Two School Administrators Leaving

Two Harwich School Administrators Leaving For New Jobs

HARWICH –Middle School Principal Mary Childress and Business Manager Gary Costin will be leaving the school district for greener pastures.

Childress is taking a job in the Bourne Middle School and Costin will become business manager in the Plymouth School District.

Childress has been the middle school principal for nine years. She said on Tuesday she loves her job and has made the decision to be a lifetime principal and not aspire to a superintendent’s position. It’s all in the timing and this job became available, she added.

“It offers new challenges, new kids and new minds,” Childress said, “though the staff and kids here are great.”

Childress was asked if the cut in the middle school vice principal’s position to part-time weighed into her decision. She said a number of things have been “put onto the principal’s plate that might have weighed in the decision.”

She said a principal is charged with control of the building. She cited custodian, building and grounds issues and also the reduction of the curriculum director’s position to a part-time.

“This makes my job more multi-facetted,” Childress said. “My main goal is education.”

Childress, a Harwich resident, said she will be going to a new facility in Bourne, allowing her to focus on education. The middle school principal also said the Bourne position pays more money.

“It’s all about a new challenge” Childress said.

Both administrators will finish the school year, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carolyn Cragin said. Costin said he would stay through July 4 to close out the school department books for the fiscal year.

Citing the time served by each administrator in Harwich, Cragin said it is a long time to be in one building and the opportunity for change and a new challenge in a new location is exciting. The superintendent said that was a reason in the decision she made to come to Harwich.

“It’s an excellent career opportunity,” Costin said on Monday of the Plymouth job. “I wasn’t actually looking, but this is an excellent position in Plymouth so I applied.”

The business manager said he has been watching positions become available and saw a number of them being filled by people with less experience. Cragin agreed the pool of administrators from which to choose “is a bit shallow.”

Costin has been the business manager in Harwich since 1993 and served in the same capacity in the Granby School District for 13 years before coming to Harwich. Costin quipped he seems to hold a job for 15 years before moving on.

This past year Costin came under fire from the Harwich Taxpayers Association, which took issue with the practice of encumbering funds through the use of purchase orders at the end of the fiscal year.

When asked if that challenge influenced his decision to seek the Plymouth job, Costin responded, “There are a number of issues, some personal issues. I have two children in college.”

“It’s been a very difficult year for him (Costin) professionally,” Cragin said. “He’s always done an excellent job and I’m proud of his work. But it’s terrible to be scrutinized in such a negative way.”

Cragin said the district is losing a major player, and not just someone who has done a good job as business manager, but someone who was a part of the spirit of Harwich. He helped keep the district on track, Cragin said.

“I know Plymouth will benefit from that as well,” the superintendent added. “I think both administrators found opportunities and felt the challenge of a new district would be a positive experience. The challenge and financial enticement makes the process of education pretty fluid. I’m hopeful we can find good replacements and mentor them so we have the kind of administrators we want in the district.”

The school district started advertising for a new business manager two weeks ago and screening of candidates begins May 12. Cragin said they already have several applications. The middle school principal’s position was advertised this week and they plan to start screening applicants May 19.

5/8/08