BERNE — More than an hour after the school board president convened what she thought would be a 10-minute meeting Monday morning, the board voted to hire a temporary high school principal only until a permanent one can be found.

Mary Summermatter, who served as principal of Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland for eight years before she retired last June, will start as secondary principal at Berne-Knox-Westerlo on Jan. 12. She’ll be paid $500 a day, board President Joan Adriance told The Enterprise after the meeting. Summermatter is to serve “at will” and leave as soon as a replacement is found.

Between Jan. 5 and Jan. 11, Susan Sloma, who handles special education for BKW, will fill in as principal at no extra charge to the district. All four board members present — Adriance, Earl Barcomb, Russell Chauvot, and Vasilios Lefkaditis — voted in favor of both measures.

The post is being vacated by Brian Corey, who will become superintendent of Jefferson, a small rural district in Schoharie County. Corey, at 40, is the longest serving administrator at BKW, which has been plagued with leadership turnovers in recent years; Corey was principal at the elementary school before his three years at the helm of the secondary school.

The current interim superintendent, Joseph Natale, had recommended that Corey’s post be filled with an interim principal so that the new, permanent superintendent next year could help in choosing the principal.

A handful of district residents — Helen Lounsbury, Richard Umholtz, Ed Akroyd, and Sue Schanz — attended the 8:30 a.m. meeting along with the district’s information technology specialist, David Thomas.

Adriance immediately called for a motion to go into executive session.

“Joan, what are you going into executive session for?” asked Lounsbury, a retired school board member and former teacher.

“Personnel,” responded Adriance.

This is not one of the reasons allowed by state law for an executive session. While the law does allow discussion of hiring a particular individual, talks on defining posts or the selection process to fill those posts are to be held in public.

At other board members’ suggestion, Adriance agreed to hear those in the gallery before going into closed session.

Lounsbury told the board that, because of her long-term association with the district, many teachers had contacted her and she was speaking for them when she said, “We cannot afford to have another interim administrator.”

Lounsbury called this “a critical juncture” for the district and said a permanent principal was needed, “someone who knows the community.”

Sue Schanz, a BKW alumna, through tears, spoke of the “tragedy this past week,” alluding to kindergartner Kenneth White’s murder, and said, “What we need now is not an interim principal.” She went on, “We need a permanent person, somebody who’s going to be part of this community. We need an experienced person...a tough person.”

Schanz called “stuff posted on social media” concerning the school district “unbelievable” and “an embarrassment” and said, “We need someone fair...in control to stop things before they get started.”

Richard Umholtz said that the per-pupil costs to educate a BKW student were among the highest in the region at $18,263 yet the scores are among the worst. He said he was “shocked” the board was thinking of hiring an interim principal.

Umholtz noted that enrollment is declining so that classes now number around 50 students, half of those of a generation ago when, he said, the school had fewer administrators. “Take a time out,” he urged the board, to review expenses and positions.

After the three residents spoke, the board members stood to meet in a closed session. Barcomb made a motion, as they exited, although without specifying one of the topics allowed under the State’s Open Meetings Law. No formal vote was taken, as the law requires.

Gallery talk

As the board talked privately, the citizens and Thomas talked openly. Thomas said, compared to other districts he’s worked in, he doesn’t see as much parental involvement.

“Do you relate that to the education and income of the parents?” asked Akroyd.

Barcomb commented at an earlier meeting that a lot of parents “don’t use SAT words,” said Thomas.

Thomas, who lives in Bethlehem, went on, “I think the community up here is phenomenal...We have some incredible students and a lot of students who just don’t care.”

Umholtz disagreed and said a lot of retired residents, like himself, had volunteered to help in the schools and were told it violated union contracts.

He said the district should find out how many residents are paying tuition to send their students to other schools.

Umholtz went on about BKW, “We have enough management to sink a ship.”

