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New Stroudsburg Superintendent Has Big Shoes to Fill

STROUDSBURG — The Stroudsburg Area School District will soon have a new superintendent, but there are still some lingering feelings about the school board...
cosmas curry

STROUDSBURG -- The Stroudsburg Area School District will soon have a new superintendent, but there are still some lingering feelings about the school board's decision not to renew the former superintendent's contract.

The school board said Dr. Cosmas Curry will be the district's next superintendent. He is the son of well-known Berwick football coach George Curry. Some parents and students in the Stroudsburg area say he won't have to worry about living up to the Curry name, instead he'll be living up to their former superintendent's reputation.

Curry was chosen out of 27 other candidates.

"It was a unanimous 9-0 vote to hire Curry to lead our district," said board president Richard Pierce.

In a vote that was a little more difficult to make, the school board voted 5-4 in January not to renew the contract of the now former district superintendent Dr. John Toleno. Tension was high at that meeting back in January. Parents argued with the board and even urged them to reconsider the decision.

School Board President Richard Pierce says the decision for a new superintendent was the best one.

"Give him a couple of months and you will really enjoy him. You will be very pleasantly surprised. He'll bring a new type of leadership and direction. He'll motivate your students to do great."

Some parents and even students are still not happy that Dr. Toleno is no longer their superintendent. They say they'll give the new superintendent a chance, just that he has big shoes to fill.

"He came to a lot of our baseball games. He's a very fair guy, and ran our school district very well," said sixth grader Nicholas Vlanis.

"Everything that Dr. Toleno did, school-wise and academics and everything, was just outstanding. This is a fair community. We are willing to give anybody a chance," said parent Stephen Trbuza.

The new superintendent is optimistic about winning over these students and parents in the district.

"In every position I have ever taken, especially at the administrative level, I have always followed a winner. I am going to use my strengths to build relationships and put plans in place," said Curry.

The decision will be made official at Wednesday's school board meeting.

Dr. Curry will be paid $167,000 a year during his four-year contract with the district. He is expected to start in mid-October.

 

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