By Dan Hust
JEFFERSONVILLE —February 25, 2003– In a normally secret executive session late Thursday night at the Sullivan West Jeffersonville campus, the board chose to hire one administrator and slowly let another one go.
Although board members wouldn’t speak publicly on the matter, the Democrat has learned that a majority of the board opted not to renew Superintendent Michael Johndrow’s contract when it expires in June 2004.
The reason or reasons have yet to be publicly stated, but Johndrow himself confirmed the decision yesterday.
“They’re not interested in extending it at this time,” he said. “Although a year from now, they could negotiate again.”
But unless the board’s minds or members change substantially by next year, it is all but assured that Johndrow will be elsewhere by 2004.
When asked how he felt about the decision, Johndrow offered no comment.
After coming out of the executive session, the board voted on another item of discussion: the hiring of an interim assistant superintendent.
Charlotte Gregory, the former interim superintendent of the Narrowsburg Central School District before it merged in 1999, has accepted the board’s offer to become the interim assistant superintendent, replacing the now-departed David Rowley to oversee curriculum and other issues.
Gregory, said Johndrow, assumes her duties today and is expected to serve in that position until December of this year.
“I’m looking forward to working with her,” Johndrow said.