Carolyn Fante Wins Robert K. Toaz Memorial Prize
More than seven decades after his death, the name of Robert K. Toaz floated through the air at a Huntington High School event. An award in his honor was presented to Carolyn Fante, valedictorian of the Class of 2011.
Mr. Toaz was the first superintendent of the district, serving from 1906 to 1933. During much of that same time he also served as the high school principal. When he was on the scene, the high school was located several miles northeast of its current site at what is now Huntington Town Hall.
While Mr. Toaz is long gone from the school system and community, and largely forgotten to history, the annual academic award allows a new generation to become familiar with one of the district's legendary figures.
Ms. Fante is headed to University of Pennsylvania in the fall where she intends to study international relations. After moving to Huntington for her freshman year, the teenager sparkled in every academic discipline. She was president of the National Honor Society, co-editor in chief of The Dispatch newspaper, vice-president of the Spanish Honor Society and a real-life humanitarian, as well as winning varsity letters in soccer.
The Robert K. Toaz Memorial Prize was originally presented to the top student at the junior high school bearing his name. That building was located at the intersection of Woodhull and Nassau Roads and its property extended along Spring Road. When Toaz Junior High School closed in June 1981, the annual award recipient became the valedictorian of the graduating class. The award presented to Ms. Fante carried a stipend of $100.
Construction on what would later become Robert K. Toaz Junior High School began January 8, 1938. The cornerstone for the structure was laid May 7, 1938. The school cost $748,957.33 to build, equip and landscape. The John H. Eisele Construction Company served as the general contractor. The federal depression era Public Works Administration footed $336,457.33 of the cost with a school bond issue of $412,500 covering the balance.
The building was completed in late November 1938, more than four months ahead of the April 15, 1939 contract deadline. Speedy progress was attributed to good weather conditions. Dedication ceremonies were held August 23, 1939 at 8:30 p.m. The capacity of the building was 1,025 students. A later addition increased the capacity by several hundred. The initial registration was about 800. The first day of school was September 5 with the first bell sounding at 8:30 a.m. Students were dismissed that day at 11 a.m. with regular hours being implemented the next day.
The Toaz building was the first junior high school in Suffolk County. After it was closed, the Huntington School District eventually sold the site to Touro Law School, which operated out of the facility for more than 20 years. Two years ago the Good News Church bought the building and surrounding land after Touro moved to a new facility in Central Islip.
Ms. Fante was not even born when Toaz Junior High School was in operation and she obviously never met Mr. Toaz, who passed on April 16, 1938. But, now the two are linked forever by virtue of the award that goes to the top student in the senior class.