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December 4, 2008

Cooperstown school board hires interim principal

By JIM AUSTIN
Cooperstown Crier

High School Principal Gary Kuch will complete his tenure at Cooperstown Central School at the end of the month and head for his new position as Superintendent of Schools at Worcester Central School.

His duties will be assumed by Amy Kukenberger, who will serve as interim high school principal. Kukenberger has taught in the district for 15 years and is currently a high school science teacher and possesses a School Building Leader Internship Certificate.

The criteria for the interim principal are to facilitate as smooth a transition as possible, limit the amount of disruption for students, staff, and parents, as well as taking advantage of an opportunity for cost savings, said CCS Superintendent Mary Jo McPhail.

The use of an interim princpal will save the district slightly more than $40,000 in reduced wages and benefits, McPhail said.

``Further benefits of this plan are the familiarity of the individuals with the students, staff, district, and that it capitalizes on the greatest degree of continuity,’’ she said.

The plan, McPhail said, will allow time for the board of education to study the school’s present administrative structure in light of current enrollment, staffing patterns, programs, and overall responsibilities.

McPhail said she expects the board to make a decision about the district’s administrative structure in January and February. That decision will be factored into the budget for the 2009-2010 school year. Depending on the board’s decision, a search for new administrative staff could begin sometime in the second semester with an anticipated start date of July 1.

Kukenberger, who grew up in Milford and graduated from Milford Central School, said this week that she has been taking classes at SUNY Albany for the last two years with the goal of obtaining certification both as a school building principal and a school district business leader. She said she will have all her credentials in place by June.

She was originally interested in the district business manager position at CCS which will open up when Jim Collison retires at the end of the school year, but there may be other options depending on what the board of education decides.

``It seems like a good opportunity has presented itself,’’ she said.

McPhail said Middle School Principal Mike Cring’s and Elementary Principal Teresa Gorman’s positions will currently remain unchanged.

Kukenberg’s classroom duties will be split between Dr. Daphne Monie and Julie Weeks.

Monie has been a substitute teacher and will move to a parttime position to handle Kukenberger’s morning classes.

Weeks, currently a part-time science teacher, will move to a full-time position.

McPhail said Monie possesses a Transitional B Certificate in biology 7-12 and is familiar with the classes and students through her substitute teaching.

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