Marzeski has accepted a new job as superintendent of schools in Chittenango the home author L. Frank Baum, the creator of the Wizard of Oz.

He said late last week that they had come to agreement on the terms of employment and all that remains is the for the Chittenango board of education to formally approve the appointment, which he said was expected to happen during its meeting two days ago.

His new district, almost 20 miles east of Syracuse, has 2,700 students, five school buildings and is more than three times the size of CV-S, but still has many similarities, he said. "It's still rural in nature with large numbers of kids transported to school by bus," he said.

Marzeksi said this is an excellent career opportunity with a school that, like CV-S, has a good reputation.

CV-S has been an excellent learning experience and we have tried to move the district forward. The district, he said, has made gains in curriculum development, implementation of the new NYS learning standards, test results show CV-S students performed well and we have completed a $2.5 million capital project.

"The board of education has been supportive and we have excellent program options for the students, but it has been a struggle in times when finances are so tight," he said. "CV-S has not received increases in state aid proportionate to the cost of living increases and it is difficult to balance the needs of the students for programming and the capacity of the community to support the program," Marzeski said.

The Chittenango district will offer Marzeski the chance to devote more time to curriculum development and other activities than he has currently. "The overall administrative staff level is sufficient to deal with the day-to-day demands and allow me to spend additional with staff, students and the community and function better as the educational leader of the district," he said.

"This guy is phenomenal," CV-S board of education member Richard Daley said of Marzeski Monday. "He's a good communicator and has been very conscientious on letting the board member know what's going on. And he listens, too," Daley said.

"While he was here, he did things for the long-haul. He did everything with great gusto. He gives 100 percent. Even now he has not turned his back on the district. He's still thinking what's best for the district. He's a 100 percent team player and we will miss him," Daley said.

Mike Bocketti, president of the Chittenango Central School District, said Monday that he anticiapted Marzeski would receive final approval for the job during the board's meeting Tuesday night.

Bocketti said one of the first things about Marzeski that struck not only him, but other board members as well, was his integrity. "We have a retiring superintendent with the highest integrity and it was a quality we value," he said. "Chittenango has come a long way under Dan Porter and we wanted a person with the same vision to move us even further," Bocketti said.

CV-S will initiate a search for a new superintedent. Marzeski said he believes the school will begin the new year with an interim superintendent and have a new district leader in place before the end of the calendar year.

Marzeski will remain with CV-S until September 1. He said his youngest daughter, Allison, will start the new school year in Chittenango, but his middle daughter, Katie, will remain with her mother at CV-S so she can complete her senior year with classmates.

The Marzeski's have a third daughter, Kristin, who will be a junior at Cortland State in the fall.