Eastport South Manor Moves Around Administrators To Accommodate Alternative High School

The Eastport South Manor School District has opted to run an alternative high school program previously contracted out to the Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Services, or BOCES, resulting in the shifting of several administrators starting in the 2012-13 school year.

The alternative high school program, which has been run out of the junior-senior high school in Manorville for the past two years and led by BOCES faculty, will now be run by district staff in an attempt to curb costs, said Richard Snyder, the assistant superintendant for business for ESM. Mr. Snyder estimates that the district will save an estimated $350,000 a year by taking the program away from BOCES.

He said the program will cost the district an estimated $225,000 to operate each year, though the real savings will come from keeping ESM students who need the program in the district. Mr. Snyder estimates that it could cost the district upward of $75,000 per student to educate them elsewhere.

Nine ESM students currently utilize the program, though an additional 19 out-of-district students are also enrolled, according to Dr. Jennifer Morrison Hart, ESM’s assistant superintendent for curriculum. The alternative high school program educates students with past academic issues, special education students, and those students who are looking to enter the workforce immediately after high school. The sending districts of those 19 students have traditionally paid BOCES, but, starting next school year, ESM will start collecting those fees, Mr. Snyder said. The tuition costs are still being discussed, Mr. Snyder added.

As a result of his district taking over the programming, Superintendent of Schools Mark Nocero said an administrative staff needs to be in place to handle the specific needs of students attending the alternative high school, which operates in the junior-senior high school building from 3 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“In order to bring the alternative high school back, we have to hire staff—teachers, clerical workers and administrators,” Mr. Nocero said.

At last week’s Board of Education meeting, Mr. Nocero announced that Barbara Lassen, the current principal of Dayton Avenue Elementary School in Manorville, will serve as the principal of the alternative high school.

“She has an extensive background in special education,” Mr. Nocero said. “Her background will really lend itself to her making the program successful.”

Because Ms. Lassen will be keeping the same job title within the district, she will receive her anticipated contractual step increase for next year. Her salary for next year is contracted to be $144,829, an increase from this year’s $137,919.

Replacing Ms. Lassen as principal at Dayton Avenue Elementary will be Dr. John Christie, the current assistant principal at the junior-senior high school who is finishing up his second year with the district. Mr. Nocero said elementary school leaders need to prepare students for what is to come when they enter the junior-senior high school. He said Dr. Christie’s knowledge of the inner workings of the middle school makes him well-suited for the position.

“He has extensive middle school experience,” Mr. Nocero said. “At Dayton Avenue, we are getting kids ready for those middle years and we believe John is intimately familiar with our initiatives in the seventh and eight grade.”

Because Dr. Christie is being promoted from assistant principal to principal, he will receive a raise of $16,707, from $118,043 this year to $134,750 next year.

“I am excited about the opportunity,” Dr. Christie said. “With my experience in middle level education, I know what the students need to know and do in order to succeed in the junior-senior high school.”

Replacing Dr. Christie at the junior-senior high school will be Jeannette Keicher, the current chair of the World Languages Department. Ms. Keicher, who has worked in the district for five years, is also an English as a Second Language teacher at ESM.

“She is a team player, a hard worker and she is respected by staff, students and parents.” Mr. Nocero said. “I think it is going to be a very smooth transition for her to become an assistant principal.”

Ms. Keicher, who would have made $111,531 next year, will now be making $118,043.

Another administrative shift within the district that is unrelated to the alternative program is the hiring of Karen Koliadko. She will serve as the assistant principal of the Eastport Elementary School. Ms. Koliadko will replace Anthony Volforte, who is leaving to take a principal position at a charter school.

According to Mr. Nocero, Ms. Koliadko will hold the assistant principal position for a year before becoming the principal of the new Tuttle Avenue K-2 school now under construction behind Eastport Elementary. The new building will be open in the fall of 2013. Ms. Koliadko, who is now serving as principal at the Harley Avenue Primary School, a K-2 building in the Elwood Union Free School District, will be making $115,000 next year.

“I am very excited to be a part of the Eastport South Manor team,” Ms. Koliadko said. “They sound like a fabulous group of people and I am really excited to start my time at ESM.”