Dobbs Ferry Initiates High School Principal Search

The will begin its search process for a high school principal with an advertisement in this weekend’s New York Times, said Superintendent Debra Kaplan.

Principal Keith Yi will leave the district in June to assume the role of Vice Principal/Head of Junior School in a newly created International Baccalaureate school in Korea.

Dobbs Ferry is now looking for three key administrators: a superintendent of schools, an elementary school principal and a high school principal. The trustees have hired an outside consultant to guide the search for a superintendent, but the other two will be handled internally.

President Jeffrey O’Donnell said this was the first time during his 10-year tenure that he had ever faced the task of finding three administrators, but was confident the process would go smoothly.

“We plan to have the incoming superintendent in place before hiring either of the principals,” he said. “We want to have his or her input on the decision.”

Although , Kaplan said she had already received “at least 200 applications” for the job of principal—adding that not every applicant could be considered.

After an advertisement has been published, the next step is forming parent, teacher and student focus groups to help define a profile of the ideal candidate.

“These focus groups become the core of the search,” Kaplan said.

Marge Holderman, current district director of curriculum and instruction, will lead the focus groups for the elementary principal. Doug Berry, Holderman’s successor, will lead the focus groups for the high school principal.

Kaplan anticipates that the board will hire the new administrators at lower salaries than their predecessors, which could help ease residents’ tax burdens.

Both Kaplan and O’Donnell agree that now is the time to initiate a search. “If it were any later in the year, that would be a concern,” Kaplan said.

Although Kaplan and O’Donnell said they would prefer finding someone with experience to administer the International Baccalaureate program, it is not a must.

District leaders hope to name a new superintendent in April and the two principals in May.