Lauren Poehlman, the business official that BKW shares with Duanesburg, pointed out that more state requirements, particularly for evaluating teachers, now fall to principals. “You spread people too thin, you’re not going to get this district ahead,” she said.

She also said, with some parents working two or three jobs, “It’s a gift to do homework with children....Students need support. They need mentors. Those services cost money.”

Thomas spoke of how important it is to give students a sense of pride in their school. Some kids will pick up a piece of trash from the school hallway while others, he said “couldn’t care less.”

A talk he had with Corey, Thomas said, led to students painting murals on school walls. “They’re not going to mark up the walls because they painted the walls, and they tell their friends,” he said.

Thomas went on about Corey, “He was the continuity. He knew everyone here.”

Board deliberates

The board returned to public session at 9:21 a.m. as Adriance announced the interim principal’s job was posted internally and she said, “No one applied, no one was interested.”

Adriance said the board had decided to begin advertising immediately, “right after the holidays,” for a new principal, and that a committee of faculty and staff would be formed to review applicants.

The goal, she said, is “to hire by the end of the school year.”

Several in the gallery asked why Natale couldn’t also oversee the high school until a permanent principal is hired. “A superintendent cannot serve as an acting principal,” said Natale.

Jeanne Beattie at the State Education Department, confirmed this, citing School Law, published jointly by the New York State School Boards Association and the New York State Bar Association: “Commissioner’s regulations require that school boards employ and assign a full-time principal to each school. Any alternative form of school building administration must be approved by the commissioner of education. According to the commissioner, an individual may not serve as superintendent and a full-time principal, not even on a temporary basis until a full-time principal can be appointed.”

Natale also said, with a laugh, “You may need another interim superintendent.” His is the second one-year appointment in a row.

“There has been so much transition,” said Barcomb. “We want a permanent principal as soon as possible.”

“We’re using the word ‘expedite,’” said Adriance, to describe the search for Corey’s replacement.

“Glad to hear you use that,” said Lounsbury.

“I’m glad you’re glad,” returned Adriance.

Lefkaditis then said that the board had heard time and time again that BKW’s low academic scores are because of a lack of consistency in the administration. He also said of the candidates who have applied for administrative posts in recent years, “Our pickings were slim.”

He said he had talked to teachers and other staff who favored, as Lounsbury had indicated, appointing a former BKW staffer who has since left the district. Neither Lounsbury nor Adriance would identify who that is.

“He’s liked and he’s feared,” said Lefkaditis as he suggested hiring him right away.

“This person would still be in the running,” said Barcomb. “We’re just going to make sure this really is the best person.”

Lefkaditis suggested that Natale “reach out” to form a committee now.

“Vacation is starting,” said Natale. “I can’t turn around that quick.” He noted he’s in the midst of the budget process.

As Lefkaditis pressed further on how long the “expedited” process would take, Natale said, “Just let me do it...I can’t sit here and give you a timeline.”

Lefkaditis said this former staffer would have institutional knowledge that would be valuable to a new superintendent.

“Poll the board,” said Adriance.

“How many feel it would be beneficial to have the superintendent reach out to staff?” asked Lefkaditis.

“Not me,” said Adriance.

Referring to the executive session, Chavout said, “That’s what we agreed in there...to expedite. We need a quality applicant.”

“Who’s interested will apply,” said Natale. “It’s not appropriate to tap someone.”

“We agreed to meet on Monday, the fifth, to come up with a plan,” said Adriance. “While the job is posted, we can begin the process of gathering people....The holidays are here. That’s the reality. We talked about this — the sooner we can get a permanent person in here, the better.”

Lefkaditis asked Natale if he had established criteria for hiring the interim secondary principal.

“I did,” answered Natale.

Natale said he spoke with seven or eight people, through the Board of Cooperative Educational Services, from an ad, and from contacts he had. “Most of them said no,” Natale reported, noting that some hadn’t even worked as assistant principals.

“You got the best of what there is,” he said of Summermatter. “We did very well.”