Springs School To Hire New Superintendent

Less than a week before school is back in session, the Springs School Board of Education will hire a new interim superintendent.

A special meeting will be held at the school on Tuesday at 6 p.m. to officially hire Jay Finello, who has worked as a superintendent in several school districts on Long Island, to lead the school through Aug. 31, 2014.

Dominic Mucci, a retiree who served as the interim superintendent for the 2012-13 school year, cannot continue in the position after the State Commissioner of Education declined to sign an additional one-year waiver to allow Mucci to remain in the position.

As a retiree under the New York State Teachers Retirement System who is not yet 65 and would make more than $30,000 from Springs, the district needs the approval of the commissioner, who signed a one-year waiver in 2012. The district reapplied for another year, but got word recently that it was denied, the district confirmed in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

“It is no secret that recruitment of an experienced part-time Superintendent, which is the leadership model we think is most cost-effective and appropriate for our district, is a real challenge,” board president Liz Mendelman said. “We are disappointed because continuity is important and Dom provided a very steady hand.”

Mendelman said the district revisited those who had applied for the position when Michael Hartner announced he would retire in 2012.

Finello is a veteran school district leader. Until July 1, he was the interim superintendent of the East Islip School District, a position he held for two years. He also served as the superintendent of the Huntington School District.

His appointment does not require a waiver, the district said, "because the terms of his employment agreement comply with state regulations on earnings for retirees."

Finello will receive $25,000 for the rest of 2013, and then $30,000 after Jan. 1, 2014.

Part of the agreement is that Finello move to East Hampton. The district will reimburse him up to $3,000 per month for rental expenses, they said.

“We are delighted to welcome Jay to Springs,” Mendelman said. “His experience, leadership style, and interpersonal skills are a perfect fit for our district. With the rapidly evolving environment we are operating in today – especially in the areas of staff leadership recruitment and development, the transition to new assessments through the Common Core, and the new evaluation requirements –Jay’s vast knowledge and physical presence in our community will be key to our continued success.”

In a statement, Finello said, “I consider this to be a unique opportunity both professionally and personally, and I am grateful to the Board for welcoming me to Springs.”