School Official Arrested On Drug, Other Charges

COLONIE— An assistant superintendent of a regional school district was arrested on Sunday, March 2, for several drug related misdemeanors. Frank Pickus, 57, of Saratoga Springs, was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia as well as for several traffic violations, which included operating with a suspended registration, failure to signal and failure to stay in his lane. The police stated that when they pulled Pickus over in the parking lot of a Starbucks on Troy-Schenectady Road at 6:23 p.m. he was in possession of around four grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. According to a statement posted on the Gloversville Enlarged School District’s website by Superintendent Michael Vanyo, Pickus has been placed on paid administrative leave “pending the investigation.” Pickus was recently granted a three-year contract extension in June, which increases his current salary of $98,745 by 2 percent every year until the 2015-2016 school year.