Holley names 3 finalists for next school superintendent
HOLLEY – The Board of Education at Holley Central School has chosen three finalists for the district’s next top administrator. The finalists are:
• Frank Bai-Rossi – Principal, Phelps-Clifton Springs Central School District
• Brian Bartalo – Principal, Hilton Central School District
• Dr. Anthony Cook – Superintendent, Diocese of Rochester Schools
“Our Board is delighted with the qualified candidates we’ve selected to be finalists,” said Board President Brenda Swanger. “We look forward to welcoming the community at the upcoming Meet the Finalist forums so everyone has the opportunity to interact with these three experienced educational leaders.”
The three finalists are scheduled for individual day-long school visits that include a Meet the Finalist community forum from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Holley Middle School/High School Auditorium, 16848 Lynch Rd. The forums will give staff and community members the opportunity to meet each candidate, ask questions, and submit feedback forms to the board. The schedule is as follows:
• Tuesday, May 29: Frank Bai-Rossi
• Wednesday, May 30: Brian Bartalo
• Thursday, May 31: Dr. Anthony Cook
“In keeping with Holley’s focus on instilling a passion for lifelong learning, the members of the Board of Education have been diligent in their efforts to choose a new leader for their administration,” said Jo Anne Antonacci, Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES District Superintendent and Search Consultant. “The Board will continue its commitment to soliciting feedback from Holley district staff and residents in the final stages of this process.”
The BOE will announce the new superintendent sometime in June, with the goal to have the superintendent start Sept. 1.
Frank Bai-Rossi
Frank Bai-Rossi is the principal of the Midlakes Middle and High School in the Phelps-Clifton Springs School District. He previously served as an assistant principal at Penfield High School for seven years. Prior to becoming an administrator, Bai-Rossi began his career in education at Hillside Children’s Center as a special education teacher. He spent the first eight years of his public-school career working as a special education teacher in the Greece Central School District. While in Greece, Bai-Rossi served as a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) to help implement a Small Learning Community Grant and provide professional development.
Bai-Rossi received a Master of Science in Education from Nazareth College and a Master of Science in Educational Administration from Canisius College. He completed the Superintendent Development Program through SUNY Oswego and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from Alfred University. Bai-Rossi is married and has three children; he is an avid golfer and a die-hard Bills fan.
Brian Bartalo
Brian Bartalo is currently the principal and International Baccalaureate Head of School at Hilton High School, a post he has held since 2005. From 1999 until 2005, Bartalo was an assistant principal at Hilton HS. Prior to that, he served for one year as the dean of students at Hilton HS. In 1988, Bartalo began his teaching career as a special education teacher at Merton Williams Middle School in the Hilton Central School District, where he taught and coached until 1998.
Bartalo holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from SUNY Buffalo State, a Master of Science in Education from Syracuse University and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Education Administration from The College at Brockport. He is also the director of the Genesee Valley Rotary Camp, a camp for children with special needs. Bartalo and his wife Marcia, a counselor at Brockport High School, live in Brockport and have two sons, Jakob, 23 and Nathaniel, 20.
Dr. Anthony Cook
A life-long Rochester resident, Dr. Anthony Cook has served area schools as a teacher, coach, mentor and administrator for 14 years. Since 2013, Cook has held the position of superintendent for the 18 Diocese of Rochester Schools, serving 3,400 students. Cook oversees schools located in Auburn, Avon, Brighton, Canandaigua, Charlotte, Chili, Corning, Geneva, Greece, Elmira, Horseheads, Irondequoit, Penfield, Penn Yan, Pittsford, Rochester, and Webster. Prior to being selected as superintendent, Cook was the principal at Seton Catholic School, located in Brighton.
As the instructional leader, he established processes for curriculum development and managed capital improvement projects, including a state-of-the-art science classroom. Cook is a certified New York State Administrator and Teacher, holding a Doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of Rochester’s Warner School, a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Science in Education from the State University of New York College at Geneseo and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from SUNY Geneseo. He lives in North Greece with his wife Amy, and two daughters, Leah and Nora.
