School district hires new superintendent
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. >> School board trustees have agreed to hire Stephen Gratto as superintendent under a three-and-a-halfyear contract that starts at $207,000 beginning in January.
Gratto, who has been superintendent for the Schroon Lake Central School District since 2015, was approved for the New Paltz position Wednesday during a Board of Education meeting.
Board President Johanna Herget in a press release noted that Gratto was chosen because he has a “proven track record of using data to make decisions” that will be “vital to moving the district forward post-pandemic in order to meet the needs of all students.”
Herget said that among the accomplishments that impressed New Paltz officials was establishing an adult continuing education program.
“His presence and involvement in his current and previous districts really stood out, as did his easy, straight forward communication style,” she said. “His passion for his work also made a strong impression on the board.”
Information from the National Center for Education Statistics reports that 2021-22 enrollment in the Schroon Lake district was 209 students in a single kindergarten through 12th-grade building, while the New Paltz district had 1,944 students in three buildings schools.
Gratto was previously a principal at Northeastern Clinton Central High School for eight years, a physics and science teacher in the Peru Central School District and at Mascoma Regional High School in Enfield, New Hampshire.
“I look forward to working with a larger community and a larger school which has opportunities that a smaller school does not,” he said.
Officials also lauded Gratto’s hands-on approach to resolving some problems due to COVID-19, when he worked as a substitute bus driver.
“Having done what the drivers do I appreciate what they do even more,” he said. “It can be hard to fully understand what others do without doing it yourself. But when you walk in their shoes you can appreciate them more and gain greater empathy.”
Gratto takes over a position that has been filled since June by Bernard Josefsberg, who was appointed as interim superintendent following the resignation of Angela Urbina-Medina.
“I need to get out, be visible, talk to people of every level,” Gratto said. “I need to learn about the culture, what went well, and what needs to be worked on.”