A very contentious period of time has come to end in Riverside School District.
The disruption concluded recently when the Riverside School Board voted to restore suspended Superintendent Chris Rateno, and reverse other actions the previous board majority approved last year.
The board held a special meeting on the morning of Jan. 6 to restore Rateno to office and approve a restoration agreement. An audience of district staff and community members applauded the vote.
Newly elected board members Joseph Audino and Jimmielee Vires joined returning board members Belinda Grassi and Lori Krenisky in the 4-0 vote. Absent from the meeting was Denise Brewster, the only remaining board member who voted to suspend Rateno late last year.
Krenisky, the new board president, read a statement after the vote.
“The past several weeks have been difficult and highly public, and the impact has been real,” she said. “Our students, our staff and our families have felt the strain of uncertainty and division, and that is not how a school district should operate.
“We know the strong emotions we’ve seen are a reflection of how deeply people care about this district.”
Krenisky said that the board regrets the impact recent actions had on Rateno and his family, and said that the board intends to act “in a way that restores stability and respect.”
Krenisky also apologized to community members, district employees and others who felt “discouraged or unsettled.” Moving forward, she said that the board will act with good boardsmanship, clear roles, teamwork, improved processes, improved communication and a commitment to listen.
“We want to close with what should guide every decision we make, our motto, ‘One community pursuing greatness and getting better every day,’ ” Krenisky said.
She also thanked interim Superintendent Robert Scott for serving in the role while Rateno was suspended.
Rateno thanked the board for the chance to stay at the district and expressed gratitude to family, friends and colleagues for their support. He also thanked staff and community members for continuing to support kids, each other and the district.
“The messages, conversations and quiet words of encouragement from staff and community members alike were deeply meaningful, and they reflect the strength and character of Riverside,” he said.
Rateno said that the district needs to listen to staff, families, students and community members to restore trust. He plans to listen and focus on collaboration and consistency in the coming weeks.
“We will continue to set common goals, work to restore trust and move forward with care and purpose,” he said. “I am committed to doing this work with humility, respect and deep appreciation for the voices of this community.”
Rateno indicated that he was set to return to work after the morning meeting.
At an earlier meeting on Jan. 2, Grassi apologized to Rateno and his family for “the headache, the heartache” of the recent months.
Rateno said at that time that Riverside is special to him and that there is nowhere else he would rather be.
Starting on Nov. 26 and running through much of December, Brewster and former board members Scott Fishel and Dennis Keeney approved a series of votes to consider termination of Rateno’s contract. He was suspended without pay starting Dec. 5.
They approved a document that accused Rateno of violating open meetings laws and school board policies, sabotaging the board’s will regarding a project at Buckeye Elementary School, and other charges.
Rateno denied all charges. Large crowds turned out to support him at a series of meetings.
The votes came after Fishel and Keeney lost in the Nov. 4 General Election. They left the board after their terms ended at the end of 2025.
The newly inaugurated board also used its Jan. 2 meeting to cancel a roofing contract, reject a consulting group’s financial report and terminate a marketing contract.
All votes were 4-0, as Brewster was also absent from that meeting. The decisions that the new board reversed had been approved by Brewster, Fishel and Keeney last year.
In conclusion, the newest version of the Riverside School Board — with the additions of Audino and Vires — should be commended for acting promptly at the start of 2026 to nullify previous action that was aimed at eventually terminating Rateno.
With Rateno reinstated as superintendent, his status with the district is back to normal, and won’t be a distraction. The board’s resolution of this matter should help to create a more favorable environment in the Riverside School District for students, staff, families and other community members.