In recent weeks, The Roslyn News has introduced the Roslyn School District's new interim superintendent to its readers. Now, it's Dr. Frank Banta's turn.

Dr. Banta has been approved as the interim principal at Roslyn High School by the Board of Education. He was recommended for the job by Dr. David J. Helme, the interim superintendent.

The opening came when Dr. Jayson Stoller, the longtime principal at Roslyn High was relieved of his responsibilities pending an investigation of certain travel expenses.

All this is happening as administrators, teachers, and students began to settle in for the new school year.

Fortunately, Dr. Banta has had some experience in the realm of interim duties. Principal of Port Washington's Schreiber High School in the 1970s and '80s, Dr. Banta later served as interim principal of that high school in 2002.

"Everyone has been cooperative and friendly," Dr. Banta said, just a week into his new job. "They've made the transition a smooth one."

While also claming to be "very impressed" by the high school's staff and student body, Dr. Banta also recited a motto from his alma mater, one that serves as a lodestar on how he approaches his job.

"I am a graduate of the University of Albany," he said. "The motto there was: 'Let each become all he or she is capable of being.' As principal, I need to follow that at Roslyn High School," adding that "your responsibility [as principal] is to see that students are able to develop their full potential in the course of the school year.

The new school year is under way and as Dr. Banta settles into his new job, he hopes to meet with student representatives, teachers, and parents of the various Parent/Faculty organizations to get ideas.

A principal's main duty is to "maintain an orderly environment," but Dr. Banta also believes in "collaboration" with segments of the high school's population.

In addition, Dr. Banta will concentrate on the usual duties, such as following through with "a great academic program and core curriculum for the school."

Dr. Banta doesn't know how long he will stay on the job. It probably will be for the course of the 2004-2005 school year, but it could be longer. With the recent resignation of former Superintendent Dr. Frank A. Tassone, the Roslyn District School Board is conducting an extensive search for a permanent superintendent and now, it may commence in the same search for a permanent principal at the high school.

Either way, Dr. Banta brings decades of experience to his latest challenge. His tenure as principal at Schreiber High lasted from 1978 to 1987. He later served as principal of Harborfields High School in Greenlawn. Finally, he was superintendent of schools in the Oyster Bay-East Norwich school district. He retired from that job in 1998, but later came back to serve once again in the principal's job at Schreiber.