No Surprise- Carmine Peluso Resigns
The unexpected announcement of Superintendent Carmine Peluso's decision to change positions has left his colleagues in shock and disbelief, leaving many loose ends, including work, in limbo. The Churchville-Chili Central School District dropped a bombshell on Tuesday by declaring that their new superintendent would be none other than Mr. Carmine Peluso himself!
This revelation caught many of his colleagues completely off guard, as they had anticipated Peluso to continue in his role, especially after recently being appointed and transitioning from interim to full Superintendent. Peluso had been serving in the Rochester City School District since 09/01/2022, stepping in for Mrs. Lesli Myers-Small before officially assuming the role of Superintendent on 12/22/2022.
His upcoming position at The Churchville-Chili Central School District will see him carry out similar duties, on July 1, after Mrs. Lori Orologio retires.
Peluso stated his decision was the best one for him and his family. “There’s a lot of commitment I’ve had into this district, right — you’ve heard me say my wife is a teacher in this district for 26 years as well, so it’s nothing I take lightly. it was just a hard decision after a lot of reflection,” he said.
The President of the Rochester City School Board(RCSD), Mrs. Cynthia Elliott, expressed sorrow at his departure. She commended him as both a person and a professional. Elliott mentioned that Peluso had to make tough choices due to family circumstances that dictated what was best for his family and career.
Elliott also noted the high regard and affection his colleagues held for him, with his premature exit causing sadness among them, as they had hoped for a longer partnership of 6 to 7 years to witness the impact of his initiatives. Adam Urbanski, President of the Rochester Teachers Association, also conveyed surprise at Peluso's departure but extended well wishes for his new role.
The timing of Peluso's departure is inconvenient, given that the board had recently approved his reconfiguration plan involving the closure of 11 schools and the opening of five new ones. This leaves the future of the educational partnership between East High School and the University of Rochester uncertain.
According to the University of Rochester's website, the program began in April 2014. It states the University of Rochester was asked by the Rochester City School District Board of Education to become the Educational Partnership Organization for East High School. The statement confirms that East was facing possible closure due to a long history of failure to meet New York State Education Department benchmarks. The statement confirms the Warner School of Education and the University developed a specific proposal to do this work in conjunction with the East educational community. Now, the Educational Partnership Organization is in jeopardy of ending in 2025.
"Dr. Peluso has laid the groundwork for that and developing the strategic plan. We are looking for someone to continue that work, not necessarily coming in to try to change the whole system,"
stated Elliott. "We are committed to continuing this work. It's not going to stop, and the children in the Rochester City School District will be highly educated."
A meeting is scheduled at the District on Thursday, March 28, 6:00 pm.
