North Syracuse Board Creates New Associate Principal Post, Fills It by Promoting Departing ENL Coordinator
The North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education created five staff positions, including a new Associate Principal post at Smith Road Elementary School filled the same night, and unanimously upheld the superintendent's decision in a parental appeal reviewed in executive session, at its December 15, 2025 meeting.
●Board created a new Associate Principal position at Smith Road Elementary School and appointed Ariana Rosario to it at an annual salary of $95,088, effective January 5, 2026; Rosario had separately resigned her Teacher on Special Assignment - ENL Coordinator position effective January 4, 2026 to accept the new post.
●Board created two Transportation Department positions, 1.0 FTE School Bus Driver and 1.0 FTE School Bus Attendant, effective December 16, 2025.
●Board created two Teaching Assistant positions, at Karl W. Saile Bear Road Elementary School and at Smith Road Elementary School, effective December 16, 2025.
●Board approved updating the district-wide safety plan to include changes due to Desha's Law.
●Board approved two memoranda of agreement with the North Syracuse Education Association, one specific to "Employee #08176" and one dated December 3, 2025; the minutes give no further detail on either.
●After an executive session to review one parental appeal, the board voted to uphold the superintendent's decision.
●Board accepted a $3,328.00 donated audio equipment gift for Gillette Road Middle School from Timothy Chupeck and a $1,000.00 check from Stewart's Shops for the CNS Green Closet.
●Board acknowledged the retirements of five employees: Julie Albanese, Colleen Harbold, Shannon Heffron, Domenic Liccione and Kristin Lisi.
●Board approved the 2025-2026 textbook list and directed marketable surplus equipment to an online auction through Auctions International.
●Every recorded vote at the meeting carried nine to zero; no members of the public spoke during the comment period.
The North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education created five new staff positions at its December 15 meeting, among them a new Associate Principal post at Smith Road Elementary School that the board filled the same night by promoting the district's outgoing ENL Coordinator.
Earlier in the meeting's personnel actions, Ariana Rosario, listed as Teacher on Special Assignment - ENL Coordinator for the district, was recorded as resigning that position effective January 4, 2026, to accept an Associate Principal position. Later in the meeting, under a separate personnel resolution, the board created the Associate Principal position at Smith Road Elementary School and appointed Rosario to fill it, with a probationary period from January 5, 2026 to January 4, 2030 and an annual salary of $95,088, effective January 5, 2026. The minutes describe it as a newly created position. The appointment carried on a motion from Mr. Mirizio, seconded by Mr. Thorne, nine to zero.
The board also created two Transportation Department positions, a 1.0 FTE School Bus Driver and a 1.0 FTE School Bus Attendant, effective December 16, 2025, citing student service efficiency needs. A separate resolution created two Teaching Assistant positions, one at Karl W. Saile Bear Road Elementary School and one at Smith Road Elementary School, also effective December 16, 2025, tied to student support needs under the 2025-2026 adopted budget. Both resolutions carried nine to zero.
The board moved into executive session at 6:15 p.m. to review one parental appeal, with action to follow, on a motion from Mr. Mirizio seconded by Mr. Ludden, carried nine to zero. It then reconvened into open session on a motion from Mr. Mirizio seconded by Mr. Farfaglia, also nine to zero. Once back in open session, the board voted, on a motion from Mr. Farfaglia seconded by Mr. Ludden, to uphold the superintendent's decision in the appeal, again nine to zero. The minutes do not describe the underlying appeal beyond identifying it as a parental appeal.
Separately, the board approved updating the district-wide safety plan to include changes due to Desha's Law, on a motion from Mr. Farfaglia seconded by Mr. Ludden, carried nine to zero. The minutes do not elaborate on what the changes involve.
The board approved two memoranda of agreement with the North Syracuse Education Association. One was between "Employee #08176," the district and the association, approved on a motion from Mr. Ludden seconded by Mr. Thorne. The other, dated December 3, 2025, was between the district and the association, approved on a motion from Mr. Shusda seconded by Ms. Sugrue. Both carried nine to zero, and the minutes give no further detail on either agreement's terms.
On routine business, the board accepted a donated audio equipment gift valued at $3,328.00 for Gillette Road Middle School from Timothy Chupeck, and a $1,000.00 check from Stewart's Shops in support of the CNS Green Closet. It approved the 2025-2026 textbook list, and it directed that surplus equipment deemed non-marketable be disposed of while marketable surplus be sold through an online auction conducted by Auctions International. The board also approved an extra classroom account for the CNS Mock Trial Club, requested by CNS Executive Principal Kristen Hill and submitted by Daryle Redmond, Director of Fine Arts and Co-Curricular.
