The Board of Education recognized the efforts of long-standing custodian Miguel Soto at its Sept. 27 board meeting. After serving the district for 40 years, Soto has decided to retire earlier this year.

Soto joined the East Rockaway custodial staff as a cleaner in June 1978 and was promoted to custodian in January 1986. He’s spent most of his career at Centre Avenue School, until 2017 when he joined the East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School staff. Soto has two sons, both of whom graduated from East Rockaway high school, and a proud grandfather of five grandchildren.

Along with being a dedicated staff member, Soto was also an active community member, where he was a Centre Avenue PTA Lifetime Honoree, a reading partner at Centre Avenue for more than 30 years, and is an active parishioner at St. Raymond’s Church. Soto also translated and assisted district ENL families.