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Three finalists named for Elba Central School District Superintendent, plan to select one by Nov. 26

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Elba Central School District’s Board of Education has named three finalists for the district’s next Superintendent.

Michael Augello, Elba Central School District’s Board president, said he is pleased with the high-quality candidate pool and enthused about the potential the three finalists have to offer.

“Selecting the best superintendent for Elba Central is the Board’s top priority,” Augello said. “This was a difficult decision especially with the number of qualified candidates who applied. BOE has narrowed the search to three finalists. We look forward to the next round of interviews where the finalists meet with our various stakeholders.”

The three finalists are Jason Smith, Ned Dale and Matt Stroud.

Jason Smith

Smith currently serves as the superintendent of Schools for the Lyndonville Central School District, where he has served since 2011. Through his fiscal leadership, Smith has developed and secured the passage of eight district budget votes, and established a long-term reserve plan. Smith facilitated the development and implementation of long-term District and School strategic planning with diverse stakeholders. He also successfully negotiated four collective bargaining contracts and non-union employees’ contracts prior to agreements expiring. Smith led the implementation of a $10.6 million capital improvement project focused on security upgrades and energy efficiencies.

Smith began his career in 1994 as a Social Studies teacher at Albion High School. Over the next 10 years, he became dean of students, and assistant principal at Albion Middle School. From 2004 until 2011, he served as secondary principal for grades 7-12, elementary principal and Pre-K-12 principal at the Elba Central School District. During this time, Smith attained graduation rates between 92 and 100 percent, and also planned and implemented teacher professional development.

Smith received a Bachelor of Arts in History from SUNY Geneseo and a Master of Science in Education from The College at Brockport. He earned a certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration from The College at Brockport and also holds certifications in Social Studies 7-12 and as a School District Administrator.

Ned Dale

Dale currently serves as the principal of Cosgrove Middle School, Spencerport Central Schools, a position he has held since 2007. Dale began his career in education in 2000 as a school counselor/teacher leader at Spencerport High School. He continued his career at Spencerport Central Schools serving as the assistant principal of Cosgrove Middle School.

During his career at Spencerport Central Schools, Dale has developed three tiers of Response to Intervention in English Language Arts and Math in collaboration with other administrators and stakeholders.

Through his leadership, Cosgrove Middle School was designated as a School to Watch based upon the collaboration of the New York State Education Department, New York State Middle School Association and National Forum to Accelerate Middle Level Reform. As president of the Spencerport Administrators and Supervisors Association, Dale has successfully negotiated three 3-year contracts for the entire association. He also established an approved APPR plan for principals that was accepted by the New York State Education Department.

Dale earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from St. John Fisher College, and a Master of Science in Counseling and Human Development from the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester. He completed the New York State Superintendent Development Program at SUNY Oswego and holds permanent certifications in School Counseling, and as a School District Administrator.

Matt Stroud

Stroud is the principal of Alexander Elementary School, where he has served since 2007. As principal, Stroud oversees the hiring, evaluation and supervision of more than 50 instructional and support staff. He plans and leads staff development at both the Alexander elementary and high schools. During his tenure as principal, he serves as the administrative representative for the district’s APPR plan negotiations. He leads and or serves on multiple district-level committees including Teaching and Learning, APPR, and Response to Intervention. He oversees the budget preparation and monitoring including BOCES services for Alexander Elementary School. Stroud coordinated efforts for the creation of a national certified outdoor classroom.

Previously, he served as an English teacher at Letchworth Central School District from 2001 until 2007. During this time, he wrote and implemented New York State standards for grades 10-12 and created and taught three college-level courses. Stroud received the Teacher of the Year Award in 2005.  

Stroud earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Houghton College, and a Master of Arts in English from the College at Brockport. He also earned an Advanced Certificate in Educational Administration from The University of Rochester. Stroud holds permanent certifications in English 7-12 and as a School District Administrator.

The Next Step

The Board of Education will conduct the final round of interviews with the three candidates in early October at the Elba Central School District. The BOE expects to appoint the final candidate by Nov. 26.

Kevin MacDonald, district superintendent of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, who is acting as search consultant, said the Board has developed and implemented a process that will help determine the best candidate.

 “This is a rigorous search process,” MacDonald said. “Finalists are interviewed by several stakeholder groups, and concludes with the Board meeting to make a final decision.”

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The Genesee Valley Educational Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York State.

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