New faces at Hoosic Valley: a bus boss, a resource officer and an athletic director

Hoosic Valley’s first newsletter of the year landed last week under the theme “Where Opportunities Take Flight,” and the biggest news in it is the staff list. Three jobs that touch nearly every family in the district have changed hands this fall.

Transportation: Barton in, Akin retiring

Joe Barton is the district’s next supervisor of transportation. He spent nearly 16 years at Stewart’s Shops as a commercial driver and then transportation manager, supervising drivers, building schedules, hiring and onboarding, rolling out safety technology and keeping the fleet in regulatory compliance, and he has about 20 years in the industry all told. He is also a Hoosic Valley graduate and lifelong resident, and he and his wife, Jeni, have two children in the district.

He replaces Wayne Akin, who is retiring after many years running the buses. Barton works alongside Akin through October and takes the role officially in November, so families should not expect route changes from the handoff itself.

“I’m honored to be stepping into this role that Mr. Akin has done so well for many years,” Barton said in the district’s announcement. “I am looking forward to working with our transportation staff to continue providing a safe environment for them and the students of our community.”

A new school resource officer

Deputy Andrew Etman of the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office is the new school resource officer. He started with the sheriff’s office in 2018 as a correction officer, moved to deputy, and has since served as a field training officer and certified law enforcement instructor, filled in as an SRO at other local schools, and is a member of the office’s Emergency Services Unit. He grew up in Watervliet and has family ties in the Hoosic Valley community.

He replaces Eric Manny, who spent several years in the district’s halls with his therapy dog, Ozzy. The district thanked both of them, and anyone whose kid came home talking about the dog knows why.

Etman described the job the way the district hopes it works: “a trusted adult, mentor, educator, and positive role model who develops meaningful relationships with students while maintaining a safe and secure school environment.”

Athletics: a familiar face steps up

James “Jimmy” Acker is the new athletic director. He has taught physical education at Hoosic Valley for six years and coaches JV boys basketball and varsity baseball, so most of the district’s athletes already know him.

“My goal is to create a positive, competitive, and supportive environment where our student-athletes can succeed both on and off the field,” Acker said. The district’s announcement said his focus is building on the program’s tradition with strong coaching support and a little more school spirit.

The rest of the new roster

The newsletter also welcomes Rachel Cronin and Beth Jones as elementary teachers, Leah Lescault and Meaghan MacLellan as long-term substitutes in the elementary school (MacLellan in art), Luc Lescault in elementary physical education, and Rachel Rose as the high school’s agriculture teacher.

Two dates to put on the fridge

• Saturday, September 26, 9 to 10 a.m.: Coffee and Conversation with Superintendent Michelle Gabree-Huba in the high school multipurpose room. Informal, drop in, bring a question. It’s the same morning as the Harvest Festival at Town Hall, so you can do both.
• Thursday, October 1, 6 p.m.: Board of Education meeting.

The superintendent’s letter in the newsletter lays out her “Five Cs” for the year: connected learners, capable graduates, committed professionals, community partnerships and careful stewardship. It’s a first-year superintendent’s roadmap, and the coffee hour is the easiest place to ask her what it means in practice.

Sources: the Hoosic Valley Central School District’s Fall 2026 newsletter, “Hoosic Valley News: Flight of Possibilities,” posted September 11, and the district’s announcements of Joe Barton, Andrew Etman and James Acker. Quotes are as published by the district.