BOE hearing on safety, awards tenure

PINE PLAINS — Along with hosting the mandated public hearing for the district-wide safety plan and code of conduct, the Pine Plains Central School District Board of Education (BOE) awarded tenure to several district personnel at its recent virtual meeting on Wednesday, June 3.

Beginning at 7 p.m., the meeting was organized via video conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic and schools being closed statewide. 

Opening with the public hearing, Superintendent of Schools Martin Handler explained the BOE was required to hold the hearing for the safety plan and code of conduct documents, which were included in that night’s agenda. Though the code of conduct remained the same, he said it still needed to be presented at a public hearing. Following the hearing, the public will be granted 30 days to comment on both documents before both will be adopted at the BOE’s annual reorganization meeting in July.

Seeing as there were no questions from the BOE about the district’s safety plan or the code of conduct, BOE President Chip Couse presented the board with questions he received from a Stanfordville resident about the 2020-21 school district budget. One of the questions dealt with the BOE’s reaction to the teachers’ union’s decision to place signs throughout the district advocating for the community to vote “yes” on the budget. Couse replied that “there have been advocacy groups on budgets forever,” both to support and reject the budget. He also indicated that the teachers’ union has been a strong partner in improving education in Pine Plains and expressed his appreciation for its efforts.

Since questions could not be asked in person, the public was invited to submit questions to Pine Plains District Clerk Julia Tomaine via email prior to the meeting.

Under the agenda’s personnel section, the BOE appointed Christopher Boyd to a four-year probationary term as the assistant principal of Cold Spring Early Learning Center, replacing Nathaniel Zacek. With his term running from Wednesday, July 1, to June 30, 2024, Boyd will receive an annual salary of $98,000 for the 2020-21 school year. Boyd was also appointed as a data protection officer for the coming school year with a stipend of $5,000.

Kicking off the evening’s tenure appointments, the BOE awarded tenure to Director of Curriculum and Instruction Brian Timm, effective Feb. 1, 2021. Gabrielle Baker was appointed tenure in the secondary mathematics tenure area, effective Tuesday, Sept. 1, while Corinna Hengen-Burton was appointed tenure in the physical education tenure area, effective Feb. 1, 2021. Nicholas Dean was appointed tenure in the technology education tenure area while Erin Doyle was appointed tenure in the health education tenure area; both appointments will come into effect on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Also effective Tuesday, Sept. 1, Susan Lydon, Kelly Nielsen and Melissa Michetti were awarded tenure in the teaching assistant tenure area; Jeremy Weber was awarded tenure in the physical education tenure area; and Ariana Wright was awarded tenure in the elementary education tenure area. Cacelia Wyman’s tenure in secondary foreign language will come into effect on Monday, Nov. 9.