Submitted photos Pictured on the left is Matthew Fredrick who will serve as House Principal for Sinclairville Elementary School. In the middle is Kelly Sedlak, the new Executive Principal for Cassadaga Valley School District. Sedlak was formerly the Sinclairville Elementary principal. And, on the right is Dan McNeill, the new House Principal for the Cassadaga Valley Middle, High School.

SINCLAIRVILLE — Moving into the new school year, Cassadaga Valley Central School has begun implementing a new administrative structure, which includes appointing house principals and an executive principal, and allowing a house principal to act as an executive principal if the need arises.

Superintendent Tammy Mangus said the executive principal serves the school as the lead instructional and operation leader for the entire district, focusing on big picture things like ensuring curriculum alignment, academic rigor, scheduling, evaluation of staff, and consistent systems from Pre-K up to grade 12. The Executive Principal also serves as the final decision-maker when complex issues arise.

On the other side, the house principals are the student-centered responsive leaders, handling day-to-day realities of student life: discipline, attendance, family communication, and ongoing support for teachers within their building. House Principals build close relationships with students and families, while also advancing academic and cultural goals set by the Executive Principal and district leadership.

“Together, the Executive Principal and House Principals form a leadership team,” Mangus said. “The Executive Principal ensures coherence and vision, while House Principals provide individualized, responsive support for students and staff in their assigned areas.”

The role of Executive Principal at Cassadaga Valley is held by Kelly Sedlak. The House Principal for Sinclairville Elementary is Matthew Fredrick and for the Middle/High School is Dan McNeill.

The school’s two house principals will be able to act as “acting principal” in the absence of the executive principal. Mangus said that in New York State, the acting principal takes on the full legal and professional authority of the building principal during their absence. That means supervising instruction, overseeing student management, responding to parent concerns, and making decisions on behalf of the school.

“In our model, if the Executive Principal is absent, one of the House Principals steps up into that role for the day, or longer, if needed,” Mangus said. “This ensures there is never a leadership gap or long wait times for critical decisions.”

The new principal roles are something that is a part of the new, long-term structure for the school, Mangus said. She praised Sedlak as she takes on the Executive Principal role from her former role as Sinclairville Elementary Principal.

“Her leadership in lifting great ideas and procedures from collaborative teacher teams made her the perfect candidate for this post,” Mangus said. “The growth and achievement results from Sinclairville Elementary School speak for themselves. Here in The Valley, we are surrounded by amazing educators and staff who know what is best for our children in their journey toward heightened learning, and our future growth depends on expanding and continuing this collaborative approach to building a future-ready school district.”

Sedlak herself said moving into this new position is something she looks forward to.

“This new role as the Executive Principal is about cultivating a culture where teachers flourish, students achieve, and the entire district moves forward together,” Sedlak said. “I look forward to the positive changes, pushing exponential growth and leading the amazing team of professionals at Cassadaga Valley.”

With Sedlak as the Executive Principal and Fredrick and McNeill serving as the two house principals, Mangus said the model the school is moving forward with reflects a shift towards shared leadership. Traditionally, she said one principal in each building carries the load, but with this model the executive and house principals will work side by side, which she added then creates leadership depth, builds consistency across grade levels and ensures that decision-making is always student-centered. She referred to this arrangement as a “natural extension of this system”, saying that when one leader is out, another steps in without disruption.

Focusing on the students and helping build strong relationships is something Fredrick said he will be doing as the Sinclairville Elementary House Principal.

“In my new role as House Principal at SES, I’m excited to oversee the day-to-day operations with a focus on school culture and facilities,” Fredrick said. “My goal is to support positive student behavior by consistently applying the district’s code of conduct, building strong relationships across the school community, and expanding opportunities for student engagement. I’m grateful for this opportunity and proud to be part of the CVCS community.”

Similarly, McNeill said the students will also be his focus at the Middle, High School.

“As House Principal of Cassadaga Valley MHS, I look forward to setting the tone for student safety and discipline which supports a positive learning environment,” McNeill said. “As the day-to-day point of contact for students, staff, and families, an emphasis will be placed on how students maximize their educational opportunities through connecting themselves with their school and community.”

Mangus said this new administrative structure is something that Cassadaga Valley has decided to implement as they wanted one that was both strong and flexible. By organizing leadership this way, she said, students and families have direct access to multiple leaders who know them personally, staff receive ongoing support that is consistent with the district’s goals, leadership is never concentrated in just one person; instead, it’s distributed, making the whole team stronger, and when the Executive Principal is absent or in another building, the system is already built for another principal to step in seamlessly.

“The bottom line is this: our students will always have access to a fully empowered leader, and our staff will always have the support they need to do their best work,” Mangus said. “This structure is about stability, responsiveness, and putting students first. It also provides professional growth for House Principals, who will gain valuable experience in the acting executive role, with strong guidance and teamwork, making the entire district stronger for the long run.”