BY MATT LINDSEY
North Country This Week

PARISHVILLE -- The next superintendent at Parishville-Hopkinton Central School is expected to be one of their own staff members.

The Board of Education there has decided to proceed with a sole candidate for the superintendent of school position.

The Board reviewed applications from four candidates, and following review and background checks, they are moving forward with K-12 Principal Steve Coffin as the only finalist.

The district will need to hire a new super following the announcement from Dr. Williams Collins that he plans to retire. Superintendent Collins is set to retire on June 30, 2022.

Coffin will give a presentation and entry plan to faculty, staff, and administration on Friday, Feb. 11 at 2:40 p.m. He will also present to the community on Tuesday, March 8 at 6 p.m. in the school cafeteria.

“The board is committed to expediting the hiring process," said Board of Education President Joseph McGill. "We carefully vetted all applicants and selected Mr. Coffin to present to the faculty, staff, and community. At this juncture, the Board is confident in proceeding with Mr. Coffin as the sole candidate.”

Coffin currently works as the district K-12 principal, a position he accepted last year.

From 2019-2021 he served as the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School 7-12 principal. Prior, he served as middle school principal at Gouverneur Central School from 2012-2019.

"He has many years of experience as both a teacher and a principal, making him a veteran candidate and you don’t typically see a lot of candidates with that many years as a building principal," said Tom Burns, BOCES Superintendent. "Also, Steve has settled in well at PHCS and is a good fit for the school and community, handling the principal role well even with all of the challenges."

BOCES has helped many districts find superintendents during searches, and is helping PHCS during this search.

The Board of Education will meet to discuss feedback from both district stakeholders and the public prior to an official appointment, which could be by April.