ONTEORA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICTBOICEVILLE, NY 12412http://onteora.schoolwires.com

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 17, 2016

Onteora Board of Education Appoints New District Superintendent

BOICEVILLE—The Onteora Central School District Board of Education has

appointed Bruce Watson as Superintendent of Schools.

Board President Bobbi Schnell made the announcement following a Board

meeting on May 17, when the Trustees voted unanimously to approve the hiring

of Mr. Watson.

Mr. Watson comes to Onteora from New Jersey’s Fair Lawn Schools, a

district of 5,000 students and nine schools. He has served as Fair Lawn’s

Superintendent of Schools for the past 15 years.

Prior to becoming Fair Lawn’s Superintendent, he was a Business

Administrator, High School teacher, and coach for a number of student teams

(football, wrestling, basketball, and softball). Mr. Watson also has a corporate

background in the software industry.

Ms. Schnell and the Board look forward to collaborating with Mr. Watson,

who was chosen after a search process that included candidate interviews with

Board members and District stakeholder groups, as well as a group site visit to

the Fair Lawn School District. “Mr. Watson’s experience as a superintendent in a

high performing district, his leadership qualities, his skill in community building,

and his vision impressed the Board as well as the various team members who

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visited the Fair Lawn School District,” she said. “We are pleased to welcome him

to the Onteora Central School District family.”

Mr. Watson, who will assume the duties of Onteora’s Superintendent of

Schools on August 22, 2016, is eager to get started. “I am very excited to begin

working with the Board of Education, staff, students, and parents of the Onteora

Central School District,” he said. “The people who I have had the pleasure of

meeting during the interview process have been gracious and insightful and very

positive about their district. I am looking forward to meeting many more of the

students and adults that make up this fine school system.”

One of Mr. Watson’s stated goals is building trusting professional

relationships with all stakeholders. “Together, we can create a shared vision for

learning and student success,” he said. 

“The schools I have been associated with have been dedicated to strong

instructional leadership, a climate of high expectations, positive home and school

relations, having a clear and focused mission, and providing a safe and orderly

environment,” he continued. “I believe this characterizes a culture in the schools

where both students and staff can be at their best.”

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