Community Gives Input in Search for Next MHS Principal

By Anna Young

Parents and community members gathered together Thursday night for an open forum as the Mahopac School District continues their search for a new high school principal.

After Dr. Adam Pease got promoted to Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Instruction and Professional Development last year, the district has been consulting with Putnam-Northern Westchester (PNW) BOCES to hire a new principal for the 2017-18 school year. Athletic Director John Augusta was named interim principal at the start of the school year.

Lynn Allen and John McCarthy, Assistant Superintendents at PNW BOCES have conducted focus groups and open forums with students, faculty and administrators in order to develop a profile of the of the candidate the community would most like to see hired.

“The quality I would like to see is that the principal needs to be approachable to the students, to the staff, to the teachers, to the administrators and to the parents,” Mahopac resident and Town of Carmel Councilwoman Suzi McDonough said at the Feb. 16 forum.

While parents feel the next principal should be patient, reasonable, respectful and consistent, they also agreed candidates should have an administrative background as well as experience with special education.

“I want to make sure that this person has sensitivity to the special needs community within our community,” resident Nanette Saturn said. “I think it’s really important to have an educated principal who recognizes that there might be (special needs) issues there and get that student the help they need.”

Saturn added, the district has become very segregated and it’s important to hire someone who will bring the mainstream students and special education students together as one community.

Parents also agreed they want to see a residency clause within the contract stating, they feel it would bring the district closer together having someone who understands how the community functions.

“I would love to see someone who lives in the community be principal because they will pay taxes and be aware of what’s going on,” McDonough said. “We want somebody who is going to be invested in the community, spend some time in it and not just use us as a stepping stone to retirement.”

While one parent disagreed explaining how it’s unfair for a principal to be attacked by parents outside of work, district employee, Lynne Mongon stated, the district needs a face of the community who is going to be strong and fair.

Mongon also feels the principal would need to have a strong hold of the continuity in the curriculum throughout all the schools in the district.

Parents also feel the district has become too lenient disciplining students and want someone who will practice fair and consistent discipline.

McDonough added the district should find someone who will have an open door policy for all students taking the time to listen in order to get to the root of whatever problem that student may face.

“I think if you can get someone the students can respect along with the parents and teachers, that’s a home run,” McDonough said.