Co-interim superintendents named to take over for Costa

Date: 11/9/2009

By Courtney Llewellyn, Reminder Assistant Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW The School Committee officially named who will take over for Superintendent of Schools Edward Costa at its meeting on Nov. 2.

Business Manager Terry Olejarz and Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Elaine Santaniello were approved by the School Committee as co-interim superintendents. They will take over once Costa begins his leave of absence on Dec. 2.

"We had a tentative agreement on who it would be [taking the interim superintendent position] on Friday," William Fonseca, chair of the School Committee, said. "We wanted to explore all internal options, and the School Committee has all the confidence in [Olejarz and Santaniello] in the world."

Fonseca added that Olejarz's extensive background in business and Santaniello's "being extremely versed in academic affairs" are what led the committee to choose the two for the interim position.

"We thought the best way to move forward was with their strengths," Fonseca said of the two.

"Our charge, really, is to keep the district running and and have a smooth transition for the new superintendent," Olejarz told Reminder Publications. She said she and Santaniello will be working closely with Costa over the next month to get acclimated to the position.

"It was very nice to be asked [to help fill this position]," Santaniello said. "It's a big responsibility ... We work really well together, and we've done a lot of work together."

"There's things she knows more about that I do and vice versa," Olejarz said.

Santaniello said that she doesn't foresee any disruption to the district once the co-interim superintendents take over because they "already know the routines of the day to day."

She also admits that she didn't see her being named a co-interim superintendent coming. She said she has 10 years of administrative experience but she has no desire to become the full-time superintendent. In a past position, she had to step up from director of curriculum to middle school principal on one day's notice.

Olejarz also said she will not be seeking to fill the vacant superintendent position.

Both women will continue their regular duties in addition to serving as co-interim superintendents.

"We will come up with a plan of who deals with what issue and what we will work on together," Santaniello said. "The principals already said they'll help out where they can."

No details have been released as to how much Olejarz and Santaniello will be paid to serve in the interim.

Fonseca said a search committee will convene in early December to start looking for a permanent replacement for Costa.