Press release of March 30, 2012

Patrick McGrath chosen as new BH-BL superintendent of schools

Current assistant superintendent at Mohonasen to take the reins at BH-BL on July 1

BURNT HILLS: After a seven-month national search process that included substantial community involvement and input, members of the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Board of Education have selected Patrick McGrath to be the district's next superintendent of schools.

McGrath is expected to be present and to be appointed at the board's regular business meeting at 7:30 pm on April 3 in the O'Rourke Middle School library.

He will begin his new position on or around July 1 upon the retirement of existing BH-BL superintendent Jim Schultz. McGrath's three-year contract includes a salary of $156,000 annually. Both sides have agreed that the salary will remain the same for three years. McGrath will pay 25 percent of his health insurance premiums, and the board will contribute $3,000 annually to his annuity account.

Professional educator since 1991

Currently the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction at the Mohonasen school district, McGrath began his career with ten years as a middle school science teacher in the Niskayuna school system from 1991 to 2001.

In 2001, he was appointed assistant principal of the Draper Middle School in Mohonasen for two years, followed by three years as the Draper Middle School principal, and then two years as the Mohonasen High school principal.

As assistant superintendent at Mohonasen since 2008, he has been responsible for overseeing instruction, curriculum development and program development for 3,000 students and 230 teachers. He has gained experience in collective bargaining, was responsible for the Human Resources office, supervised the directors of several academic departments including athletics and special education, and also served concurrently as Mohonasen's director of information technology.

"The Board of Education is excited to have found such an excellent fit for Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in Patrick McGrath," says board president James Maughan. "We believe he will be a great leader for our district and will challenge us to build on our tradition of excellence. The board is confident he will continue the heritage of long-tenured, student-centered superintendents that BH-BL has benefited from throughout its history."

"My past ten years at Mohonasen have been filled with great experiences and great people," notes McGrath. "I'm excited to draw upon these experiences as I move into this new opportunity to serve and to lead at BH-BL."

"Burnt Hills has long been known and respected for excellence throughout the Suburban Council," he says. "I believe the district can continue to excel amidst the challenges and changes facing 21st century public schools, and I look forward to leading the team that makes that possible."

McGrath, age 44, and his wife Denise have four children. Two sons have already graduated from school, and their daughter will be graduating from Mohonasen this June. Their third son is a preschooler, who is already excited, McGrath says, about becoming a Spartan.

McGrath holds a bachelors degree in biology and a masters degree in science education from the University at Albany, and he is currently a doctoral student there in the Department of Educational Administration and Policy.

Community and staff representatives involved

The search for the district's next leader began on September 1, 2011, when Jim Schultz announced he would be retiring at the end of the current school year.

In late September, members of the school board appointed Capital Region BOCES superintendent Dr. Charles Dedrick to guide them in a comprehensive search, which began with three community input sessions in October.

Community and staff members willing to serve on interview teams were solicited in December. The board received 29 completed applications for the position by the end of December.

Three rounds of interviews with top candidates were conducted from January to March using questions and input that had been collected earlier from the community.

"The search process was inclusive and robust," says board member John Blowers. "Mr. McGrath differentiated himself from a strong candidate pool as the best fit based on the profile our community identified as ideal for the next leader of this high-performing district."

"Our candidate pool had terrific depth, and community and staff involvement in the profile development and semi-finalist interviews was critical," says Blowers. "Now we are looking forward to Patrick and his family moving here and becoming part of the BH-BL community."

  Go to Superintendent Search page to view the complete search timeline and previous press releases

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