55°
ELMSFORD, N.Y. – The Elmsford Union Free School District wants community input in its search for a new superintendent.
Officials have posted a community survey on its website to learn what residents are looking for in their new superintendent.
Elmsford Superintendent Barbara Peters announced in January that she would retire at the end of the year after five years with the district.
Peters said in a letter to the community that while it was not an easy decision for her to end her time as superintendent, she believes "it is the right choice to make."
"I am leaving the district with an outstanding administrative team, an outstanding and effective teaching staff, sound academic plans for the future and a solid financial outlook, being one of the few districts in New York State that is debt free," Peters wrote.
Comments (2)
Dr. Peters was influential. She significantly changed the administrative structure of the Elmsford School District. For better or worse she added two Assistant Superintendents and two Assistant Principals, positions that never before existed. The cost of this can easily be measured but the benefit, if any will be harder to measure.
Throughout her tenure there was alarmingly high turnover in the Principal position of both schools. Do we have the best administration now or just one that will march to the right beat?
In what turned out to be her final and most significant maneuver, the consolidation of the District from 3 schools to 2 failed. It was at that point that most of the community finally realized that her vision was not in line with that of the community. In turn, we have Dixon School that was not maintained for 5 years strategically to gain public support of its closure. Now she boasts about leaving the District debt free when she was a proponent of a $18 million bond issue.
The budget has grown by approximately 20% in the last 5 years with no emphasis on controlling spending, refining programs or changing the way education is delivered in Elmsford. We are top 5 in Westchester County in per pupil spending but are we top 5 in education? So are we really in a better place now?
The next Superintendent needs to be from this area (Westchester, Northern New Jersey or Long Island); understand the expectation of taxpayers and how the performance of the schools directly relates to property value; have the energy and ability to operate the Office of the Superintendent in hands on approach (monitor spending, performance, production, facilities, curriculum); provide the ill-equipped School Board the recommendations to make necessary decisions to improve the education and reduce the cost burden.
The salary offered should be high and command expertise and reputation. If a housing allowance is offered, the next Superintendent must use it to live in the Elmsford School District, otherwise not be entitled to it. There should be salary increases built into the contract for year to year increases in performance, just as there should be salary decreases for year to year decreases in performance. For a progressive, informed, capable Superintendent, the Elmsford School District can be their career achievement. We have a low performing school district that defies logic; it’s well funded and has small class sizes. Most of the pieces are in place for success… it shouldn’t take a miracle.