HAMBURG, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Frontier Central School District will be searching for a new superintendent.
During a Frontier CSD Board of Education meeting Tuesday evening, it was announced that Dr. Richard Hughes and the district came to a mutual "separation agreement."
The Frontier CSD issued this statement on their website after the meeting:
"The Board of Education of the Frontier Central School District, at it's meeting on December 15, 2020, approved a mutual agreement between the Board and Superintendent of Schools Richard Hughes, which the Board believes is in the best interests of the District and which will allow Dr. Hughes to pursue other opportunities. Dr. Hughes’ service to the District will conclude today, and the District has named Collen Duggan as acting Superintendent to ensure continuity of leadership in the District. Mrs. Duggan will serve in the Acting role for about 1 month while the Board conducts a short search for an Interim Superintendent. This will allow the Board to devote the appropriate time and consideration to the search for a permanent leader for the District. The Board anticipates to announce and hire a permanent Superintendent over the summer. The Board would like to thank Dr. Hughes for all his efforts and hard work with the District and we wish him well in his future endeavors."
Dr. Hughes served as Frontier superintendent since 2017.
To view the full meeting, click here.
Parents like Brooke Rados, who is also president of the Blasdell Elementary PTA, are disappointed in Hughes’ departure.
“I don’t feel that he did a poor job. Every school is different right now.”
The Frontier Central Teachers Association disagrees. In October it gave Hughes a vote of no confidence after it said he mishandled the school’s re-opening plan.
“We were taken off guard that we weren’t prepared for the start of the school year, and we had expressed those concerns throughout the summer. We were reassured that everything was under control and when school started, it definitely wasn’t,” said Teachers Association President Amber Chandler.
Chandler urged the school board to remove Hughes and to find a replacement. But, it’s unclear whether that played any role in Hughes or the board’s decision to part ways.
The board appointed assistant superintendent Colleen Duggan as acting superintendent until it finds a permanent replacement. A call to Duggan wasn't returned Wednesday.
The district is scheduled to return to hybrid learning January 4.
