Stacey Sotirhos’ time as Rye Country Day’s interim head of school will span just one year, with an official end date already set for July 1, 2027.
But before even stepping into the role, Sotirhos took action that could affect the district for decades to come.
This spring, while finishing her fifth year as lower school principal at Rye Country Day, Sotirhos made frequent appearances at private and public meetings with Rye’s City Council, convincing city officials to exclude the school from a six-month moratorium that passed in June.
Sotirhos spoke passionately to Mayor Josh Nathan and councilmembers, saying the proposed additions – including a new Center of Innovation on the western portion of campus, and a massive athletic complex to the east – are about more than just giving the Wildcat sports teams shiny new venues.
“Future generations are able to capitalize on, of course, a nice facility,” Sotirhos told The Record, “but it’s actually an enhancement of the heart of the house, which is the teaching and learning endeavor that’s happening inside.”
Sotirhos said her focus as interim head of school has been more on underscoring values in the RCDS community than concrete expansion goals.
“We didn’t begin with buildings,” Sotirhos told the council, while speaking about the project. “We actually began with broad questions: What do our students need today? What do they need tomorrow? How is teaching changing, and how is our campus being used? How can we continue our legacy of being a good neighbor and a good community partner?”
Sotirhos ensured the school’s ambitious project wasn’t halted before it could even begin. But the actual construction will likely come under the supervision of a new head of school.
She will be succeeded by Kristen Klein.
In announcing Klein’s hiring, RCDS said it plans to celebrate Sotirhos and her extraordinary service to the school more fully in spring 2027.
At the conclusion of her interim role, Sotirhos said she plans to spend more time with family, including her children, one of whom graduated from RCDS in 2026 and another set to graduate in 2027.
Although she’ll only spend one year leading RCDS, this is Sotirhos’ sixth at the school. Over the course of her 33-year career in education, Sotirhos said her primary objective has been to help students become “good citizens” who are kind and reach their full potential.
“Every opportunity is an opportunity for sidling up to a student, mentoring them, and modeling something with them,” she told The Record, “and celebrating their great work, too.”
With an end date already set, Sotirhos is keeping RCDS’s motto in mind: “Not for Self, but for Service.” She said she views the interim head of school position not just as a service, but also a great privilege.
“Education is a labor of love,” she said. “It’s commitment, it is wonderfully challenging, and it’s extraordinarily rewarding.”
