After a months-long search, the Rye City Board of Education has settled on a familiar face for its next superintendent.
The board announced Tuesday night that it had unanimously appointed Patricia Murray, the school district’s current assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment, as its new superintendent of schools.
“I believe strongly in the Rye commitment and the way it drives educational influence through the skills we nurture in students, the learning we provide for our faculty and the ways we engage our community,” Murray said. “It reflects the deep investment we’ll have in our schools, and I’m committed to continuing that work.”
Murray, who beat out 57 other candidates and five other finalists, will take on the role in July following Superintendent Eric Byrne’s looming retirement. Her term will run until June 2028.
“After several rounds of comprehensive interviews by the Board, Dr. Murray’s qualifications and characteristics consistently stood out as the best match for the Rye community,” the Board of Education wrote in an email to the community on Tuesday night.
Her salary will be $297,000 for the first year of her term, according to a district representative, $66,000 more than her current annual salary of $230,345, state records show.
Murray has served as assistant superintendent to Byrne since 2021.
“I am delighted that the Board of Education has chosen Dr. Tricia Murray as the next Superintendent of Schools for the Rye City School District,” Byrne said. “Having worked closely with Tricia over the past four years, I can attest to her deep knowledge of curriculum and data-driven instruction, her strength as a leader, her dedication to supporting the success of both students and teachers, and her commitment to excellence in education. I am leaving the district in very capable hands.”
Previously, Murray served as the principal of Bronxville Elementary School. And prior to that, she was the assistant principal of Putnam Valley Elementary School for six years, and spent several years as an elementary school teacher at Public School 11 in New York City.
She started her career in teaching as a middle school mathematics teacher and elementary teacher in Randolph, Mass.
The Board officially began the superintendent search process in November 2024 when it requested proposal submissions from various search firms, landing on Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) in early December 2024.
HYA then compiled a list of desirable characteristics for the new superintendent using results from a community survey as well as forums and conversations with teachers, students and families. The search firm adhered to their proposed timeline of announcing the selected candidate in April.
Board of Education President Jane Anderson said her colleagues are excited for the opportunities that will arise under Murray’s leadership.
“Dr. Murray has shared with the board her desire to build upon the district’s impressive foundation,” Anderson said.
Murray is a University of Michigan alumni. She received her masters from New York University and her doctorate from Fordham University. She is also a mother of two teenage girls.
This story was updated at 2:38 p.m. on April 9 to include Murray’s salary and information from the Board of Education and outgoing superintendent.
