SALAMANCA — Robert Breidenstein announced Wednesday he will be retiring as superintendent of the Salamanca City Central School District at the end of the 2021-22 school year.
Breidenstein, who will be 55 at the end of October, cited the stable state the district is in and good timing in his personal life as primary reasons for leaving the position, which he has served in since the summer of 2011.
“Things are going exceptionally well,” he told the Press Wednesday. “Good, effective organizations like Salamanca are always mindful of the future and always thinking about how to have smooth, effective transitions so the good work that we’ve already done can continue to work and grow.”
Beginning his work with students in 1986, Breidenstein became a mental health counselor in 1990 and then a school counselor in Genesee County. He has served as an administrator in several Western New York school districts before Salamanca including Orchard Park, West Seneca and Tonawanda.
“I have a lot of mileage and a lot of experiences in public education, and I have truly loved every second of that nearly 40 years of time in the classroom,” he said.
During his decade in Salamanca, Breidenstein oversaw the growth in student enrollment, a substantial increase in graduation rates particularly for Indigenous students, the introduction of Advanced Placement courses in the high school and the development of a multi-phase capital improvement project that included a new STEAM wing addition and program as well as the renovation of Veterans Memorial Park.
“We do anticipate having some additional capital improvement projects that will come up to the voters over the course of the remaining 2021-22 school year,” he added. “We’re still going to celebrate the successes of our students and faculty, and we’re always going to have a watchful eye on our past and our history to be respectful to our community but also a watchful eye looking forward to our future.”
Also under his tenure, Breidenstein was involved in securing over $125 million in financial aid for six Indigenous Land districts in Western New York, with Salamanca annually receiving $16 million in additional federal aid.
Breidenstein is an active member on the Western NewYork Education Service Council, Allegany Highland Council of Scouts USA, New York State Association of Small City School Districts, New York State Council of School Superintendents House of Delegates, Wings Flights of Hope and serves as the New York State Impact Aid Chairperson.
At this time of transition, Breidenstein said the district is in a good position where it can balance the past, present and future, and he predicts there will be more exciting things on the horizon for the district in the next year.
“I’ve been fortunate to work in a number of school districts in my career, and while I’ve loved all of those stops in my career, my time in Salamanca has by far been the most rewarding, most fulfilling I’ve done professionally,” he said.
Breidenstein attributed Salamanca’s recent successes to the school board’s leadership, the community’s investment as a whole and their unwavering commitment to do better every day.
“I’m not sure what will occur for the next superintendent to be selected, but whoever that person is, I can attest with 100-percent certainty that they’re going to be awfully lucky to walk into a district the caliber of Salamanca, and I’m blessed to be a part of that,” he added. “I have my health and I’m looking forward to the last eight months and then whatever life holds after July 1.”
