MONROE: Superintendent Hamilton moving on

By Jenine Clancy, Special Writer
MONROE — Superintendent Kenneth Hamilton said this week that he was as surprised as anyone was when he received the news that he was appointed, as Mount Vernon, New York’s new chief school administrator.
"I was actually surprised, well officially anyway," said Mr. Hamilton when asked about an email exchange two weeks ago with Cranbury Press freelance correspondent Ed Birch about accepting the position.
Now, Mr. Hamilton is certified in New York and can confirm he is leaving the Monroe School District to become the new superintendent in Mount Vernon.
The Monroe Board of Education still, however, has to vote to approve his resignation at its July 23 meeting.
Mr. Hamilton said his last day in Monroe is set for Aug. 8, and he is expected to start in New York on Aug. 11.
Mr. Hamilton had been competing for the position since December and had been one of four finalists in that district’s search since March, according to the Mount Vernon school district.
He said he couldn’t comment on the Mount Vernon hiring process, but he did say it "took a long time."
"That part happened very quickly," he said of the resolution that was passed by a 6-3 vote by the Mount Vernon board on June 27.
Mr. Hamilton said he did withdraw his name, but when he did reconsider the position, he hadn’t heard anything officially from the city district.
"I was really hesitant to confirm (the appointment) because I hadn’t communicated that information to the people of Monroe, and I was very concerned about respecting a protocol," he said.
Several calls made to the Mount Vernon school district, but were not returned.
"It was an attractive community and, based on my experience, it’s a community where I think I can do a lot of good," said Mr. Hamilton of Mount Vernon. "Take a lot of the work we have done here, and cross pollinate it with Monroe and Mount Vernon.
He said the reason for leaving has to do with "changes we are facing as a state," and has nothing to do with the community of Monroe.
"I love my work here, the people here and the kids are exceptional," he said. "There are parameters at the state level that have made it difficult for superintendents to do the kind of work they would like to do.
The salary caps for superintendents, adopted by the Department of Education in 2011, range from $125,000 for districts with 250 or fewer students to $175,000 for districts with 6,501 to 10,000 students.
According to Mr. Hamilton, he was making a salary of $196,000 for the 2013-2014 school year. In his new district he said would be making $250,000 a year.
Monroe Board of Education President Kathy Kolupanowich now has the task of finding Mr. Hamilton’s replacement.
"The Board of Education will be looking for an interim superintendent, and I think that can be accomplished in a very short period of time," said Kolupanowich.
Ms. Kolupanowich said the search would begin "as soon as possible."
"A good search should take approximately six months, and it is my hope that the board will be able to appoint someone by the end of this year," she said. "The board will make sure that we keep the community informed as we go through the process."
Appointed in 2009, Mr. Hamilton has implemented the largest 1:1 iPad initiative on the east coast, successfully managed district reconfiguration including the opening of a new state of the art high school, developed and implemented the district’s strategic plan, co-authored Senate Bill S1701 and presented before the New Jersey State Senate to justify the need for support of this proposal for equitable state funding for the children of Monroe, according to his biography.
Under his leadership, Monroe High School was ranked one of the Best High Schools in the state, from the U.S. News and World Report, and that, Hamilton said was one of his greatest accomplishments for himself, and his board.
The school ranked 39, in the top 100 performing schools in the state. On a national scale, the school ranked 1,500 out of the 31,000 schools reviewed.
"I think the work of the staff and students in particular made this huge accomplishment happen," he said. "It’s a process through our elementary and middle schools to prepare those youngsters so that when they get to the high school they are prepared for a rigorous curriculum to meet national standards, and its kudos to the district.
"I’m sorry to see him go, he was doing a good job," said board Member Tom Nothstein.
"Dr. Hamilton will be greatly missed in Monroe, but I know we all understand that he had to do what was best for his family and his career," said Ms. Kolupanowich. "I wish him all the best in his new position in Mount Vernon."
"Monroe is an exceptional community," said Mr. Hamilton. "I have to encourage folks to rally around the board and to support the work we are doing. I am hoping the district will embrace the work that is underway with whoever my replacement will be and continue to move forward."