With 15 retirements and 10 resignations, including the newly hired director of health, physical education and athletics and Batavia Middle School’s principal, the city school district has a hefty to-do list this summer to replace some posts.
Middle School Principal Nate Korzelius, who was hired for the position in April 2022, after working as interim principal since July 1, 2021, and also worked at the district as a science teacher for 23 years and assistant principal of Batavia High School for five years, will resign effective June 30. He has accepted a familiar position as assistant principal at BHS effective July 1, Superintendent Jason Smith said.
“We are appointing an interim principal tonight at BMS effective July 1, which will be announced tonight to our staff and tomorrow to our families,” Smith said Monday. “Applications closed today for BMS principal, an interim principal is being appointed tonight and the interview process will start shortly.”
Mike Davis, the district’s interim assistant principal at Robert Morris appointed to replace Jessica Torrey, who left for an elementary principal job at Alexander Central, will temporarily fill in for Korzelius’ absence as interim principal while the district conducts a search.
"I have been pleased with both the quality and quantity of administrator applications and look forward to the next steps in the process. We hope to have the hiring process completed by early to mid August,” Smith said.
Ryan Winchip, who was hired last fall to replace Michael Bromley as the district’s athletic director, will be leaving for a principal position at Warsaw Central School. Timm Slade, who stepped in when Bromley announced he was leaving prior to Winchip’s hiring, will be returning as interim AD, effective Monday. The recruitment process has been in place for this position, as well as other personnel vacancies, Smith said.
“We have been pleased with the applicants so far, and are currently interviewing for art teacher, several clerical positions, and the admin position I already mentioned,” he said. “We also hope to have the AD position filled by early to mid August.”
Meanwhile, the role of full-time community coordinator is to be cut in half as of July 1, and former coordinator Julia Rogers will be moving back into an assistant principal role, but not at the high school where she formerly was stationed, but at the middle school, Smith said.
Trisha Jordan was hired during Monday’s board meeting to fill an open assistant principal slot at the high school, as assistant principal Omar Hussein is moving on to take a middle school principal position at Rush Henrietta School District.
Most of the assistant principal salaries are listed as "per the BAA (Batavia Administrators Association) contract" versus an actual number. The newest assistant principal hire's salary was listed as $80,000.
Travis Byrnes has resigned as assistant principal of the middle school to return as a health teacher at BHS for $66,750.
Batavia's Board of Education bid a warm farewell during Monday's meeting to several people who retired from the district this past year. They represented a collective 300 years of experience at Batavia, and included:
- Karen Barber - Secretary, Batavia High School Health Office
- Mike Bromley - Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics
- Jennifer Corbelli - English Language Arts Teacher, Batavia High School
- Gail DiGregorio - Secretary, School Counseling Office, Batavia High School
- Jeff Donahue - Custodial Worker, Batavia High School
- Nancy Haitz - School Nurse Practitioner, Batavia High School
- Mary Hall - Counseling Center, Batavia Middle School
- Susan Lukaszewicz - Physical Therapist, John Kennedy Intermediate
- Paula Mosman - Teacher, John Kennedy Intermediate
- Frank Panepento - Intro to Technology Teacher, Batavia Middle School
- Wayde Scott Pickert - Maintenance Staff, Batavia Middle School
- Sharon Reigle - Customer Support Technician, BCSD IT
- Scott Rozanski - Business Administrator
- Jackie Schumacher - Special Education, Batavia High School
- Deborah Tourville - Custodial Worker, Robert Morris
