Jennifer Kean-Thompson, a Chappaqua administrator, was appointed Hutchinson Elementary School principal by a unanimous vote of the school board on Wednesday.

Kean-Thompson, who is currently assistant principal of Westochard Elementary School, will begin at Hutch on Sept. 16. She replaces Dr. Trisha Nugent Fitzgerald, who was named the district’s executive director for human resources and leadership at the end of June.

“As we embark on this journey together, I’m eager to listen, learn and lead with an open heart and mind. Insights, feedback and support from all stakeholders will be instrumental as we work to continue the great work at Hutchinson,” said Kean-Thompson. “I’m specifically excited about supporting the values outlined in the strategic plan: community and belonging, wellness and balance, and learning and growth. I was drawn to Pelham because of your strategic plan and its close alignment with my core values as an educator.”

At its Sept. 11 meeting, the trustees will review the strategic plan the previous board adopted in June. The plan will then be presented to teachers at the next faculty meetings.

Due to the lack of an approved five-year strategic plan before the public budget vote last year, “we want to make sure that this year’s budget follows the implementation of the strategic plan,” said
Board President Jackie De Angelis.

(The budget process began last winter and concluded with the public adoption of the spending plan for this year on May 21. The school board did not approve the strategic plan for this year and the following four until June 18 after an effort that spanned several months.)

At one point during the meeting, Trustee Will Treves asked about the Community Church of the Pelhams, which he said has been put up for sale.

“If we wanted to evaluate if it would be an interesting investment opportunity, what would we do?” he said.

Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Champ said such a project would require consultation with the district’s architect and attorney and the church would need a significant amount of renovation.

In a report to the board, Claire Comerford, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, said she held a summer meeting regarding artificial intelligence with faculty and students. Comerford also said all faculty will have time to review individual education plans (IEPs) and 504 plans for students and learn students’ specific needs before the start of school on Tuesday.

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