Mahopac BOE Extends Interim Super’s Contract to Finish Year
As the Mahopac Board of Education continues to search for a permanent school chief, it extended current interim superintendent Brian Monahan’s contract until the end of the year at its monthly Dec. 9 board meeting.
“Brian’s been an absolute gem,” board president Michael Sclafani said after the meeting. “You could not ask for a better man.”
Monahan started with the Mahopac district on July 1 and his contract was only suppose to last until Dec. 31. Now, he’ll be the leader of Mahopac schools for another six months until June 30, unless the board finds a permanent superintendent before that date.
In an email, Monahan said he looks forward to being Mahopac’s top administrator for the rest of the year.
“Some people aren’t meant for retirement. I came to Mahopac intending to fill in for six months while the Board selected a new superintendent. When the Board asked me to extend my stay, it was an easy decision because the staff, parents and students have made me feel so welcome,” Monahan stated. “There are many great things happening here in sports, performing arts and, especially, academics. I am proud to be a part of all of that and happy that people think I can help move this fine district forward.”
A superintendent finalists forum was scheduled for last month, but it was abruptly canceled. Sclafani said after further consideration, the feedback from the school board and search committee on the final candidates “wasn’t overwhelming.”
“We felt we had time, we wanted to get the right fit everybody felt comfortable with,” he said.
The district doesn’t have to pay any additional funds for the search consultant it’s using, Sclafani stressed, noting there was only a one time fee paid dating back to last year.
Looking for a candidate who has a PhD, has previous experience as a superintendent, and plans on staying with the district for the “long haul” are priorities for the board, Sclafani said. Right now, the average tenure of a public school superintendent is roughly five years.
Sclafani also mentioned the board’s hope to find someone local, but he said the board couldn’t find a resident who matched all the other qualities necessary. One local resident that did apply, but was told he would not get the job was former school board member Brian Mahoney, who is the headmaster at a private, boarding school in Westchester County.
“He was interviewed like any other candidate and we looked for certain qualities that we wanted,” Sclafani said. “It was a little different for Brian because he’s the head master of an institution, that’s a little bit different than a public school so that was a concern.”
After it was determined he would not get the superintendent job, Mahoney said he was seeking to be reappointed to the board, but Sclafani said the board would not take that action. The seat will be left vacate until the school board election in May, he added.
The search for a new, permanent superintendent has lasted for more than a year ever since former top administrator Thomas Manko announced he was retiring. The Mahopac school board thought it had found Manko’s replacement when John Kopicki, a superintendent from a Pennsylvania school system agreed to join the district, but he backed out after originally committing.
