School superintendent keeping job

HARRISVILLE — Harrisville Central School District Superintendent Rolf A. Waters will keep his job despite his recent charge of drunken driving.

The Board of Education made the announcement Tuesday evening in a statement faxed to the Times and addressed to the school district's residents, students and staff.

Mr. Waters, 48, of 418 Meade Road, Canton, was stopped Sept. 27 on Butternut Ridge Road in the town of Pierrepont and charged with driving while intoxicated. He is to appear today in Pierrepont Town Court. Mr. Waters also serves as principal of Harrisville Elementary School.

In its statement, the Harrisville school board said that deciding on a correct course of action was difficult and that it made its choice after "a long and very frank discussion" with the superintendent.

The board decided to let Mr. Waters keep his job in part because "he was honest to us in all facts about this incident," the release said; because during the six years of his tenure, "the school program has been improving in difficult financial times"; because the majority of feedback from the community and school staff has been in favor of retaining him, and because he "is sincere in recognizing that he has an obligation ... to use this event as an educational opportunity to address this problem."

Mr. Waters is working with the school's DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer to develop a program for the school and community, the release said.

The board said the superintendent has broken some of the trust of the school and community, but Mr. Waters indicated "he is willing to work hard to repair such breach."

If any similar event occurs in the future, the release said, Mr. Waters's position "is in severe jeopardy."

The only school board member who answered the phone Tuesday night was Tennille M. Schmitt. She declined comment.