School Superintendent search under way
Todd Gulluscio becomes Shelter Island School dean of students, director of physical education and district operation, assuming a newly created position as of July 1.
Hello. Goodbye.
The Shelter Island Board of Education Monday night welcomed Todd Gulluscio as its new dean of students and director of physical education and district operations.
At the same time members expanded the explanation of what they’re doing to replace departing Superintendent Michael Hynes.
Mr. Gulluscio has been director of athletics and personnel in the Sag Harbor School District, and he’s the son of Shelter Island math teacher Ginny Gibbs. In accepting the $90,000 a year job that starts in July, he told BOE members it was good to come home.
Meanwhile, Dr. Hynes, who becomes superintendent in the Patchogue-Medford School District at the end of July, told the Board, “I love this place” and said leaving is “bittersweet” because it has been “the best three years of my professional life.”
When it came time for the vote to accept his resignation, only Board member Mark Kanarvogel refused to approve Dr. Hynes’ departure. He later told the superintendent he is grateful for all that Dr. Hynes has done for him and for his family. Mary Kanarvogel is the district’s nurse and their son Ian works in the school.
The search for a successor will go forward with an effort to avoid bringing in an interim superintendent, BOE President Stephen Gessner said.
“It may be challenging to do that,” Mr. Gessner said, but members believe it’s the best way to keep the momentum that Dr. Hynes has initiated. He later said the Board shortly will be posting surveys on the district’s website — one for faculty and staff, one for parents and the third for community members to comment on what characteristics they would like in the next superintendent.
While it’s difficult to fill the job — it took 18 months to locate and hire Dr. Hynes — the district has the advantage of having high visibility because of Dr. Hynes’ efforts in the past few years. That has resulted in some possible candidates indicating interest in the job, Mr. Gessner said.
“We’re trying to expedite this,” but not to the point of making a mistake, member Thomas Graffagnino said.
Dr. Hynes created a vision for the district, member Elizabeth Melichar said. “He created a very specific road map for us to follow,” she said.
“We won’t let you down,” Mr. Graffagnino promised.
Dr. Hynes will assist in the search until he leaves the district on July 25, predicting the BOE would have “a candidate pool that will be significantly rich.”
In other business, the Board:
• Approved an eighth grade Disney Youth Education trip for November 3 through 8;
• Appointed Virginia Gibbs as summer school coordinator and hired James Bocca, Jennifer Gulluscio, Bryan Knipfing, Kerri Knipfing, Janine Mahoney, Natalie Regan and Rachel Brigham to staff the summer program.
• Approved payments of $45 an hour for up to 30 hours each for James Bocca, Lynne Colligan, Brian Doelger, Peter Miedema and Devon Treharne to do curriculum planning in their areas of specialty;
• Approved an extra teaching period for special education teacher Debra Sears from May 12 through June 24 at $1,636.49;
• Approved the contract with Eastern Suffolk BOCES for services during the 2014-15 school year at approximately $213,878.26. That’s similar to what the district has been paying for BOCES services. Ms. Melichar, a BOCES employee, recused herself from the vote.
• Agreed to authorize the district to work through The Cooperative Purchasing Network allowing for purchases to be made on bid prices received by other districts and municipalities. The practice, known as piggybacking, enables the district to purchase technology solutions, buildings and grounds supplies, food service supplies, athletic equipment, instructional materials and supplies and similar items without having to seek its own bids.
