Milford school superintendent to leave at end of June

Jun. 12—Milford Central School District officials announced Thursday, June 10, the resignation of Superintendent Mark Place, effective at the end of the month.

Calling the decision a mutual, "amicable separation agreement," Place wrote in an open letter that his resignation "was done with the best interest of our students, staff, and families in mind."

"I came to MCS five years ago holding the belief that small, rural schools, like the one I grew up in, are where relationships are truly at the center of the work, and I leave confirming that belief," Place wrote. "My time spent at the front door each morning allowed me to greet each and every student by name, and I will greatly miss the hugs from our elementary students who have only shown me kindness and smiles for the past five years."

Otsego-Northern Catskills BOCES Superintendent Catherine Huber will take over leadership of the Milford district on an interim basis until a successor is appointed, according to Milford school board President Marion Mossman.

In a separate, simultaneous open letter, Mossman said Place was pursuing "other career/personal opportunities."

Mossman thanked Place for his dedication to the district throughout his tenure, highlighting his oversight of a series of balanced budgets, a capital project and the coronavirus pandemic.

"As we recover from the Covid 19 pandemic and submit our federal stimulus plan, our work must focus on serving our students, implementing the mission and vision for MCS that will serve our students both academically and emotionally, while also supporting our staff," Mossman wrote. "We are Milford Strong!"

"When I began at Milford, the world was a different place than it is today," Place said. "And yet, through a pandemic, global political upheaval, and social media vitriol, we managed to do great work together to make sure that our students received the best education that we could afford to them."