OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Jamie Polhamus was appointed as interim Fredonia Middle School Principal. She fills the vacancy created by the death of Paula Troutman.

Filling the void left by the unexpected passing of Paula Troutman will forever be an impossible task. Still, the school district she most recently called home needed to fill her role as Fredonia Middle School Principal. As difficult as the circumstances were, the Fredonia Central School District made the obvious choice.

Jamie Polhamus was appointed as interim Middle School Principal at a recent Fredonia Board of Education meeting.

“Thank you for your confidence in me,” Polhamus said. “This is certainly not how we envisioned this would happen, but I’ve been so fortunate to have such a strong administrative team, district office included. The last few weeks have definitely been a challenge, but it has not just been me.”

As the school year began, Polhamus – a Fredonia graduate – stepped into her newly-tenured role as Assistant Principal at Fredonia Middle School. She worked closely with Troutman each day, enough so that Superintendent Dr. Brad Zilliox noted the positive relationship between the two. But it was not only Zilliox who voiced support of Polhamus; Troutman did, as well.

As Polhamus awaited the Board of Education’s approval of her tenured position earlier this school year, Troutman said of her colleague, “She is one of the kindest people you will ever find. She treats everyone that way, and people love to be around her. … She is extremely student-friendly. It’s all about the kids for her, and that’s what we all want.”

Polhamus credited the “middle school family” for getting through the past few weeks since Troutman’s death. Along those same lines, Zilliox previously said, “It’s Paula’s impact on fostering relationships – a work family – that our staff is leading on in strength to be there for our students and for each other.”

The Board approved Polhamus’ appointment as interim Middle School Principal unanimously. The appointment was backdated to Jan. 3, the first day of school after Troutman’s death on Jan. 1. Polhamus had her salary adjusted to $100,000.

“Jamie has been so top-notch,” High School Principal Darrin Paschke said. “I just thank the Board for your support of Jamie because it is well-deserved. She’s just fantastic, so I can’t wait to see what great things come. She already has a foundation of greatness, and I think there will be a lot more great things.”

After Polhamus was appointed, the Board then appointed Ivana Hite as interim Assistant Middle School Principal, effective Jan. 24. She will receive a per diem rate of $500.

Hite is a retired High School Principal at Westfield Academy, where she served 32 years before her retirement was announced in 2019. She is also a parent of former Fredonia students and previously worked with Troutman.

“Her ability to just drop into this situation, with her experience and her background, we thought it was just the best fit for us,” Zilliox said. “We felt fortunate to have her step forward.”