KINDERHOOK – The Ichabod Crane school board approved six more retirements at Tuesday night’s regular board meeting. Earlier in the summer 13 staff members retired mostly due to state retirement incentives. Interim superintendent Lee Bordick said the district was currently interviewing candidates to fill some of the positions created by the retirements.
At the August 3 meeting the board also heard from a student who is hoping to build a memorial to veterans from the Town of Kinderhook in Glynn Square, a park on land the school district leases from the village.
Aldan Race came to the board with general plans for a pentagon-shaped memorial he hopes to construct with the help of American Legion Post in Valatie and volunteer veterans from the community. He said he wanted to honor “all those in the town of Kinderhook who have served” regardless of whether they served in a war.
The district leases the park, which lies across the street from The Martin H. Glynn Elementary School, from the Village of Valatie. That lease is up in 2013. Board Vice President John Phillips warned Aldan that he was entering into the world of “possible red tape,” in dealing with different village, town and school governments. The board decided to instruct its Facilities Committee to look into the matter further.
The board also discussed the resignation of board member Gary Bagnato. Mr. Bagnato is leaving the board at the end of this month with one year left on his term, and the board plans to appoint a new person to fill his seat instead of holding a special election or leaving the seat vacant.
Mr. Bagnato said he is leaving to give someone else the opportunity to sit on the board for the hiring process of a new superintendent. The district is conducting a search for a new superintendent with the help of Questar III/BOCES. The board plans to be very involved in the hiring process and has final say on the candidates.
The board plans to send out information in the fall about appointing a new board member. “I’m especially interested in reaching out to family members of children attending the school,” said Mr. Bagnato of the search for applicants for the board seat.
On the other major item addressed by the board this week, four teachers and two staff members were among the retirees announced at the meeting. Rena Sweeny, Lynn Nardacci, Barbara Mayer and May Ann Gill are all retiring from their teaching positions; George Johnson is retiring from the Maintenance Department and Patricia Catalina, the guidance secretary, is also retiring.
Ms. Gill, a business teacher, will not be replaced, and her position was officially abolished by district at the meeting. And due to budget cuts, the district does not plan to replace the assistant superintendent, who retired in June, and the transportation director. Their duties will be distributed to other staff members.
The board will hold a special meeting Tuesday, August 17, to set the tax levy and will conduct its next regular meeting on Tuesday, September 7. Both meetings will be held at 7 p.m. in the Middle School Library.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email .