The Skaneateles Board of Education reluctantly approved the retirement of Waterman Elementary School Principal Marianne Young at its Jan. 24 meeting.

Young, who has been principal of Waterman for the past 10 years, will end her tenure at the school effective June 30.

“This has been a very, very tough decision to leave,” Young told the board, saying that working in the district has been “a dream come true.”

Young started in the Skaneateles district as a Kindergarten and first grade teacher at Waterman, and accomplished her administrative training also at Waterman. She then spent some years as principal of Rockwell Elementary School in the Onondaga Central School District, which she said was a good choice to experience another district.

Young returned to Skaneateles in 2002 to become principal of Waterman.

“I can’t believe it’s been 10 years,” she said. “I’ve loved every minute of it.”

School board President Evan Dreyfuss recalled the day his oldest child entered Waterman Elementary four years ago, how Young was there welcoming the students and the parents, making everyone feel comfortable on their first day of school.

“I never once was concerned,” Dreyfuss said. “When you hand off your child for the first time you want that feeling of family. … This is where our children are introduced to education, and we have a great foundation at Waterman, and I personally thank you.”

Board member Kathryn Carlson, who worked as a colleague of Young’s in the district, said she “cannot express” how great a school Waterman is for the students, the teachers and the parents.

“You have made it such a warm, wonderful place,” Carlson said.

Board member Michael Card also praised Young’s leadership at the school. “I’ve always considered Waterman like going from home to home [for the students],” he said. “You took Waterman to a higher level.”

Superintendent Phil D’Angelo, after reading Young’s letter of resignation to the board, said he has always felt that, “Marianne still is a Kindergarten teacher who sits in a principal’s office.” He praised her love of the students, the parents, and the school, and said that to watch her at her work “is truly very moving.”

The school board members and the entire audience at the meeting then gave Young a standing ovation of applause.

Young said after the meeting that of all the comments made about her, D’Angelo’s was the most touching.

“I am a teacher while I am a principal,” she said. “It’s all about the kids.”

Young, who turned 60 on Jan. 13, said she has no definite plans at the moment for life after retirement, although she has some ideas. “I want to keep the door open,” she said. “I need to keep busy, but I don’t want to jump into the first thing.”

She said that she and her husband, who have lived in Skaneateles for the past 25 years, are considering a move to northern Virginia to be closer to their daughter, who lives in Arlington.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Skaneateles Press. He can be reached at [email protected].