Monroe-Woodbury School Board appoints David Bernsley as new high school principal

Central Valley - The Monroe-Woodbury School Board has appointed David Bernsley as its new high school principal. Bernsley, who has been principal of Wallkill High School in Ulster County for the last five years, will take over following the retirement later this month of Aldo Filippone. He is no stranger to Monroe-Woodbury classrooms. He graduated from the high school in 1987, along with School Board member Jennifer Trumper and incoming assistant superintendent for human resources Brian Monahan. Bernsley graduated from Manhattan College, and then spent the following year playing professional basketball in Israel. When he returned to the states, he became a social studies teacher. He was then hired as an assistant principal at Washingtonville High School before he was recruited as the principal at Wallkill High School. Bernsley’s wife, Karen, is a special education teacher in North Rockland. They have three daughters and a son. The new high school principal’s parents still reside in the district. At its meeting last week, the School Board also appointed Kristin Randhare, the vice principal at the high school, as director of Education Support Services at the Education Center at a salary of $136,668. Randhare has a Master’s degree from Iona College, a CAS from the College of New Rochelle and has been with the Monroe-Woodbury School District since August 2002. She will serve a three-year probationary period with tenure consideration in the New York State certificate area of Director of Education Support Services effective on July 1, 2013. Meanwhile, the board also appointed Frank Squillante, as Director of Safety and Security at the high school, at a salary of $80,000. A resident of the school district, Squillante brings 26 years of law enforcement experience to his new position. The School Board also offered its thanks and appreciation to fellow School Board member James V. Galvin as well as Superintendent of Schools Joseph A. DiLorenzo, who are stepping down from this posts at the end of the month. In other action Following through on decisions made as part of the 2010-11 budget process, the School Board: Eliminated 20 part-time positions covering typists, school monitors, clerks and (eight) teaching assistants. Changed from full-time to part-time status 15 teaching assistant positions. The School Board also approved: A resolution to replenish and/or increase the Tax Certiorari Reserve in an amount not to exceed $2,000,000 for the school year. A resolution to increase the unemployment reserve in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 for the school year.