Shah begins new role as Catskill’s superintendent

CATSKILL―A familiar face was back in Catskill school hallways as Junait Shah returned to the district as its new superintendent.

Last week was Shah’s first official full week as superintendent following his appointment by the board of education last month. He previously spent seven years as an administrator in Catskill.

“I want to share how truly honored and excited I am to be here. It is a true privilege to serve this community and I am proud to represent us with a strong sense of purpose, pride, and care for students and staff,” Shah said in a letter to the community.

In the coming weeks, Shah said his focus will be on “listening, learning, building stronger relationships with our students, staff, families, and community, and creating new relationships with those that I haven’t met yet.”

Earlier this year, the board engaged a professional consultant to conduct a search for a superintendent following the resignation of Dr. Dan Wilson last summer. John Xanthis had been serving as interim superintendent since September.

Shah had resigned as high school principal in August of 2024 after the then-board of education placed him on administrative leave over a purported certification issue. He was swiftly picked up by the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District as the director of technology.

His departure from Catskill came just months after turmoil over the so-called “Tape Gate” incident in which Musical Director Michelle Storrs-Ryan allegedly placed tape on an eleventh-grader’s mouth during a rehearsal for Cinderella. Both Shah and Storrs-Ryan were temporarily suspended by Wilson pending internal investigation, sparking widespread outrage within the Catskill community, a student walk-out, protests, a march, packed board of education meetings, calls for Wilson’s resignation, and a 2,000-plus signature petition demanding Shah and Storrs’ reinstatement.

Numerous parents along with current and former students spoke out in support of Shah who was described as a beloved principal. The suspensions ultimately influenced the outcome of the 2024 board of education election, with voters seating four new members.

When Shah ran for the board of education in May of 2025, he was the top vote-getter and later appointed board president, a position he resigned from last month when he was considered for superintendent.

Mike Dedrick, the board’s newly elected president as of last month, had said that the decision to ask Shah to take the position was unanimous.

“We know Junait well.  He holds the required credentials and certification, has a strong educational background, and is widely regarded as a leader of integrity and vision within our school community,” said Dedrick.

The search process, Dedrick noted, “was thorough and deliberate,” but two candidates, one after the other, had accepted the position only to later decline.

“Following those disappointments, the board met with our search consultant and with legal counsel to carefully consider our path forward. In the course of those conversations, it became clear to the board that we had an exceptional candidate much closer to home— someone who knows this district, is respected by staff and families alike, and who has already demonstrated a deep commitment to our students and community,” he explained.

“That person,” Dedrick added, “is Junait Shah.”

As he steps into the role, Shah said, “our mission becomes more and more clear to me: to provide students with a comprehensive, tailored education that prepares them to be productive members of a diverse society.”

“This work is already happening in so many ways across our district, and I am eager to lend my support and build upon the strong foundation that is already here,” he added.

“Our vision is clear as well: empowering students through an educational environment with multiple pathways so they can become successful global citizens and, most importantly, good people who embody integrity, perseverance, and compassion,” Shah said. “This combination of academic opportunity and character development is what makes Catskill Central School District such a special place to be.”