SCS Officially Names Wright as Elementary Interim Principal, Barton as HS Asst Principal

SCHOHARIE - Schoharie school board members last week officially hired an interim elementary school principal and a high school assistant principal.

Betsy Wright shifted from the junior-senior High School, where she was serving as the assistant principal to take over at the elementary school. Mrs. Wright started her role in the high school for the 2024-25 school year after spending the second half of the 2023-24 school year as the assistant principal in the Elementary.

She will receive a salary of $110,000, which is an increase, pro-rated, through the end of the school year.

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. 

Shane Barton, a Schoharie CSD retired athletic director and current varsity boys basketball coach, will take on the role of interim assistant principal at the junior-senior High School. Mr. Barton has a permanent certificate in school administration. The appointment was retroactive to January 6 through the end of the school year, at a salary of $350 per day.

To round out the administrative team, David Russell will remain in his role as junior-senior High School principal and Carley Ryan will continue as Elementary assistant principal/athletic director. Former Elementary Principal Andrea Polikoski stepped down from her position last month to assume an elementary principal role at Scotia-Glenville CSD. At their November meeting, school board members accepted the resignation of Ms. Polikoski.

After 10 years as principal at SCS, Ms. Polikoski accepted the position as the principal of Glen-Worden Elementary School in the Scotia-Glenville Central School District and left Schoharie on January 2.

After the board's December 19 meeting, Superintendent David Blanchard said the district has not yet hired an interim principal.

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In other personnel moves, board members Thursday night:

* Appointed Mitchell Barton as senior class co-advisor at a stipend of 1,710.

* Accepted the resignation of Claudia Rickard as part-time food service helper, effective December 11.

* Rescinded the appointment of part-time teacher aide Darlene Schultz to accept appointment as a substitute.

Named Sandra Kossow as a bus driver for an in-district run, effective January 27.

* Added the following people to the SCS substitute list: Hope Morgenstein, non-certified, without degree, effective January 9, Sophia Styles, non-certified, without degree, effective January 9, Ms. Schultz, non-certified, without degree, effective retroactive to November 7.

* Changed the appointment of senior class advisors Marion Burghart to co-advisor at a stipend of $2,210.

* Added four people to the Capital Region BOCES Teacher Substitute calling list service.

In other action, board members:

* Accepted the donation of $1,300 from the Cornell University Growing Program Incentive Award for the agricultural program.