Mr. Mirizio acknowledged the retirements of five employees: Julie Albanese, a Special Education Teacher retiring with 11.7 years of service; Colleen Harbold, an Elementary Teacher retiring with 30.7 years of service; Shannon Heffron, a Guidance Counselor retiring with 26.7 years of service; Domenic Liccione, a Music Teacher retiring with 29 years of service; and Kristin Lisi, a Reading Teacher retiring with 4 years of service. He thanked them and wished them well.
Earlier in the meeting, Associate Superintendent Donald F.X. Keegan presented on 2026-2027 Budget Considerations and Assumptions; the minutes do not record further detail of that presentation. Cicero-North Syracuse Orchestra members performed holiday music, and Student BOE representative Brigid Gill reported that CNS held Spirit Week along with student voter registration and pre-registration events. No members of the public spoke during the comment period, and the board recorded no comments of its own. Every vote taken at the meeting carried nine to zero. The meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m.
This article was drafted by AI (claude-sonnet-agent) from the official meeting transcript and reviewed by a human editor.
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●Hired Jennifer Stanton as Director of Pupil Personnel Services at $145,000 annually, with a probationary period of Feb. 17, 2026 through Feb. 16, 2029, replacing Julie Darmody-Latham, following a closed-door executive session on "one personnel item."
●Earlier in the same meeting, formally hired Rocco Nalli -- the consultant listed on the agenda to present results of the district's recent Special Education Audit -- as Interim Director of Pupil Personnel Services at $600 per day for actual days worked, effective Jan. 13, 2026.
●Created a new Director of Security position, hiring Kate Loveland Kehn at an annual salary of $115,000, effective Jan. 13, 2026.
●Filled two newly created Transportation Department positions: School Bus Driver Jason Davidson ($30.95 per hour) and School Bus Attendant Maria Hernandez ($23.37 per hour), both effective Dec. 16, 2025.
●Approved a SEQR resolution declaring the Board "Lead Agency" and finding a Type II action for the "Roxboro Road Middle School Acoustic Panel Installation Project" -- though the resolution's own text repeatedly refers to it as a "renovation of the greenhouse" and the "C-NS Greenhouse Renovation Project."
●Acknowledged final property tax reconciliation reports from the Cicero, Clay and Salina tax collectors and directed that uncollected taxes be forwarded to the Onondaga County Treasurer for reimbursement.
●Approved agreements with Soliant Health, LLC for related service provider services and with Access CNY for applied behavior analysis services, both effective Jan. 13, 2026; the minutes list no dollar amounts for either.
●Bids for an Auditorium Lighting & Accessories project were opened, showing BMI Supply at $127,154.41 and Sweetwater Sound at $9,553.67; the minutes record no vote or award decision following the opening.
●Approved gifts of $1,000 from Stewart's Shops for the GRMS Outdoor Recreation Project and a $200 Wegmans gift card for teacher refreshments, and acknowledged the retirement of Associate Principal Charles Yonko, effective June 30, 2026, with 19.10 years of service.
●Superintendent Terry Ward reported that he and Associate Superintendent Don Keegan met with Assembly member Al Stirpe, Senator Pam Hunter, Assembly member Chris Ryan and Regent Patrick Mannion to discuss the district's financial needs and request legislative support on PILOT agreements, including challenges tied to the Micron project's PILOT that he said no other district will face.
●Ward said the district supports Micron and the opportunities it brings but that important considerations still need to be addressed and advocated for.
●Ward reported attending the Syracuse University groundbreaking, noting only two districts were invited (North Syracuse and Liverpool), and said he met with Micron about a possible AI-focused student event during Spring Break, open first to North Syracuse students.
●Board member Robert Crabtree, reporting on the OCM BOCES board, described superintendents' regionalization discussions covering districts as small as 400 K-12 students, and said North Syracuse's still-unfinished strategic plan includes staff recruitment/retention, attendance, the community schools framework and the Portrait of a Graduate initiative.
●Crabtree said BOCES and districts including North Syracuse and Baldwinsville are beginning long-range capital plans, made possible by recent voter support.
●The board received the final report of the District Utilization Study, presented by consultant Deb Ayers with Jennifer Heckthorn and John Wisniewski, and heard a presentation from Don Keegan on the Governor's budget proposal and preliminary tax cap calculation.
●The board approved revised 2024-2025 non-resident tuition rates ($7,316 full day K-6; $9,150 full day 7-12; $44,123 special education K-6; $45,957 special education 7-12), carried with eight yes votes.
●The board adopted a resolution appointing Sophie Hogan to a four-year probationary ENL Teacher term (Jan. 16, 2026 - Jan. 15, 2030) at an annual salary of $72,021.
●The board declared February 6, 2026 as School and ADAPEP Counselor Appreciation Day, acknowledged the retirements of three staff members, and approved surplus equipment disposal, Personnel A and Personnel B items, all by recorded votes.
●No comments were offered during the public comment period.
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