Former SLC administator named to Malone high school post

By ARIANNA MACNEILL

SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013

ARTICLE OPTIONS

A A

MALONE - Franklin Academy High School has a new principal.

The Malone Central School District Board of Education has named Brandon J. Pelkey, who was serving as assistant principal of the school, to the post. Mr. Pelkey’s appointment begins this Wednesday.

Mr. Pelkey served as interim prinicipal at the St. Lawrence Central Elementary School in 2010-11 when he filled a post vacated by Lisa Grenville when she moved from elementary principal to the district’s committee on special education chair. He took a one-year leave of absence from the Malone district at that time.

Franklin Academy School Superintendent Wayne Walbridge said Mr. Pelkey started with the district during the 1996-1997 school year as a biology teacher at FA.

He noted that Mr. Pelkey is a good choice to fill the position, which was recently vacated by Lori Tourville, who moved on to become middle school principal at Chateaugay Central School District.

“He’s got at least 15 years of classroom experience behind him, and I think that’s critically important,” Mr. Walbridge said of Pelkey. “And he’s got an unbelievable amount of energy.”

He added Mr. Pelkey is also extremely visible throughout the building, which is important for an administrator.

“I think the staff has a lot of confidence and trust in Brandon,” Mr. Walbridge said.

As for filling the assistant principal post, Walbridge said the search was opened up to outside applicants and that interviews will hopefully be conducted this coming week to allow for an appointment during a special board of education meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday.

“We did an external recruitment,” he said,” but there’s at least one internal candidate.”

At least four interviews, one each for several of the candidates, will be set up, Mr. Walbridge noted.

“It could be someone that works for us at this point,” he said.