Press release:
The Batavia City School District’s Board of Education (BOE) has named three finalists for the district’s next superintendent.
Patrick Burk, Batavia City School District’s Board president, said he is pleased with the high-quality candidate pool and enthused about the potential the three finalists have to offer.
“Selecting the best superintendent for Batavia City Schools is the Board’s top priority,” Burk said. “The BOE has narrowed the search to three finalists. We look forward to the next round of interviews where the finalists meet with our stakeholder groups.”
The three finalists are Jason Smith, Joleen Dimitroff, and Anibal Soler Jr.
Jason Smith
Smith is the superintendent of Lyndonville Central Schools, located in Lyndonville. As superintendent, Smith supervises more than 100 staff and faculty members, and a student body of more than 648.
He’s led extensive curriculum work in math and English Language Arts with full alignment to the Common Core which resulted in a near 100-percent increase in math scores from 2013 to 2014. Smith implemented APPR requirements with alignment to the Framework for Teaching and Leadership standards and provided on-going administrator professional development to ensure consistency and calibration of teacher observations.
Smith has 18 years of educational leadership experience including serving as the assistant principal of the Albion Middle School in Albion, and elementary and high school principal at the Elba Central School District. Smith began his career in education in 1994 as a Social Studies teacher at Albion Central Schools.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts from SUNY Geneseo, a master’s degree and a Certificate of Advance Study in Educational Administration from The College at Brockport. He holds a certification as a New York State School Administrator.
Joleen Dimitroff
Dimitroff is the principal of Glendale Elementary School in the Sweet Home Central School District, which is located in Tonawanda. Dimitroff has served the Sweet Home Central School District since 2006 where she’s also served as principal of Sweet Home High School. She also served as primary school principal/Special Education director for the Akron Central School District in Akron.
As principal, her leadership and professional experiences includes the adoption of 12 new Niagara University Accredited Course as well as establishing an International Honors Academy for grades 9 and 10. She also designed a building-wide Professional Learning Community Framework. During her tenure as director of Special Education at Akron Central Schools, she supervised the Committee on Preschool Special Education protocols and procedures.
Dimitroff began her career in education in 1989 as a special education teacher for the Binghamton City School District. She holds a Bachelor of Science from SUNY Fredonia, a master’s degree from SUNY Binghamton and a School District Administrator Certificate in Educational Administration from Canisius College. She also holds a New York School District Administrator Certificate.
Anibal Soler Jr.
Soler Jr. is the associate superintendent of Strategic Alignment and Innovation for the Buffalo Public Schools, New York State’s second-largest school district, a position he has held since 2018. In this role, he oversees four areas: Adult Education; district Athletics; the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative; and district school improvement strategy known as Strong Community Schools, which encompasses 11,000 students and 21 schools across the City of Buffalo.
This Strong Community Schools effort has moved persistently struggling or failing schools to good-standing rating by the New York State Education Department. From 2016 until 2018, Soler Jr., was the principal of North Park Academy, an elementary school in the Buffalo Public School District. In this role, he led a staff of more than 50 and 250 students and supervised all instructional and operational aspects of this Pre-K through 8 community school.
From 2009-2016, Soler Jr. was the principal of East High School, the largest comprehensive high school in the Rochester City School District with between 1,500 to 2,000 students and a staff of almost 250. Through his leadership, the school was removed from New York State Education Department’s Persistently Dangerous list in 2011.
Soler Jr. serves as an adjunct professor at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. He began teaching in 2000 as an Art teacher at Thomas Middle School in the Rochester City School District.
Soler Jr. holds a Bachelor of Science from Daemen College, a master’s degree from Nazareth College and Certification in School Administrator and School District Administration from St. John Fisher College. He holds a certification as a New York State School Administrator and New York State School Administration Supervisor. He is currently enrolled in the doctorate program in Educational Leadership at the University of Rochester.
The BOE will conduct the final round of interviews with the three candidates on Nov. 18, 19 and 20 at the Batavia City School District.
Smith is set to visit on Nov. 18; Dimitroff on Nov. 19; and Soler Jr. on Nov. 20. During each candidate’s district visit, a community meet-and-greet will be held from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. in the library at Batavia High School.
The anticipated start date for the new Superintendent is no later than Feb. 3.
Kevin MacDonald, district superintendent of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, who is acting as search consultant, said the Board has developed and implemented a process that will help determine the best candidate.
“This is a thorough process that the board and stakeholders undertake,” MacDonald said. “Finalists will visit at the district, and go through another round of interviews. The process concludes with the Board meeting to make a final decision.”
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The Genesee Valley Educational Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York State.
