On Hiring a New Superintendent

At the HCSD Board of Education meeting on January 20, a woman who didn't give her name but identified herself as a "proud graduate of the Hudson City School District" and said she has worked for the district for the past sixteen years, questioned why it was necessary to look outside the district or even the region for a new superintendent. She asserted, "The strongest leaders the district has known came right up through the ranks right here." She cited in particular Neil Howard, who retired in 1995, Jack Howe, who served as superintendent from 2009 until he retired in 2012, and Maria Suttmeier, who succeeded Howe and retired in 2022. Suttmeier had previously been assistant superintendent from 2009 to 2012 and associate principal at Montgomery C. Smith from 2006 to 2009.

The woman addressing the board went on to say that since Suttmeier's retirement in 2022, the graduation rate has declined, morale has suffered, and staff turnover has been high. She urged that the board consider candidates who "know Hudson, care about Hudson, and are invested in the community." She also expressed disappointment in the board's decision to hire HYA for the superintendent search, the same group used in 2023 when Juliette Pennyman was hired. The full comment to board can be heard here, beginning at 1:27:17.

Peter Meyer, who served on the HCSD Board of Education when Suttmeier was named superintendent in 2012, has raised similar questions. In a memo sent to the HCSD Board of Education on January 7, Meyer suggested that, "before embarking on a search for a new superintendent," the Board of Education should ask itself the following questions:

• What was wrong with the search process for the last two superintendents?
• What was right about the search process for the last successful superintendent?
• What are the two most important jobs of a superintendent?
• Why was Superintendent Suttmeier making progress on student reading scores?
• Is this board satisfied with the current reading scores?
• How do we create a district where two thirds of students read above grade level and how long should it take?

The last two superintendents were Lisamarie Splindler, who resigned after seventeen months and during that time commuted every day from Newburgh, and Juliette Pennyman, who resigned abruptly and without explanation after just two years in the position.

This picture from 2012 accompanied the Register-Star announcement that the Board of Education had named Suttmeier the new superintendent. Shown from left to right: Elizabeth Fout, Kelly Frank, Suttmeier, Carrie Otty, Peter Merante, Jeri Chapman, Meyer

When Meyer learned that, when the board held its superintendent search "workshop" on January 7, it has already entered into an agreement with HYA to handle the search, he submitted these additional questions for the board's consideration:

• Is the HYA company that conducted the workshop on January 7 the same company that recommended that it hire Dr. Pennyman in 2023?
• Why hire a company that has already failed once?
• Why did Dr. Pennyman resign so suddenly in 2025?
• And what was wrong with the process for choosing the superintendent before Pennyman? I think she only lasted a year.

At the January 20 meeting of the Board of Education, Mark DePace, board president, addressed the question of why the board was again using HYA. He suggested that this time would be different because the board would be working with an HYA associate who was based in Albany and was familiar with the Hudson City School District. He also stressed that the process this time would involve more community engagement. 

Given DePace's defense of the search process the board is currently pursuing, it is unlikely that answers to most of Meyer's questions will be forthcoming. Still, it would be nice to know the board's thoughts about these questions posed by Meyer:

• What are the two most important jobs of a superintendent?
• Why was Superintendent Suttmeier making progress on student reading scores?
• How do we create a district where two thirds of students read above grade level and how long should it take?

It would also be nice to know the circumstances leading to Pennyman's abrupt resignation.  

COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK