Rhodes Resigns at Greeley; Seven Bridges Principal to Be Appointed
The Chappaqua Board of Education announced Friday morning that Horace Greeley High School Principal Robert Rhodes will resign from his post at the end of the month.
Board members accepted the resignation during a special meeting at the district’s Education Center. Rhodes, who has served in his position for six years, has been on paid leave since June 5.
No details surrounding Rhodes’ abrupt departure from the school were provided by district officials at Friday’s meeting.
Assistant Principal Laura Dubak, who has been serving as the Horace Greeley interim principal, will remain in that role through June 30. Dubak announced in an e-mail to parents on Thursday that she is leaving the district and is expected to become assistant principal at Byram Hills High School next year, although that district has yet to officially appoint her.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christine Ackerman said that Seven Bridges Middle School Principal Andrew Corsilia will be the next principal at the high school, effective Aug. 1. He is expected to be appointed to the post in an upcoming meeting.
“Mr. Corsilia’s strong background as a secondary leader and his understanding of our high school will provide the necessary stability for our District as the high school rebuilds its administrative team,” Ackerman said. “I am fully confident that Andrew Corsilia, Lauralyn Stewart, Jason Semo and our department leaders will effectively guide our high school through this transitional time.”
In a correspondence to the community on Friday morning, Ackerman stated that the district will immediately look for an interim principal at Seven Bridges and will search for a permanent replacement.
Until Corsilia is appointed and takes over, Ackerman said she will serve as the point person for the high school administration.
Rhodes’ resignation from Greeley is the latest in a series of administrative departures over the past two years. In addition to the shakeup at the high school, the district saw former superintendent Dr. Lyn McKay resign in October 2016 during the highly contentious period following the guilty plea of former drama teacher Christopher Schraufnagel. Schraufnagel was brought up on charges stemming for the sexual abuse of students between 2011 and 2015.
In addition, the district also lost Eric Byrne, another central administrator.
Chappaqua will soon name a new principal at Douglas Grafflin Elementary School. Ackerman said the district has identified a finalist and a site visit was scheduled for Friday.
It is expected that the Board of Education will hold a special meeting next week to officially appoint the candidate to fill the Grafflin vacancy, she said.
“I understand there is a lot of change in our District at this time and that might be unsettling for some,” Ackerman said. “I will share with you that I am excited about our future and see this as a tremendous opportunity for us to make our District even stronger. The new and returning staff, faculty and administration in our District have my full confidence and support moving forward.”
Any additional details on this story will be provided as they become available.
