Two School Principals Retiring in Rye

When it rains, it pours.

Two school principals in Rye are retiring. In separate letters to parents, Superintendent of Schools Eric Byrne reported that both Principal of Rye High School Patty Taylor and Principal of Milton School Dr. JoAnne Nardone will retire at the end of this school year.

The letters are below. If you have a a best memory on their service, please post a comment.

December 19, 2019

Dear Rye High School Parents and Guardians,

It is with deep gratitude and some regret that I share that Mrs. Patricia Taylor has decided to retire from her position as Principal of Rye High School, effective June 2020. Mrs. Taylor has been a leader in the Rye City School District community for 24 years, serving as Principal of Rye High School for eight years, as High School Assistant Principal for Guidance and Support Services for 10 years, and as a Guidance Counselor for six.

In her time as the head of Rye High School, Mrs. Taylor has overseen tremendous growth in school enrollment, the completion of the science wing, and the hiring of many of the current faculty and staff. She has successfully shepherded hundreds of children and families through the High School years and the college application process. While her colleagues and faculty will feel the loss, we fully support her decision, and wish Mrs. Taylor all the best in her well-deserved retirement to enjoy time with family and friends and to pursue personal goals.

The District will undertake a comprehensive search process to find Rye High School’s next Principal beginning in January 2020, with the goal of hiring a new Principal in the spring in order for him/her to join the District over the summer. As a first step, the District will hire a professional search consultant who will gather feedback from the community to develop a candidate profile, advertise nationally for the position, and assist in evaluating the candidates. The Administration will also form a search committee comprised of administrators as well as Rye High School faculty, staff, students and parents. We will share more details in January when the search process begins in earnest.

We will also plan to recognize Mrs. Taylor’s contributions to the school community in the spring. We will keep you posted on those plans as well.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,

Dr. Eric Byrne
Superintendent of Schools

December 20, 2019

Dear Milton School Parents and Guardians,

It is with deep appreciation and bittersweet emotion that I share the news that Dr. JoAnne Nardone has decided to retire from her position as Principal of Milton School, effective June 2020. Dr. Nardone has been Principal of Milton School for 20 years. In her time as the leader of Milton, Dr. Nardone has overseen tremendous growth in school enrollment, a complete renovation of the school, and the hiring of nearly all of the current faculty and staff. She has successfully shepherded hundreds of children and families through the elementary school experience over the years. While we know her Milton School family will miss her dearly, we fully support her decision, and wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement as she goes on to enjoy time with family and friends, and to pursue personal goals.

The District will undertake a comprehensive search process to find Milton School’s next Principal beginning in January 2020, with the goal of hiring a new Principal in the spring in order for him/her to join the District over the summer. As a first step, the District will hire a professional search consultant who will gather feedback from the community to develop a candidate profile, advertise nationally for the position, and assist in evaluating the candidates. The Administration will also form a search committee comprised of administrators as well as Milton School faculty, staff, and parents. We will share more details in January when the search process begins in earnest.

We also plan to recognize Dr. Nardone for her contributions to the school and to the community in the spring, and will keep you posted on those plans as well.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,

Dr. Eric Byrne
Superintendent of Schools