Schoharie Names New Elementary Principal

SCHOHARIE - Schoharie elementary school has a new principal.

SCS school board members Tuesday evening unanimously appointed Laura Iseman who will start July 1, 2026 and take over from Interim Principal Shelley Baldwin-Nye.

Ms. Iseman is currently an assistant principal at Central Park Middle School in Schenectady City School District and will finish the current school year there. Prior to that she held leadership and teaching positions at KIPP Tech Valley Middle School in Albany. 

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and a Master’s Degree in Education: Adolescent Education, both from The College of St. Rose. 

“I am honored to step into the role of Elementary Principal and serve the wonderful Schoharie school community. I am especially drawn to this position because it mirrors the close-knit community where I was raised in the Schoharie Valley, giving me a deep understanding of the unique strengths and interconnected relationships between families, staff, and students,” Ms. Iseman said.

“Growing up in this environment shaped my core belief that schools serve as the heart of the community, requiring strong partnerships, clear communication, and mutual respect. I am fully committed to honoring your rich traditions while passionately preparing our students to thrive in a rapidly changing world and keeping the focus on doing what is good for our students as our highest priority.”

The search committee included Board of Education members and stakeholders from the Elementary School community. 

“We’re grateful for the work the search committee did this spring. Laura Iseman was an exceptional candidate for the principal role. Her familiarity with the community and keen insight toward relationship-building will help move the Elementary School forward into the 2026-27 school year,” Superintendent David Blanchard said. 

“Please welcome Laura to our school community. We’re looking forward to many great things at the Elementary next year and the foundation for that will be laid this summer.”

Schoharie Central School quickly filled the position after sudden departure of Principal Betsy Wright after the Easter break.

School board members named Ms. Baldwin-Nye as the interim elementary school principal effective retroactive to April 13, the day after students returned from Easter break, through the end of the school year on June 30.

Board members also approved the resignation of Ms. Wright as elementary school principal effective June 30.

There was no discussion on either motion and Ms. Wright's resignation was included in the general "consent" personnel items instead of being voted on individually.

Officials said they were not sure where Ms. Wright went,

Ms. Wright was named elementary school principal in June 2025. She served as assistant principal in both SCS schools before becoming interim elementary school principal in January 2025.

Ms. Wright was named interim elementary school principal in January 2025, jumping from the junior-senior High School, where she was serving as the assistant principal. Mrs. Wright started in that role for the 2024-25 school year after spending the second half of the 2023--24 school year as the assistant principal in the Elementary.

In June 2025, Ms. Wright was given a four-year probationary position as elementary school principal retroactive to January 13, through January 12, 2029. The appointment was at her current salary per the Schoharie Administrators Association contract.

Prior to coming to Schoharie, Mrs. Wright was most recently the assistant principal at Mont Pleasant Middle School in the Schenectady City School District and has worked as a reading teacher, classroom teacher and instructional coach. 

She replaced former SCS Elementary Principal Andrea Polikoski who stepped down from her position in December 2024 to assume an elementary principal role at Scotia-Glenville CSD.