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Moves would save about $400,000
Mar 25, 2008
Roelle wants to cut positions
For years, a rallying cry of the Katonah-Lewisboro School District’s critics has been the large number of administrators in the schools. Now, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Roelle has announced a proposal that would attempt to consolidate some administrator positions, potentially saving the district about $400,000 next school year.
The first part of this plan had been announced with the 2008-09 budget proposal — the elimination of the director of athletics, physical education and health, and the implementation of an athletics coordinator. The coordinator, who would only be responsible for the extracurricular athletics program, would be paid as a teacher rather than an administrator.
Additional responsibilities
The remaining responsibilities of the director — the health and physical education programs — would be rolled into the responsibilities for one of the district’s assistant principals. Each assistant principal — one at each of the elementary schools, three at the middle school and three at the high school — would now also be responsible for running one districtwide department. This would enable the district to eliminate the positions of director of math and sciences, and director of humanities, as well.
The assistant principal at Katonah Elementary School would be responsible for the district’s English as a second language program. Running the health and physical education programs would be rolled into the Lewisboro Elementary School assistant principal’s duties. Meadow Pond’s assistant principal would be in charge of the elementary testing program, while Increase Miller’s would run the district wellness and sustainability initiative.
John Jay Middle School would have two assistant principals with extra duties, one in charge of the district’s science program and the other responsible for the district’s world language program. The third assistant principal at the middle school would not have any additional duties.
The high school’s three assistant principals would have extra duties — one in charge of the district math program, one for the district literacy program and one in charge of staff development around the district.
According to Dr. Roelle, none of these additional duties would come with any extra pay for the assistant principals. The pay schedule for assistant principals is laid out in the administrators’ union contract, which is set to expire at the end of June. Negotiations for a new contract have not yet commenced, Dr. Roelle said.
New assignments
Since Lewisboro Elementary School Principal Dr. Mary Flynn-Maguire has announced her retirement, Dr. Roelle also announced new assignments for the elementary school leadership. Cristy Harris, who had been principal at Katonah Elementary School and Increase Miller before taking maternity leave this year, would replace Dr. Flynn-Maguire at Lewisboro elementary. Her interim replacement at Katonah Elementary School, Jonathan Kaplan, is to be made principal on a permanent basis.
Mr. Kaplan would be joined at Katonah by Assistant Principal Laura Panek, who serves in that position at Increase Miller. She would be replaced at Increase Miller by Joe Tripodi, now an assistant principal at John Jay High School.
Mr. Tripodi’s position would be taken by Vincent Bell, now the director of math and science, whose position would be eliminated. Middle school Assistant Principal Kim Piccolino is also expected to move up to the high school, replacing Phyllis Amore, who is expected to resign at the end of the year, Dr. Roelle said.
At the middle school, Ms. Piccolino’s position would be taken by Gil Cass, now director of humanities, another eliminated position.
In addition to the shuffling within the assistant principals, John Jay High School Principal Richard Leprine is expected to be moved to a principal-level position in charge of the cultural arts, Project SAVE, which is the district’s safety and security program, and the high school facilities. Dr. Roelle said that the facilities part of his responsibilities would extend to scheduling student events and coordinating use of the buildings. This would be the only administrative position that would be added under Dr. Roelle’s plan.
The last position to be eliminated would be the assistant director of special services. Director of Special Education Ellen Doherty instead would be assisted by the chair of the committee on special education, a non-administrative position.
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