Tapped to take helm
Macri to fill vacancy left by Hunt retirement
School superintendent in Duanesburg heading to Voorheesville district.
One school district’s loss is another’s gain.
Duanesburg school superintendent Frank Macri is expected to leave in December to take the helm of Voorheesville Central School District, filling the vacancy left by the district’s four-year chief Brian Hunt, who retired at the end of last year, both districts have announced.
Macri has led Duanesburg schools since January 2018. Previously, he worked as an administrator and teacher in the Lansingburgh Central School District and a teacher in the Salem Central School District.
“Frank brings with him a strong background in community partnerships and educational leadership,” Voorheesville school board President Cynthia Monaghan said. “His experience and unwavering attention to the most important details demonstrate his ability to produce results, and the entire board is excited to have him join our team.”
Macri’s appointment at the Board of Education’s Sept. 9 meeting came after a closed search conducted by
Capital Region BOCES, the board said.
The decision to keep the superintendent search under wraps drew criticism, although BOCES did solicit input from the community, reported the Altamont Enterprise. BOCES officials said the confidential search was necessary because of the small pool of qualified applicants.
The district was left in a pinch after its first choice from a pool of 19 applicants declined the position in June, according to the Altamont Enterprise.
Macri’s expected start date in the district is Dec. 15.
Interim Superintendent Mark Doody, who led Hudson Falls schools for a decade before his 2014 retirement, will remain in the district through December to aid with the transition.
Addressing the leadership shift, Doody noted that some smaller school districts have become training grounds for top administrators in recent years.
“There is a shortage of quality experienced superintendents across the state, and all school districts are finding that the pool isn’t as deep as it was 13 years ago,” Moody said.
The school board approved Macri’s three-and-a-half-year contract this week. His starting salary is $160,000 a year. He will oversee 1,164 students in Voorheesville.
A resident of Voorheesville, Macri said he is looking forward to serving the community where his four children attend school.
“I’ll admit that I had no plans to leave my current position, but Voorheesville has a special place in my heart,” he said. “I’m proud of the work the board, leadership team, staff, students, community members and I did together in Duanesburg and look forward to partnering with these same groups in Voorheesville to move the district forward.”
The Duanesburg school board has also enlisted BOCES and will involve the community as it commences its search for a new superintendent.
“We will not do so with haste, as it is of the utmost importance to us that the next superintendent here at DCS continue with the advancements we have made and continue to make, and do so with genuine passion for our students,” the Duanesburg Board of Education said in a statement.
Other school districts in the region are seeing turnover in leadership for the 2019-20 school year. The Lansingburgh Board of Education announced earlier this summer that it has selected Dr. Antonio Abitabi, a Hudson school district principal, to succeed eight-year school superintendent Cynthia Dedominick when she retires Dec. 20. He was approved for an annual salary of $157,100 per year under a three-year agreement.
South Colonie Superintendent of Schools Jonathan Buhner recently announced his retirement, effective March 2020 after more than 11 years heading the district. The district’s Board of Education will begin its search for Buhner’s replacement this fall and hopes to have a new superintendent selected by January.