KINDERHOOK–The Ichabod Crane school board appointed Lee Bordick interim superintendent at this week’s regular board meeting. Mr. Bordick’s year as interim head of the district starts July 1. Current superintendent James Dexter is resigning from the district to take a superintendent position for the BOCES of Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex counties.
Mr. Bordick most recently served as interim superintendent for the Chatham School District, as that district searched for its current superintendent. He retired after 22 years as superintendent in Lansingburgh Central Schools in 2007. When Maureen Van Deusen was appointed assistant superintendent in the Ichabod Crane Central School District, Mr. Bordick served as interim middle school principal for a year. His salary for the school year as interim superintendent is $150,000.
Mr. Bordick, who attended the June 1 meeting, joked that he was once again following Ms. Van Deusen. The board appointed her acting superintendent for June 27 to 30 to cover for the short time between Mr. Dexter’s departure and Mr. Bordick arrival. Ms. Van Deusen is retiring this month, and her position of assistant superintendent will not be filled to save the district money. Board member Regina Rose announced at the meeting that a committee of the board has reassigned Ms. Van Deusen’s deputies to the building administrators in the district. The new responsibilities come with stipends for the administrators.
Board President John Phillips said he has great confidence in Mr. Bordick’s leadership. He spoke of the difficult economic times the district and the whole state are facing.
Business Administrator Gregory Giammarco announced at the meeting that the state did not make its June school aid payment and also did not send the March aid payment. Mr. Giammarco said the district is looking at borrowing $3.3 million to pay the rest of the school bills. He did say the district has planned for this. “What happened met our projections,” he said.
When asked by a board member if the district ever expects to see the money the state has promised the district, Mr. Dexter said, “They can’t not pay us.”
The board meeting started with the honoring of 1 student and 10 teachers. Nicholas Tyler Boardman was presented his Air Force Academy Scholarship by a representative from the Air Force at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Ms. Van Deusen announced the staff recognition of 10 teachers throughout the district: Lynn Nardacci, Laure Cannamela, Patricia Westover, John Wall, Stephanie Bell, Steven Fielman, Jennifer Seaver, Barbara Byrne, Erica Svatek and Elizabeth Milot. The board also approved the retirement of the much-loved Primary School custodian William Hempler after 37 years in the district.
The next board meeting will be Tuesday, June 22, at 7 p.m. in the Middle School Library. Mr. Bordick will be in the district Tuesday, June 15, to meet with students, parents and community members from 6:30 to 8 p.m. For more information go to the district website, www.ichabodcrane.org.