KINDERHOOK–The Ichabod Crane School Board officially accepted the resignation of Superintendent Michael Vanyo and appointed Lee Bordick interim superintendent at a special meeting June 28.
Mr. Bordick served as interim superintendent in the district from 2010 to 2012. He was head of the district when the board decided to close the two elementary schools in the villages of Valatie and Kinderhook and move all the students to the main campus on Route 9. During his time in the district Mr. Bordick also worked on a consolidation study with the Schodack Central School District.
The board appointed Mr. Bordick starting July 1 through December 31, 2019. Board President Matthew Nelson said at last Friday’s board meeting that Mr. Bordick’s contract was flexible and Mr. Bordick would leave before the end of the contract if the board found a superintendent or would stay longer, if needed.
All board members but outgoing member Anthony Welcome voted to approve accepting Mr. Vanyo’s resignation. Mr. Welcome abstained. Board members Jeffrey Ouellette and Jessica Berner where not at the meeting.
Mr. Vanyo was hired by the district in 2017. He was arrested for DWI–operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08% or greater–leaving the scene of a property damage accident and an improper right turn in early April of this year. Mr. Vanyo had been on unpaid leave until May when he and the board agreed that he would resign in June. Mr. Vanyo has been working off campus on the transition to a new administrator. The board appointed Assistant Superintendent Suzanne Guntlow as acting superintendent in May. Now Ms. Guntlow will be assistant superintendent again.
The board also passed a motion to put out a request for proposals from companies that could help with the superintendent search. Already board members have moved forward, creating a committee of community members and staff to give them input on their search for a candidate, but the board wants to know the cost for hiring an outside company to help.
In the past the district has used Questar III BOCES. Board member John Antalek, who sits on the board’s superintendent search committee, said the district could still use Questar for this search. “We always have Questar as a resource,” he told the board.
Board member Regina Rose said she was concerned about the timeline. “I’m concerned it’s taking us a long time to get this ball rolling,” she said.
Mr. Antalek said the search committee could have recommendations for how the board should move ahead with the superintendent search by late July and “by August we’re rolling.” He described that as an “aggressive timeline.”
“I still think we’re on the timeline to have somebody by January,” he said.
The board will meet again Tuesday, July 9 at 7 p.m. in the high school library. They plan to have another meeting to deal with some business having to do with the major capital improvement protect July 29.
The board held this meeting right after the Class of 2019 graduation ceremony. It was also Mr. Welcome’s last meeting. He is a former teacher and administrator in the district who won a seat on the board and served as board president after he retired over decade ago. The board gave him a round of applause when he left the meeting.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email eteasdale@columbiapaper.com
