New London – The school board has approved appointments to two interim school positions – athletic director and director of operations to the magnet middle school.

The Board of Education signed memorandums of agreement last week with the New London Administrators Education Association for Kasi Fletcher to serve as interim athletic director and Maribel Olivero as director of operations to the magnet middle school.

The board’s approval was made after the fact since the positions were already filled, school board members said.

School board vice president Margaret “Mary” Peg Curtin said the school board has asked Superintendent Stephen Tracy, going forward, to make the board aware of administrative hires before and not after the fact. While the superintendent is the only employee that the school board hires, Curtin said the board should have input.

“We made it clear this should not happen,” Curtin said. “I think a chance to review the positions is necessary.”

Board Chairman Scott Garbini added that there are often budget implications to those hires.

Olivero is a former teacher, a principal at C.B. Jennings Elementary School and a dean of students who was most recently serving as the special principal on assignment at the Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School, the future home to four magnet schools.

Olivero will earn $137,338 for the fiscal year and is being temporarily appointed to a vacant position “necessary for the 2017-2018 school year as the program remains in transition,” according to a draft of the memorandum of agreement. The district has yet to provide a final agreement.

School board member Mirna Martinez voted against the director position – not the person – because she said it was unclear why a 12-month position, instead of a 10-month position, was being created now, more than a month into the fiscal year.

Martinez said she thought the timing did not make sense considering the restructuring plan for the middle school has not yet been finalized.

Board member Jason Catala also voted against the director’s position and said he disagreed with adding a fourth full-time administrator at the middle school.

The athletic director’s position measure passed 7-0.

Fletcher has been in his positon since August, shortly after former high school athletic director Christopher Vamvakides left for a job in Griswold, said he is looking forward to applying for the permanent position.

Fletcher worked at Norwich Free Academy for nearly nine years before he was hired last year as a guidance counselor at New London High School. While at NFA, Fletcher was involved in an after school athletic mentoring program, counseling students on how to prepare for a post-secondary education.

In addition to duties of athletic director, Fletcher will be teaching senior project classes which he describes as a class focused on preparing students for college. According to a draft agreement, Fletcher will be paid $72,792 for the current school year.

Fletcher, who also been involved in New London Youth Football, is a New London High School graduate who was part of three state championship football teams.

“When I heard New London was hiring I thought it was a tremendous opportunity for me to come home and be part of that New London family,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher said he will be applying for the permanent athletic director’s position when it is posted.