The East Hampton School Board on Tuesday formally promoted Adam Fine, the high school's former principal who became assistant superintendent this year, to the role of superintendent for the 2021-22 school year.
"I'm honored. I'm humbled by this," Mr. Fine said yesterday. "I look forward to spending the rest of my career hopefully in this position. There are definitely a number of challenges ahead of us."
Those challenges include ramping up diversity and equity education in the district, focusing on students' mental health and social-emotional well-being, and permanently filling some administrative positions that became vacant during the pandemic.
The board unanimously appointed him to a five-year contract, beginning July 1 and running through June 30, 2026. Mr. Fine will have use of a district-owned car. His salary will start at $235,000, and he will receive 15 sick days and 30 days of paid vacation to use throughout the 12-month school year. He will also undergo yearly performance evaluations and medical exams.
Heading into his 12th year with the district, Mr. Fine will succeed Richard Burns, who has been superintendent since 2011. "We are in such good hands with Adam right now," Mr. Burns said during Tuesday's school board meeting.
Also Tuesday, Mr. Fine told the school board that the district would not be able to bring back more middle and high school students for more days of in-person learning starting Feb. 1. Most students in those two schools are now on a hybrid schedule. Students at the John M. Marshall Elementary School are generally in-person five days per week, though all three schools were closed this week because of numerous staff and student quarantines.
In the fall, when the district began discussing bringing back more students, "our numbers were ridiculously low and everything seemed feasible," Mr. Fine said of Covid-19 cases. "Obviously, we don't feel comfortable recommending this to the board. . . . We did consult with medical personnel, our chief medical officer, and the nurses. It defies common sense and logic."
The decision will instead be evaluated on a month-to-month basis, he said.
East Hampton is expected to announce tomorrow whether the fully remote learning plan will be extended through another week. It depends on how many staff members are quarantined, Mr. Fine said.
In other school news, the Moody's investing service announced this week that it is maintaining East Hampton's Aaa credit rating, the highest possible, which generally leads to lower interest rates on debt.
"We're one of three districts on Long Island to have this rating," Mr. Burns told the school board.