The final days of winter recess in the Pine Bush School District were darkened Thursday by the unexpected death of School Superintendent Timothy O. Mains.
“The Pine Bush Schools family today grieves the untimely death of our Superintendent of Schools Tim Mains,” read a statement on the district website. “Tim has been our leader since March 2017, seeing the district through some very challenging times. Throughout his tenure, Tim proved himself to be a dedicated and passionate supporter of the Pine Bush school community, its students and families, as well as faculty and staff.”
“We extend our deepest sympathies to Tim’s family, as we mourn his loss and reflect on the positive impact he had on public education. He will be greatly missed.”
Within the first hour after a notice had appeared on an unofficial Pine Bush Facebook Page, more than 60 messages of condolences had poured in.
“I am shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Pine Bush Superintendent Tim Mains. I enjoyed working with Tim over the years - he was dedicated to improving educational outcomes for his students and the district will no doubt mourn his loss,” said State Senator James Skoufis. “My thoughts are with his family and the extended Pine Bush Central Schools family during this difficult time.
Mains, who was 73, joined the district not long after accusations of rampant anti-semitism surfaced, had to weather through several crises including a shortage of bus drivers, the perils of social media and especially the ongoing Covid pandemic.
Regarding the anti-semitism claims, he responded to allegations of a New York Times article in 2019.
“Since 2013, our district has implemented programs in conjunction with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Southern Poverty Law Center, Sandy Hook Promise, Safe School Ambassadors and our Orange County District Attorney,” he wrote in a letter to the editor. “We document every instance of graffiti and interpersonal conflict. We administer annual school climate surveys and have a private means to report concerns. We’ve brought Holocaust survivors to speak with students and provided training for teachers throughout Orange County by Israel’s Holocaust Center, Yad Vashem. Our efforts have led to clear improvements.”
Since becoming superintendent Mains has led the development of the strategic plan, which establishes guidelines for how the district can serve the needs of each student. He has drastically improved security within the district, bringing in armed, uniformed police officers in every school. In addition, he has conducted active shooter and other emergency drills. Mains has also established an anonymous tip line for staff, students and parents.
In 2019, Pine Bush High School was ranked high by the U.S. News & World Report. Out of a review of more than 23,000 public high schools, 17,000 were ranked. Pine Bush High School was ranked 4,849.Over time, Mains earned a reputation for his unabashed enthusiasm for all things Pine Bush, regularly taking to Twitter to laud student accomplishments in the classroom, on the concert stage and on the athletic fields. He was a regular at Pine Bush sporting events, concerts and the annual Odyssey of the Mind Competition.
“He was our biggest cheerleader at competitions, proudly bouncing from skit to skit, and spearheading the cheers for our champion OMers,” said Lorraine Stapleton, the district coordinator for Odyssey. “He and David (his husband) gladly bought fudge, attended pancake breakfasts, ate dinners at Texas Roadhouse, spoke at ice cream socials, and gave spirited shout outs to the kids and the Odyssey program during his opening day keynote speeches.”
At the outset of the pandemic, he spearheaded a campaign to distribute plastic faceguards, manufactured in the district’s 3D printing facility, to businesses and organizations throughout the community.
“The bottom line is I love working here in Pine Bush and will continue to do so as long as I have my health,” Mains said in 2020. “I want to continue collaborating with all of my colleagues to make a difference in the lives of our children here in Pine Bush for years to come.”
Mains joined the district in March, 2017 bringing with him a reputation as a communicator and a promise to personalize learning, and shaping education for each student. He came to the district from Jamestown, NY after a time in the Rochester School District, where he had been elementary school principal for ten years in a school where 93% of students were eligible for free or reduced price lunches. He was then director of internal school operations for a year.
He also served for 20 years on the Rochester City Council, becoming, in 1985, the first openly-gay elected official in New York State. Previously he had been a social studies teacher in Greece, a Rochester suburb, for 31 years, having to overcome anti-gay slurs and insults from students along the way.
“It hurt sometimes, but I realized there’s nothing wrong with me. I’m a good decent person. It was just their insecurities,” Mains said in a 2017 interview. “For a while, I was a hot rumor, but over time I became a person, and the issue died.”
In 2020, Mains took a medical leave of absence for an undisclosed medical condition. He returned to work in January, 2021.
Chris Passudetti, President of the Pine Bush Teacher’s Association, offered condolences.
“Like all of you, I am shocked and saddened to hear the news of the passing of our superintendent Tim Mains. In his time with our district, he showed himself to be a leader with vision, and, more importantly, kindness and compassion. He loved the students of our district.
He advocated fiercely for them at every opportunity, celebrated their successes and saw the best in all of them. We are sure to see his selflessness reflected in our students for years to come,” Passudetti wrote. “On behalf of the Pine Bush Teachers’ Association, I offer our good thoughts and prayers to his family and friends and all those who loved him. There is little we can say to ease the pain of your loss, but we can grieve and mourn Tim with you. We vow to honor his memory in our classrooms and in every interaction with our students.”
“Thanks, Tim. We’ll miss you.”
Mains was born on August 4, 1948 in Indianapolis, IN to parents Charles H. Mains and Gwendolyn Johnston Mains who both pre-deceased him. His long career in education included teacher, counselor, teacher center/Staff Development Director, Principal, Director of Internal Operations, and Superintendent in Jamestown, NY before becoming the Pine Bush Superintendent.
Survivors include his spouse David Phillip Gardner, whom he wed on May 27, 2006 in Canada; one brother and one sister and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Jan. 8 at Asbury First United Methodist Church, 1050 East Avenue, Rochester. A live stream of the service will be available. In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to consider donating to one of his favorite charities: Action For A Better Community, Inc, Black Friars Theater, OutAlliance (formerly The Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley), Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, or The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.