The Board of Education for the Raquette Lake Union Free School District hired a new superintendent of schools at their Monday night meeting.
The new district leader is Stephen Shafer, a retired educator from Malone. He is set to start work on Sept. 1.
He’s been in contact with current Superintendent Richard Rose about coordinating through the transition. Rose announced this spring his plans to retire.
Shafer currently works as a part-time curriculum coordinator for the Malone Central School District. His last full-time position before his retirement was 12 years as district superintendent for Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES. Prior to that, he served as assistant superintendent and then superintendent for Malone CSD, and he also has experience as a principal, school improvement coordinator and teacher.
The school district sends its 10 students to classes at the Town of Webb Union Free School District. The superintendent position takes an estimated 12 to 20 days of work each year, and it consists of budget and documentation duties, as well as overseeing the school building and staff who work there. The school building is mainly used as a community center and houses some municipal offices.
On July 26, board members interviewed three candidates for the position. Contract negotiations with Shafer happened throughout the last month, and the board officially appointed Shafer to the position on Monday night.
Current FEH BOCES District Superintendent Dale Breault Jr. assisted with the job search, one of the core duties a BOCES provides to the school districts it serves.