Noelle Short appointed new school district business manager

by Dan McClelland

The arrival of an experienced teacher and school administrator, Noelle Short, as the school district’s new business manager, was heralded as wonderful news for the district and its financial administration going forward, when her appointment was made on May 24 by the local board of education.

The appointment followed the glowing endorsement of the very talented educator by Superintendent of Schools Jaycee Welsh.

The superintendent of schools told the board that evening that she learned over the recent school break that Jessica Rivers, who was the district’s business manager through the shared business office with BOCES, had resigned from the cooperative educational agency. “Jess will not be joining us as our new business manager. We had made her an offer, but the commuting she faced and some decisions she had to make that were right for her and her family” she turned it down.

Mrs. Welsh said Mrs. Rivers’ last day with BOCES was this past Monday.

“Since we subscribe to this BOCES service right now, we will have someone there carrying on for Jessica, doing the necessary financial things through the end of this school year to keep the district afloat.”

In building their proposed budget for the new school year, Mrs. Welsh and her staff eliminated that BOCES business service at considerable savings to the district, effective the end of June.

“Jessica’s resignation from BOCES obviously sped up our search for a new business manager. We wanted to make sure we had a qualified candidate to lead our business department beginning July 1!”

“We put a job posting out and within a couple of days, I talked with Noelle and learned she was interested in the position. She was a seventh grade through twelfth teacher in Long Lake and moved up to the principal/ superintendent’s position there.”

This past year Noelle had accepted a position at BOCES which she currently holds.

“Noelle graduated from Tupper Lake High School. She lived in this community until a few years ago, when she moved to Long Lake.”

“She has a ton of ties to this district, with many friends here,” she continued.

Noelle is the daughter of Carol (Gross) Merrihew of Tupper Lake and Fred Short of Long Lake.

“Her parents were both educators and coaches,” and Noelle has coached here too.

For a short time after college she was a skilled reporter and writer for the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

“One of the things we talked about moving the business department back to the district is that people need to care and understand our needs are, what our employee needs are and what our community needs are!”

“We needed someone who not only knows and understands (this district and its schools), but who knows what is right for our people and the entire community!

“I am so confident that Noelle will be that person and do the job very well!”

She said she interviewed Noelle on a recent Tuesday and we offered her the position that day. “She accepted the position in writing the next day.”

She applauded the services of the BOCES person who handles the district’s human resources matters. “This person was in an airport on her way to Rome” where she wrote the new contract between Miss Short and the district.

“It was amazing how quickly we got it done!” she told the elected officials that evening.

“I’m super excited we were able to snag Noelle” for this important job, noting “the timing of the offer works well” for her in her career right now.

“Everything happens for a reason,” so the cliché goes, she said, adding she thinks Noelle joining the district as business manager will benefit both the district and the community.

Her new employment with the school district begins July 1.