AuSable Valley readies for change of leadership

CLINTONVILLE | Since 1972, there have been just four superintendents in the AuSable Valley Central School District. Michael Francia is next in line. Francia, 40, was named the next superintendent of the district in April and is set to assume his new role on Aug. 1, as he takes over for Paul Savage who has served the district for nearly 18 years. "Seeing how there has been so few superintendents in the past 50 years, that means people tend to love here," Savage said. "If they do well, they stay here." Francia takes over with one main initiative that he says will remain a consistent motivating factor throughout his tenure. "I don't want this to be a great school district for some," Francia said. "I want this to be a great district for everyone. Every student is our student, and they are part of our community. Together we make a difference." RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB Francia, whose newly dedicated salary will be $137,000 once he assumes the role of superintendent, began his educational career as an elementary teacher at Peru before taking the reins as Keeseville Elementary's building principal in 2019. During his time at Keeseville, Francia has started to cement relationships with the district community that he knows will only grow stronger as superintendent. "As I make this transition, I know I am not doing it alone," Francia said. "We have great collaborative groups that do things together as a team. I truly believe working together with everyone here will be so important." Right from the start, Francia will have a great resource of knowledge in Savage who is remaining with the district through September, which was part of the transitional plan. "We don't usually have that with superintendent positions where you have an opportunity to spend time like this with someone," Savage said. "You usually just walk in on your own. Now that Mike is here, it helps me work through the day-to-day stuff and help him hit the ground running with the keys once the school year starts." SUPPORT FROM INTERVIEW COMMITTEE The first superintendent search committee showcased teachers, administrators and support staff, representing the CSEA and NYSUT as well as the school board. The second committee featured the entire AuSable Valley school board, which was led by Interview Committee Chair and AuSable Valley Board Vice President James Martineau. "We had three outstanding candidates complete the interviewing process, and Mr. Francia was exceptional throughout the process," Martineau said. "He was well prepared, organized and expressed his heartfelt desire to continue the philosophy of our district, 'Above all else, students always come first.'" During his interview process, Francia said he was drawn to the job opportunity based on getting the chance to work with great people. "Right now, I have that feeling of everyone is pulling in the right direction, and this whole process felt right," Francia said. "We have the same mission and goals, and it felt right to take this step. I can't wait for the future." Francia outlined some of his main intentions during the interview process. He plans to center himself around the AuSable Valley community and build relationships, focusing specifically on interacting with faculty, staff and students as well as helping to facilitate and offer the best educational resources the district can. "We were challenged with a difficult task to fill the void that would be left by Mr. Paul Savage as he rides off into the sunset of retirement," AuSable Valley Board President Scott Bombard said. "Paul set the bar very high, and we were fortunate to find his quality replacement in-house. The board elected Mike Francia as we felt he would best fill the shoes of Mr. Savage. "His vision, energy and passion for AuSable Valley is what led us to select him and why he stood out so strongly. I'm confident we're in very able hands and that great things are ahead for AuSable Valley." READY TO START Integrity, togetherness and students first — those were the three key terms Francia used when thinking about how he wants to lead the district. "Mike's strengths are with people," Savage said. "That's something we have tried to establish — working with the idea that students are always first, and our community is of the utmost importance. It's about the children. Mike echoes that in his own way, and he has many strengths. He will be a great fit for the school and the community of AuSable Valley." As the new school year approaches, there's plenty of excitement for AuSable Valley and a motivated Francia leading the charge. "The school needs to be the center of the community," Francia said. "I want our students to graduate from here and take a piece of AuSable Valley with them into their future. Knowing we help give our students a bright future allows us to have a bright future as a school district, and I could not be prouder to have this opportunity to lead an excellent family." -Special thanks to Champlain Valley Educational Services for this report

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AuSable Valley readies for change of leadership

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