Webutuck walks a fine line with flurry of staff changes

The Webutuck Central School District had a tough academic year in 2008-09. It lost its superintendent, its high school principal, its middle school principal (whose position basically disappeared when the schools reconfigured), two athletic directors, its high school nurse, some teachers and other staff members.

One has to hand it to the district for trying to right the situation, first by bringing in interim Superintendent Michael O’Neil, who signed on in that capacity for only three weeks. Now this may seem like too short of a time to make a difference, and like the perfect length of time to cause more confusion and muddled thinking. But anyone who had the good fortune to know O’Neil when he served as Webutuck’s elementary school principal only a few years back may disagree. Why? Because they could likely remember his uncanny clarity and creativity when dealing with educational and social issues — a skill much needed at this point.

It was in part O’Neil’s planning that paved the way for the hiring of the present interim superintendent, David Paciencia, a man who literally keeps an open-door policy while on the job. The most recent interim superintendent also shared with this paper the fact that he sees the position as being one with full-time responsibilities.

“When I take the job I am the superintendent,� he said. “I am here for a complete, full day. I will be at every major activity. It’s the only way I know how to do the job correctly.�

That’s the type of thinking that Webutuck needs during this very transitional period. That approach indicates Paciencia is a solid, determined, responsible and clear-thinking person, one who does not take his new duties lightly, but rather understands the gravity of stepping into his new role and the importance of performing well. Hundreds of children (not to mention their parents, families, friends and simply concerned members of the community) are counting on him.

All of those people are also going to be depending on the other new hires within the district, be it the new high school principal, the new athletic director or the new school nurse, to name a few, and they are going to have to meet, and hopefully surpass, the bar. The school board will be responsible, along with the superintendent, for constantly setting that bar higher. If it’s left stagnant, the students will be left to flounder, never excelling, never growing, never learning to conquer new challenges. That would be a tragedy.

It’s going to take a true collaboration, among the school district players (the school board, the superintendent, teachers, staff, etc.), students, parents and members of this community to make sure everyone stays on target. Remember, the goal here is to provide a safe, productive, creative and challenging academic and social environment to the children living within the Webutuck Central School District. Right now the powers that be at Webutuck are trying to facilitate that through administrative and other staff changes. Let’s hope these changes do the trick — from first glance they at least appear to be a step in the right direction. Now it’s onward and upward as a new journey begins for the 2009-10 school year.