learning, are the moments that are made possible by our involvement in partnership, and the foundations of trust, growth, and achievement,” he says.

White describes his leadership style as collaborative and transparent. He believes in including people in discussions and getting a variety of perspectives—from staff, students, parents, and community organizers—to inform the decision being made. “I will include people in discussions to ensure that the kids are given the best opportunity to be successful,” he says.

He sees the district’s strengths clearly: the longevity of the board, strong academic programs, robust extracurriculars, a solid reading and writing program at the elementary level, and dual enrollment courses at the high school where it’s not unusual for students to graduate with 12 college credits upon graduation. But he’s also looking ahead. New York State recently released NY Inspires, a transformation in education that includes a portrait of a graduate, reassessed graduation credits, and a move to one diploma and one transcript. White believes Wallkill is already ahead of the curve. The district has started including financial literacy, American Sign Language, and environmental education at the secondary level, and they are exploring an Agricultural Science class for next year. Teachers are getting professional development on project-based learning and authentic assessments—presentations, portfolios, different ways students can show they have mastered the material beyond paper-and-pencil tests.

“So we have been really focusing on that, which is all part of the playbook for NY Inspires,” White says.

Building trust and collaboration means being visible. White plans to attend community events, concerts, and sporting events.

“Going to community events, talking to people so they get to see who I am and I get to meet who they are,” he says. “It’s the same approach he takes with students—creating foundations for learning through connection. “If we’re making connections with kids and kids have connections with teachers and the school, they are going to be ready to learn and you will see academic growth.”

The district has systems in place to support this, with social workers in every building, five psychologists, intervention specialists at the elementary schools, and daily check-ins to see if kids are ready to learn. It’s a proactive approach, White says, though they are ready to be reactive when needed.

For White, extracurriculars are not just add-ons. They are significant. “Some kids come to school not just to learn but to be part of those extracurricular activities, whether it be chorus, concerts, orchestra, band, sports,” he says. “They look forward to that at the end of the day.”

Beyond engagement, these activities teach soft skills—how to overcome failure, deal with success, and navigate difficult situations. “They learn that through extracurricular activities and sports,” he says.

When asked about legacy, White laughs. “I’m thinking about my start.” But he knows what matters: that he always had the best interest of students, that he put them first, that he got all stakeholders’ input, that it was collaborative, and that he could make tough decisions when needed. Success, for White, is measured in a wide range of ways. As long as the district continues to progress and students attain the skills they need to be productive members of society and reach the goals they set for themselves, that’s what counts. “Talking to students who graduate, not just a year after, but five or 10 years after, to ensure that they learned the skills they need,” he says. “It all comes back to how well we are doing to meet the students’ needs.”

Right now, White is excited about working with the board to implement their vision while aligning it with kids needs and state requirements. He’s excited about sharing what the district already has in place and future projects. And he’s excited about working intimately with the community, attending events, and showcasing what students are learning through plays, concerts, and authentic audiences for presentations.

It’s clear for White, education is about more than academics. It’s about the whole child, the connections that make learning possible, and the moments—big and small—that follow students long after they leave.

“I’m just super excited to be leading Wallkill Central School District,” he says, “and I’m looking forward to all the great work that we could do as a district.”