Connetquot appoints interim superintendent

The Connetquot Board of Education appointed a new interim superintendent to head the district, making them the third district leader in two months.

On Sept. 18, the Connetquot Board of Education entered an agreement to sign Peggie Staib, who previously served as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction at Connetquot for a decade, to be the district’s interim superintendent, replacing Bryan Frank, a former social studies director and Stony Brook University lecturer.

“The opportunity to serve as interim superintendent, even if for a short time, allows me to reconnect with former colleagues, friends, students, parents, and community members,” Staib said in a letter to the community. “Together with the Board of Education, I look forward to working collaboratively to navigate our current challenges and help ensure a smooth transition toward consistent, long-term leadership for the district.”

Staib has previously served as an associate superintendent for educational services at Eastern Suffolk BOCES in Patchogue and from 2004 to 2013, served as an assistant superintendent at Connetquot School District.

For each day worked during her term as interim superintendent, Staib will be paid $1,700, according to the hiring agreement which was made public on Sept. 18. The agreement also stated the board of education would reimburse Staib up to $5,000 for “actual and reasonable business expenses,” with individual expenses above $250 and trips outside of the district requiring pre-approval from the board.

All board of education trustees, except president Jacuelyn DiLorenzo, voted to approve the agreement with Staib. DiLorenzo did not respond to a request for comment about her decision.

Before Staib’s appointment, acting superintendent Frank led the school district for less than two months following the resignation of Dr. Joseph Centamore, who left the district before his contract was set to expire, former board members said.

A Freedom of Information Law request that The Suffolk County News filed with Connetquot School district for a copy of Centamore’s settlement agreement was delayed from Sept. 9 to Oct 9. In a Sept. 8 letter, Connetquot School District clerk Sabrina Keller said the district has “received an influx of FOIL requests involving a significant number of records” and that an updated email archival system and start of the school year has led to delays responding to public information requests.

At the Sept. 15 Connetquot Board of Education meeting, board members explained why Frank was leaving the district after a short tenure. With his retirement approaching, Connetquot Board of Education trustee Marissol Mallon said Frank was hired as an acting superintendent while the district conducted a search for an interim superintendent.

“That timeline has extended quite a little bit [more] than we expected, which is why he has stuck around, thankfully, for the district,” Mallon said. “However, the time has come where he can no longer hold on.”

Frank thanked the board of education and community for their support during the transitional period.

“I’ve always enjoyed coming to Connetquot,” Frank said. “When Connetquot calls, I answer; that’s the only way I can say it.”

With his wife retired, Frank said he wanted to focus more time with his family.

“Without [assistant superintendent] John Allen and Dr. Frank, we would have been in a real pickle,” Connetquot Board of Education trustee Sara Parisi said during the Sept. 15 board of education meeting. “They have been beyond helpful to the board as well as the district and they’ve done an exceptional job so far.”

Some residents at the public meeting were not impressed, and asked the board why they weren’t transparent about the superintendent selection process since Centamore left the district in August.

“One week, Dr. [Centamore] was gone, and Dr. Frank was here,” Jodi Cregg said. “At that meeting, you [Dr. Frank] sat exactly where you’re sitting right now; you weren’t introduced. We were given no information. We were given nothing.”

“The transparency was not there,” Cregg continued.

Trustee Parisi responded to the resident, saying that “a lot of this stuff is going to come out in the future,” and that the board’s hands were tied regarding what they could say, and when.

Parisi said the board could speak more about the issue when “a very specific report” they are waiting for will address the community’s questions, and that “it speaks volumes” when one person is there one day, and gone another, alluding to Centamore’s departure.

The Connetquot Board of Education did not respond to a request for comment on how the permanent superintendent process will play out.