The Saugerties Central School District’s (SCSD) Board of Education held a special meeting last week which included the approval of six items, most of which related to administrative changes at the district and school level.
The meeting was held on Wednesday, September 27, and included both the temporary and permanent replacement for SCSD business official Jane St. Amour, who resigned from the district in early August.
St. Amour had been with the district since July 1, 2019, hired at an annual salary of $135,000 after previously serving with the Spencer-Van Etten School District, just south of Ithaca. St Amour brought stability following interim business managers Warren Donohue and Donald Gottlieb, engaged after the departure of former business official Lissa Jilek, who left in September 2018 around the same time as former superintendent Seth Turner.
Colleen Mills will take the helm as business official on Monday, October 30, previously serving as a school improvement specialist, grant writer and researcher for Questar III BOCES. She is currently the E-Learning coordinator at Albany City Schools. Mills will earn an annual prorated salary of $135,000.
“We are excited to have Ms. Mills join our team,” said Superintendent Dan Erceg.
Though she no longer serves as business manager, St. Amour is remaining with the district through the end of October to assist with the 2022-23 financial reports, said Erceg. Additionally, the school board affirmed the hiring of Michael Goldbeck as interim business official from October 1-November 1, 2023. Goldbeck, who will earn $750 per day with the SCSD, was previously the business manager of the Pine Plains Central School District; he came to Saugerties over the summer with the departure of St. Amour and will help bridge the gap between her departure and the arrival of Mills.
“He has kept us moving in the right direction, and we thank him for his time with us,” Erceg said.
The school board also announced a pair of moves relating to Chelsea Defino, who resigned as science lead teacher and technology lead teacher effective September 24, and was appointed as assistant principal for grades 7, 8 and 9. The position is probationary, effective September 25, 2023 through September 24, 2027, at a prorated salary of $100,000. Defino is a Saugerties alum, has taught classes in college research, neuroscience, and earth science, and is the founder of the SHS Science Olympiad Team, which competed at the state level last year.
“She has a very strong curriculum background and always puts students first,” said Erceg. “Her efforts in the classroom will be missed, but we are looking forward to all that she will accomplish in her new role.”
The next meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, October 10.
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