Wednesday, August 27, 2008

BONA'S RETIREMENT

Today's US&J features this article about Roy-Hart's superintendent...

ROY-HART: Bona to retire June 30, 2009

When the upcoming school year ends, Paul Bona will ride off into the sunset and retire from his post as Royalton-Hartland School District superintendent. Bona announced Tuesday he will be retiring at the end of the 2008-09 school year, after serving as superintendent at Roy-Hart for more than 10 years.

Hired in February 1998, Bona said he has planning on retirement for years. He wanted to do it in 2008 when his son graduated from Roy-Hart, but the district asked him to return for the upcoming school year. “I was supposed to retire last June, and they asked me to stay on a little while longer,” he said. The school board and Bona negotiated an additional year to the contract.

Bona said he has been in the education field for 38 years, and at the end of the school year he’ll be ready for what’s next in his life. “I have other things I want to do,” he said. “I’ve put my time into education. It’s time to move on.”

Before coming to Roy-Hart, Bona spent about 10 years as superintendent at Elizabethtown-Lewis Central School District in Elizabethtown, N.Y. Bona said improved academic programs and the district’s financial stability were among Roy-Hart’s accomplishments that he was proud of during his tenure. “The quality of the educational programs improved dramatically,” Bona said. “We have been recognized locally, regionally and as well as at the state level for the achievements of our students.”

The finances of the district are in order, Bona said, including a state audit that said Roy-Hart was in excellent condition. The district has also faced several years of external auditing that have found the district has maintained its finances well. Roy-Hart has also seen a number of infrastructure improvements while Bona has served as superintendent. Among them a sports complex behind the Middleport district campus, removal of the arsenic-tainted soil, new fields at the elementary school and the renovating of all three schools in the district. Roy-Hart residents passed an $8.3 million capital project in January that will provide maintenance and repairs to all three schools in the district and provide an addition that will house an Orleans/Niagara BOCES program in the elementary school. The project included upgrades to the high school science and art rooms, new generators and regular maintenance items to Roy-Hart Elementary, Middle and High Schools.

Bona said he will miss two things about being superintendent at Roy-Hart. When asked he answered quickly with two words. “The students,” Bona said. “Our whole reason for being there. Not seeing them on a daily basis. Of course working with an excellent and very competent faculty and staff.”

As far the future is concerned, Bona said there were a number of things out there for him. He said possibly he would get into education consulting, but there were also family businesses to focus on. Bona’s last day will be June 30, 2009, according to a statement released by the school district.


Source: http://www.lockportjournal.com/local/local_story_240013545.html