The Greater Johnstown School District Board of Education has announced its selection for its next superintendent of schools.
Ms. Alicia D. Koster, the current assistant superintendent of the Greater Johnstown School District, will officially be appointed during a Board of Education meeting at 6:30 p.m. this evening, Wednesday, May 21 in the Knox auditorium. She will assume the superintendent’s position on August 10 succeeding Dr. William Crankshaw who is set to retire on August 9.
Ms. Koster brings nearly 30 years of experience in public education, having served as the district’s assistant superintendent since 2021. Her expertise spans many areas of school district operations, including long-term strategic planning and systems implementation, instructional program development and deployment, financial oversight, capital project development, human resources, and the full spectrum of day-to-day district operations.
“I feel incredibly honored and privileged to serve the Greater Johnstown School District community as the next superintendent of schools,” stated Koster. “I look forward to working with the board as I lead the district in its ongoing pursuit of becoming the regional model of educational excellence through a leadership style rooted in care, community-mindedness, and a strong focus on students.” 
While at Johnstown, Ms. Koster has worked closely with Dr. Crankshaw and the Board of Education on a number of successful projects including revamping the district’s vision, mission, and goals; developing a 10-year strategic plan that supports district initiatives towards academic goals, bolstering student engagement in curricular and extracurricular activities, enhancing social emotional and mental health support services for students, and driving capital investments that ensure lasting improvements to their schools.
Ms. Koster also played a pivotal role in stabilizing the district’s finances over the past four years, reversing a period of financial difficulties that had resulted in teacher reductions, the loss of extracurricular activities and student field trips, building closures, a budget-revote, and fluctuating tax levies impacting Johnstown citizens.
Johnstown Board President David D’Amore highlighted Ms. Koster’s impact on the district.
“Amongst a well-qualified field of applicants, Ms. Koster’s talent for systems thinking and planning were key factors in our decision as our current fiscal health and operational stability have been greatly influenced by her work over the last four years. She has chosen to live in our community as a demonstration of her investment in it, and she has been a tenacious advocate for our school community working tirelessly to make sure we have the resources needed to deliver on our promise to provide a high-quality academic experience.”
D’Amore added, “It is our expectation that she will continue to cultivate the vision and direction established under Dr. Crankshaw’s leadership. There is yet more work to be done and we congratulate Ms. Koster and look forward to her leadership in the coming months.”
Before serving in Johnstown, Ms. Koster held administrative roles including executive director for finance & management services/chief financial officer for the South Orangetown Central School District in Rockland County and chief financial officer of both Oriskany Central School District in Oneida County and Mexico Academy and Central School District in Oswego County.
Ms. Koster has a passion for education and leadership, earning her master’s degree and certificate of advanced studies in Educational Administration from SUNY New Paltz as well as her master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She is currently completing her doctorate in Educational Administration from Seton Hall University.
She is also an active member of the New York State Council of School Superintendents, serving on several committees, as well as the New York State Association for Women in Administration. Additionally, she participates in 100 Women Who Care in Johnstown, a group dedicated to providing financial support to local non-profit organizations. She is married with two daughters and resides in Johnstown.
Ms. Koster was selected through a comprehensive search process, which included input from district employees, families, and community members via surveys and focus groups. HFM BOCES District Superintendent David Ziskin served as the search consultant for Johnstown.
