September 9, 2026
Northern Adirondack Board of Education Appoints Diane Fox as Interim Superintendent
ELLENBURG DEPOT, NY — The Northern Adirondack Central School District Board of Education has appointed longtime North Country educator and school leader Diane Fox to serve as Interim Superintendent of Schools for the 2026–27 school year.
Fox recently retired after 13 years as Superintendent of the Saranac Lake Central School District. Her career in education has included work as a classroom teacher, elementary and high school principal, and superintendent, giving her experience across grade levels and in nearly every aspect of public school leadership.
Fox succeeds James Knight Jr., who is leaving Northern Adirondack after seven years as superintendent to become District Superintendent of Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES.
[PLACEHOLDER QUOTE — BOARD PRESIDENT]
“Diane brings to Northern Adirondack exactly what we believe the district needs at this moment: experience, stability, honesty, and a willingness to listen,” Board President Steven Bartlemus said. “She understands North Country schools and communities, and she has spent her career bringing people together to work through difficult issues while keeping students at the center. The Board is confident that she will provide strong leadership during this transition and help position Northern Adirondack well for its next permanent superintendent.”
Fox said she was drawn to the interim position by both the challenges and the opportunities facing Northern Adirondack.
“I am not coming to NAC to turn it into someplace else,” Fox said. “Northern Adirondack has its own history, traditions, strengths, challenges, and identity. My first job is to listen and learn from the people who work here, the students and families we serve, and the community that supports this school district.”
Fox said her priorities will include supporting staff, strengthening communication and trust with families and the community, addressing issues that require immediate attention, and keeping the district focused on its central responsibility to students.
“There are real issues that need our attention, and we are going to work on them,” Fox said. “But those issues are not the whole story of Northern Adirondack. There are good people here doing important work for children every day. Part of our work this year will be making sure we see that, strengthen it, and tell that story.”
Fox began her career as a first-grade teacher at Assumption of Mary School in Redford before moving into public education in the Saranac Central School District, where she taught several elementary grade levels and later began her administrative career. She subsequently served as an elementary and high school principal in the Beekmantown Central School District before being appointed Superintendent of the Saranac Lake Central School District in 2013.
During her tenure in Saranac Lake, Fox led the district through significant educational, financial, facilities, and organizational changes while emphasizing student opportunity, community partnerships, fiscal responsibility, and open communication.
Fox said she views an interim superintendent’s role differently from that of a newly appointed permanent superintendent.
“This is not about arriving with a five-year plan for Northern Adirondack,” she said. “It is about doing the work in front of us well, helping the district address the things that need attention, supporting the people who are already here doing the work, and making sure the next superintendent inherits a district that knows who it is, what it values, and where it wants to go next.”
Fox will begin serving as Interim Superintendent on September 14.
About Northern Adirondack Central School District
Northern Adirondack Central School District serves students in grades K–12 at Northern Adirondack Elementary School and Northern Adirondack Middle-High School in Ellenburg Depot, New York. The district serves approximately 770 students and is committed to providing educational opportunities that prepare students for success in school and beyond.