Concerns over coaching

PINE PLAINS — During the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 21, a vote to appoint the head varsity softball coach and the assistant basketball coach failed to pass after two board members abstained from voting.One of those board members, Heather Boucher, expressed her frustration regarding the way coaching positions are awarded. She said she was annoyed the contracts with the faculty require all coaching positions to be offered to the school staff before those positions are offered to anyone outside the school, and yet some of the coaching positions are offered multiple times without any teachers accepting them.She said she and other members of the Bomber Boosters have worked hard to keep the athletic programs at the school, but she feels she does not have full support of the school staff.She said that while she appreciated people outside of the school have agreed to offer their coaching services, she said there are people in the school who are more qualified to coach the students.The board is expected to put the coaching appointments back on the agenda to be voted on at a later date.In the superintendent’s reflections, a summary of the Board of Education meeting written by Superintendent Linda Kaumeyer, it was announced that Interim Middle School Principal Anthony Celenza will end his term on Friday, Jan. 13. Celenza will be replaced with another interim principal, John Traverse, the following week.“Mr. Traverse, like Mr. Celenza, is a highly recommended, experienced public school teacher and certified administrator,” wrote Kaumeyer. “He has served as a building administrator in the Richmondville, Hyde Park and Rondout Valley districts. He retired in 2008 after seven years as the principal of John A. Coleman Catholic High School in Kingston. He will be working with Mr. Celenza on transition issues immediately. We thank Mr. Celenza for the care and attention that he brought to our Middle School and are looking forward to introducing Mr. Traverse to the middle school community after winter break.”