OBSERVER Photo by Nicole Gugino Dunkirk Superintendent Dr. James Tracy (left) welcomes newly appointed Assistant Superintendent Theresa Gray (center) and Guidance Counselor Sara A. Gustafson to the district.

While the Dunkirk City School District has not had an assistant superintendent in the past, the new position will be handling some familiar duties.

At Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, Theresa Gray of Hamburg was unanimously approved to fill the position at a salary of $125,000 pro rata. Board members Julie Smith, Sixto Rosario and Anthony Bautista were absent.

Gray will start in the position on June 12, with the contract expiring on June 30, 2020.

“This was approved by the board a while ago,” Superintendent Dr. James Tracy explained about the position. “She will mainly be dealing with curriculum, but also teaching that curriculum, some of the professional development needed for teachers and she’ll also be involved in the local and state assessment processes.”

See DUNKIRK, Page A6

Tracy gave the OBSERVER a copy of the position’s two and a half pages of expected duties which also include overseeing state and federal grant programs, academic intervention and support and the district’s comprehensive improvement plan and school comprehensive educational plans.

Tracy added this change saves the district money while also bringing talent into the district.

“Before we had an elementary and secondary curriculum director and two teachers assigned to it for a total of four people. We’re basically replacing those four people with one person, so it’s a considerable cost savings to the district, but also getting a very high-quality person who has been doing a lot of the professional development for most of the school districts in our (E2CC) BOCES,” he said.

Also hired were Sara A. Gustafson of Buffalo as a school guidance counselor effective May 25 at $43,173 pro rata, seasonal maintenance workers Ben Tarnowski and Jacob Majka and temporary summer grounds worker Chad Butts. Other appointments included Andrew Burnside as middle school newspaper supervisor, Jack O’Brien as golf coach replacing Brett Westling and Eric Gloss as baseball volunteer.

Resignations included Catherine D’Agostino from SAT Boot Camp, Alexander Knapp as high school and Boorady Center cleaner, Tammy Prior as elementary teacher effective June 24, Nancy Baker as reading teacher effective June 30 and Susan Huron-Genovese as science teacher effective July 1.