The Saugerties Central School District’s (SCSD) Board of Education held a modestly attended public hearing last week as part of its search for a new superintendent of schools. Despite the single-digit turnout, community engagement in the process has reportedly been high.
The special meeting, held on Monday, May 22 in the Saugerties High School library and live-streamed. Jonah Schenker, district superintendent of Ulster BOCES, said that the low attendance allowed for a more informal chat than initially planned, with community members offering their thoughts on the qualities of an ideal superintendent candidate. In keeping with the informal theme, no one was asked their name.
Schenker said feedback from the “small, but mighty crowd” would be added to a successful community survey posted on the district’s website.
“There was a tremendous amount of return on that survey,” Schenker said. “One of the highest-yielding that I’ve seen in my work in partnership with (former Ulster BOCES Superintendent) Dr. (Charles) Khouri through several searches.”
Schenker said the survey responses, feedback from the community forum, and a handful of in-district forums planned for Tuesday, May 30 would be compiled and presented to the School Board, likely at their meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 13.
“Ultimately that information is to help the board as they move through various interviews to have an idea of the stakeholders thoughts, opinions and hopes for the next superintendent here in Saugerties,” Schenker said.
In April, Schenker was enlisted to help conduct the search for a superintendent to replace former Superintendent Kirk Reinhardt, who left Saugerties in late March after less than four years at the helm.
Among the qualities cited by the audience at the May 22 meeting included an ability to connect with everyone in the community, particularly those who might be less inclined to come forward than others.
One unnamed father said he hoped the next superintendent would be experienced in behavioral science and able to assure the needs of students with learning disabilities were being met, not only academically, but also emotionally.
Others suggested it would be useful to have a superintendent willing to acknowledge mistakes made by themselves and the district and the skills to work towards correcting them in the future. Experience working with a diverse community that has high levels of poverty would also be helpful, it was suggested.
An unnamed woman who said she’d grown up in Saugerties said administrative consistency has long been an issue in the district, and an ideal candidate would want to be there long-term rather than viewing the job as a stepping stone.
“Not to say that past superintendents haven’t cared, because I’m sure they have,” she said. “But (the superintendent should be) somebody who’s invested in the community, really has something at stake and wants to succeed here and be here for the long haul.”
Jeffrey Riozzi, who earlier in May was elected to serve on the Board of Education, said he believed a strong superintendent candidate would understand the value of a good administrative team.
“I would want somebody who knows how to build the team and retain a team,” Riozzi said. “Because we could find the greatest superintendent on paper and skillset-wise, but if people don’t want to come work for that person, it’s not going to work.”
Schenker said that ten candidates had completed the application process, and that their qualifications would be reviewed, including background and social media checks.
Originally, trustees hoped to have a new superintendent in place by Saturday, July 1, the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. That date was pushed back when members of the community felt the school board’s haste in finding a replacement was leaving them out of the equation altogether. A new official timeline has yet to be revealed, but there is still hope of a new superintendent being in place prior to students returning to class in early September.
The SCSD is currently being led by interim superintendent Dan Erceg, who was promoted to assistant superintendent shortly before Reinhardt announced his plans to return to his former employer, the Kingston City School District, in March of this year.
Reinhardt’s return to Kingston came just four years shy of his departure, when he left his position as Kingston High School principal for the superintendent’s role in the SCSD. He arrived in Saugerties close to two years after his predecessor Seth Turner left for a similar position on Long Island.
Reinhardt spent an eventful nearly four years in Saugerties. 2019-20, his first year as superintendent, was marked by the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning, which saw school districts across the country and around the globe scrambling to maintain educational continuity and equity in a time of global turmoil. During his tenure, the SCSD also addressed the economic impact of dwindling enrollment by closing Mt. Marion Elementary, dropping the number of elementary schools in the district from four to three.
He also leaves his mark on Saugerties in other ways, including helping shape a cabinet he recently said sets up the district for success in years to come, along with addressing academic and equity issues he believes will assure every student has their best chance of success. The graduation rate in Saugerties rose to 90 percent during his time as superintendent.
Erceg has not announced whether he’s applied for the job.
“Right now my main focus is making sure that we don’t lose momentum and we keep things going,” Erceg said in mid-April. “We’re focused on our goals of achievement, climate, culture, community, and safety and security. Obviously it’s very intriguing to me…But my focus right now is just making sure that we, you know, we provide the best experience for our kids possible.”
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