Gates Chili Central School District

Erin Ugine has been appointed as the next Assistant Principal of Florence Brasser Elementary School. Mrs. Ugine will replace Rebecca Scott, who will take over as principal at Neil Armstrong Elementary School later this month.

Ugine has been an integral part of many district initiatives focused on young learners, including the development of a publicly funded Universal Prekindergarten program for 4-year-olds in the Gates Chili community. This move to Brasser is a journey full circle for Ugine, who started her Gates Chili career at Brasser as a school psychologist in 1998. She spent several years as a special education administrator and then coordinator of early childhood education until her most recent role as our director of elementary education.

“While I value all the experiences I have had at Gates Chili, my true passion and skillset lies with building-level leadership,” said Ugine. “Being close to teachers, students and families will afford me the opportunity to contribute to our school community in a personally meaningful way. This move is something I have considered for some time, and I appreciate the district’s willingness to support my transition to the building level.”

Ugine holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree plus certificate of advanced study in psychology from SUNY Geneseo and RIT, respectively. Ugine also earned her certificate of advanced study in educational leadership from SUNY Brockport and holds several educational certifications. Throughout her various roles at Gates Chili, Ugine has also established strong relationships with a variety of local agencies who support the health and development of children in our community. She also worked on the NYSED Early Childhood Task Force focused on the revision of NYS Learning Standards.

The district will begin a formal search for a new director of elementary education in the coming weeks. In the meantime, Richard Stutzman will serve as interim assistant principal at Brasser.