Superintendent says he might look elsewhere

Ciccolelli has been employed by the district for more than 29 years.
& lt;a href=mailto:milliken@vindy.com & gt;By PETER MILLIKEN & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CAMPBELL -- With the board of education deadlocked as to his future, Superintendent James Ciccolelli said he must prepare to chart his own path.
"I need to find my future, and I have a family to provide for," Ciccolelli said after the board voted 2-2 on a five-year renewal of his contract. "I cannot honestly say that I will not be seeking employment elsewhere," he told the board Tuesday. Many in the audience of some 100 people gave him a standing ovation.
Ciccolelli, whose contract expires July 31, 2005, said it is customary for boards of education to give superintendents a year's notice whether they intend to renew their contract. He noted that the same board members will be in office next year.
Campbell native
Ciccolelli, a Campbell native, has been employed by the district for more than 29 years, of which he has been superintendent for the past 11 years. "My heart and soul are in this school district, just as my two children are," he said.
"He just does a super job. He stays on top of things. He watches out for our dollars. He watches our kids. He is a good communicator," said Robert Dolan, the board president, who made the motion to renew Ciccolelli's contract. "He's under a five-year contract now. I didn't see any reason to lessen that," he explained. No salary was specified in the motion.
Voting in favor of the renewal were Dolan and Beth Donofrio, who seconded the motion. Voting against the motion were board vice president Diana Petruska and board member Dominic Medina. The fifth board member, Karen Repasky, was absent.
"I feel that he is not the best for the district," Petruska said without elaborating in the public board meeting that followed a 30-minute executive session. Her comment was met with many in the audience shouting "no."
Supporters
After the board deadlocked, many speakers, including parents, pupils and former board member Walter Rusnak, spoke in favor of retaining Ciccolelli.
"All the students are housed within the new buildings he has helped make possible," said Maria Mavroudis, of Creed Circle, an eighth-grader at Campbell Middle School. "Mr. Ciccolelli always supports organizations and activities that help make our education interesting, challenging and fun. He gives of himself unconditionally," she said.
"If Mr. Chic does not go on board for the next five years, I'm taking my kids out of the school system, and I will pay to put them in another school system," said Maria Lyras of Heidi Drive, who has four children enrolled in the school district. "They're all doing very, very well because of Mr. Ciccolelli and all of the teachers here," she said.
"The contractors, all the people involved with building, always complimented the school district on the terrific job being done by the superintendent," Rusnak said, referring to the new school buildings the district now occupies. "I would think that that alone would be enough to merit a renewal of his contract," he said.