NEW SCOTLAND — New Voorheesville high school Principal Laura Schmitz was the center of publicity and controversy this spring, as supportive students and families clashed with a school board that denied Schmitz tenure as an assistant high school principal in a district overseen by Ballston Spa Superintendent Joseph Dragone, who is a former Voorheesville assistant principal.

Her academic record — including her work instituting an International Baccalaureate diploma program in Ballston Spa — and her commitment to students made her the top applicant to replace Voorheesville Principal Patrick Corrigan, according to Voorheesville Superintendent Brian Hunt. Corrigan now works in the Amsterdam district.

“We were aware of the situation in Ballston Spa,” Hunt told The Enterprise. “We did have 12 applicants. We interviewed eight of them.”

The interview committee included faculty, staff, parents, administrators, and board members, Hunt said.

Schmitz was selected, he said, because “she is capable and intelligent, and has energy and enthusiasm.”

“I am honored that the Voorheesville Central School District community has chosen me,” Schmitz wrote in an email to The Enterprise. “Both throughout the interview process and since the appointment I have been greeted so warmly. Staff members, students, parents, extended family members, and community members have engaged thoughtfully and meaningfully with me, manifesting such well-deserved pride in Voorheesville's rich tradition and high achievement.

“As the entire homecoming weekend showed, the community and the schools are powerfully intertwined; I look forward to being an integral part of that synergy,” Schmitz continued. “I love small schools, as my experiences [while employed] in Pine Plains and Spackenkill demonstrate; no one slips through the cracks. Experiences are tailored to individuals. Even my work in Ballston Spa was an attempt to employ a personable and personalized small-school mentality to a district four times larger than the gem that is Voorheesville.”

Schmitz’s termination in Ballston Spa was covered by Saratoga and Albany news outlets, and her supporters used social media to influence the school board and make headlines.

Families and students shared news of Schmitz’s tenure discussion on Twitter at #SaveSchmitz.

On a “Save Our Schmitz” Facebook page, supporters wrote, “A very sad and disappointing decision by Dr. Dragone and the entire Ballston Spa school board, who voted to dismiss her. No reason given. We have lost an incredible talent, educator and visionary, who has been replaced by less experienced internal guidance counselors.

“We wish Laura all the very best in her job search and thank her from the bottom of our hearts for her dedication to our children,” her supporters continued. “Wherever you go Laura, know that you are in our hearts and minds. Your new employers, whoever they may be, will benefit from our loss hugely.”

Ballston Spa school district Superintendent Joseph Dragone, when asked why Schmitz was not offered tenure and if he could discuss her performance in unrelated areas, said, “The district does not comment on personnel matters.”

When asked about his time at Voorheesville, and how he thought Schmitz might fit into the district, Dragone said, “Voorheesville is a great school district in a great community, and it was an honor to start my administrative career there.”

Academics

Schmitz was chosen to lead Voorheesville’s high school because of her strong academic background, Hunt said.

International Baccalaureate diploma programs compare to Advanced Placement courses in rigor, but take a holistic approach to subjects; courses are interdisciplinary and require research and community service.

Several years ago, Voorheesville considered starting an IB program, but decided not to pursue it then, Hunt said.

Now, he said, “We’re interested in bringing as many innovative programs to our district as we can. We’re definitely pleased that she has that strong academic background.”

Voorheesville may not offer an IB program in the future, he said, but the district is looking at offering more choices for advanced classes for its high school students.

Schmitz earned her bachelor’s degree from Skidmore College and her master’s degree from Brown University in teaching English and Spanish. She earned her administration credentials at the State University of New York College at New Paltz.

She and her husband plan to move to the district, she wrote in an email.

“We are recent empty nesters,” Schmitz wrote. She also said that she and her husband were co-valedictorians at Canandaigua Academy, and have been together ever since.

Their daughter, Stefani, is a junior in a 4+4 combined bachelor of science and medical doctorate program with Hobart and William Smith Colleges and SUNY Upstate Medical University, she wrote.

Their son, Robby, is at Clarkson University in the honors program pursuing a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration, she wrote.

“It will be my distinct honor and great joy to serve here,” Schmitz wrote. “I look forward to learning even more about what has made Voorheesville such a gem… My husband, Stefan, and I look forward to calling the community our new home.”

Hunt said that Schmitz is known as a caring, involved administrator and leader.

“I love that the club advisors already are reaching out to me, inviting me to events and asking for input: what a thrill!” Schmitz wrote to The Enterprise. “Voorheesville knows that club and athletic experiences can be as valuable and as instructional interpersonally and intra-personally as the classroom lessons.

“I am grateful for the irreplaceable nine years I spent at Ballston Spa as a middle school and high school teacher of both English and Spanish, as an instructional teacher leader, as a department leader, as the IB diploma program coordinator, and as an assistant principal,” Schmitz continued. “I left a curricular and community-wide legacy there, and the students, families, and staff members left a very positive, indelible impact on me.”

“She was very active in the community [at Ballston Spa], and will be active here, as well,” Hunt said.

He reiterated that Schmitz was selected to be high school principal because of her strong academic background.