Education

Oysterponds seals $125,000 contract with new principal

The Oysterponds Board of Education completed a $125,000 contract agreement Thursday morning with new principal Francoise Wittenburg, whose first day on the job will be July 1.

The contract provides for up to a $3,000 raise in each of the following two years based on reviews of Ms. Wittenburg’s performance. Board members will provide the new principal with reviews each January and June.

Although the appointment is provisional, that in no way reflects any question about Ms. Wittenburg’s abilities, board president Deborah Dumont said. The position must be provisional because New York State provides that it’s a tenure-track job. The board could act at any time in the next three years to grant tenure, Ms. Dumont said.

To meet the district’s financial oversight needs, district clerk Melissa Palermo will be assuming responsibilities as district treasurer and will also function as an assistant to part-time superintendent Joan Frisicano. Ms. Palermo’s salary will remain frozen at $55,818 along with a $500 stipend for her work as human resources director.

The district is currently hunting for a part-time district clerk to handle those responsibilities Ms. Palermo will no longer be able to handle in her new role, Ms. Dumont said.

In the past year, with the transition from former superintendent Stuart Rachlin to Ms. Frisicano, Ms. Palermo provided a lot of assistance working with district auditors on budgeting for the 2011-12 school year. She demonstrated strong financial abilities and preferred to continue in that capacity, Ms. Dumont said.