A couple of weeks ago, we announced to staff that after more than 38 years of dedicated service to the Hastings-on-Hudson Public Schools, Carlos Castaneda, senior custodian, will be retiring, effective January 13, 2023. Currently our longest-standing employee, we believe Carlos deserves to be celebrated by everyone in the Hastings schools community.

Simply put, Carlos represents the best of Hastings. Throughout the years, he has demonstrated what it means to be a reliable leader and caretaker. No matter the situation, he has always been “just a phone call away,” for established and new staff alike. A supervisor in the district from early in his career, Carlos was also a long-serving President of the CSEA union. During his tenure, he worked tirelessly to not only negotiate the custodial staff’s contract, but also to improve the district's building conditions. Carlos is solution-oriented, and his ability to work collaboratively with students, faculty and staff, even in the most challenging of times, has been most appreciated and will be sorely missed.

Please join us in applauding Carlos for a job exceptionally well done, and for taking care of the Hastings family as well as he does his own.