Nyack’s school trustees accelerated their hiring process after Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced legislation last month to limit superintendents’ salaries to $175,000 or less a year. Fears that this legislation would be included in next fiscal year’s NYS budget proved to be unfounded.
Montesano has been superintendent in Paramus since 2008. The Northern New Jersey K-12 school district has 4,222 students and an annual budget of $78.3 million. Nyack has about 2900 students and an 2010-11 proposed annual budget $70.8 million. Montesano comes from a district that has felt the belt tightening pain that Nyack is beginning to feel: on Monday, the Paramus school board adopted a new budget which is $350,000 less than last year.
Prior to leading Paramus’ schools, Montesano worked as Superintendent of Schools and Director of Curriculum in Dumont, NJ. If there is such a thing as a superintendent’s gene, he has it: his father and three of his brothers have served as school superintendents.
Nyack’s new superintendent has a ED.D. from Rutgers and a Masters in Administration from Seton Hall. He received a BA from Lycoming College.
Sources: Nyack Schools, NYT, NorthJersey.com via Google Docs, Education News
See Also: Montesano leaving Paramus for post in Nyack, NorthJersey.com, 3/30/2011