Outgoing sup’t takes a look back

James Scannell attended Shubert Elementary School in the 1960s, graduated from Baldwin High School in 1976, was elected to Baldwin’s Board of Education in 1998, accepted a job as an assistant superintendent in 2009 and was appointed superintendent in April 2013. Now Scannell’s time in the district is coming to a close, after he announced his decision to retire in December. His last day will be Sept. 10.

After graduating from high school, Scannell recalled, he wanted to be a forest ranger, and went to college with that in mind. After two years, however, he discovered that what he would like most about being a forest ranger was teaching people about the environment. So he switched concentrations, and has been an educator ever since.

As Scannell and his wife, Charlene, were raising their two children in Baldwin, he ran unopposed for a seat on the Board of Education in 1998, while working in the East Williston School District as a curriculum associate for science, health and outdoor education. But when a comparable position opened up in Baldwin in 2009, he resigned from the board and applied for the job.

Four years later, he was promoted to superintendent, and officially took over the district on July 1, 2013. In a surprising move, he announced his retirement less than six months later.

The Herald sat down with Scannell recently to ask about his decision, his time in Baldwin and what’s on the horizon:

Herald: From your time as a board member (1998-2009), do any decisions you made stick out for you?
Scannell: We had some difficult staffing decisions during that time that really were tough to deal with. Any time you’re dealing with people and their careers, you have to take that very seriously. And you can’t always explain those decisions to the public, because they have to be personal and private.
It was during that time we went to full-day kindergarten [2002-03], and we also moved sixth grade to the middle school [1996-97]. At first people were a little anxious about it, but it really gave us the opportunity to expand the program for the sixth-graders.

Herald: What was your first board meeting like after you were hired as an assistant superintendent?