Knox principal to leave

By MICHAEL ANICH/The Leader-Herald

JOHNSTOWN - The Greater Johnstown School District Board of Education Wednesday night accepted the resignation of Knox Junior High School Principal Steven L. Drescher, effective June 30.

Following the board's meeting at Warren Street Elementary School, board President Robert Curtis and Superinten-dent Kather-ine Sullivan said Drescher gave no reason for resigning or indication of where he might be moving to.

Drescher, who didn't return a call seeking comment this morning, was hired by the district Feb. 21, 2008, to replace David Carr, who became superintendent of the Wheelerville Union Free School District. Drescher was named to the $75,000-a-year Knox post for a term that was to run until February 2010.

He was from Duanesburg, Schenectady County. He left a position with a school in Craryville, Columbia County, to come to Knox.

During the public portion of the meeting, Dick Baker of Route 67 commented that short tenures such as Drescher's are unfair to staff, parents and students of a school who get used to a principal. He said the board should in the future either look internally or more close to the area to hire an administrator, who might stay awhile.

"Here we go again," Baker said. "We're hiring someone from away ... How long are they going to stay? Obviously, these people are using [the Johnstown district] as a stepping stone."

Baker mentioned administrators such as Warren Street Elementary School Principal Anne Christiano, Johnstown High School Principal Michael Beatty and Glebe Street Elementary School Principal William Crankshaw as examples of "local people" who have stayed in their positions.