School Committee and MASC team up to find new superintendent

Date: 3/9/2009

Laura Christiansen

Staff Intern



WILBRAHAM -- On Jan. 27 the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD) School Committee had a meeting regarding the involvement of the Massachusetts School Association (MASC) in the search for a new superintendent.

They voted and have decided to have a consultant from MASC help them find a superintendent. The current superintendent, Paul Gagliarducci, plans to retire at the end of this fiscal year.

Pat Correira has been selected as the consultant from MASC. She is the Field Director for Training and Development at MASC.

"We are going to help them plan a brochure, advertise, compose questions for semifinalists, and do screening in the office for finalists," Correira said.

The School Committee has just begun the process of appointing a search committee to find a new superintendent.

The search committee includes a secondary education teacher, an elementary school teacher, a principal, a director of special education, three members of the School Committee, the director of business services, five or six citizens from Wilbraham and three citizens from Hampden.

Scott Chapman, chairperson of HWRSD School Committee, will be the chairperson for the search committee.

"I think that they bring the view-point of the concerns of citizens and parents. I am concerned with progressive educational leadership under the current budget constraints," Eileen Cyr, a parent and a Wilbraham resident, said.

"[The search committee] will make recommendations for finalists for the School Committee [to review]. We have scheduled interviewing in May and the search committee will narrow it down to three to five [applicants]," Chapman said.

An advertisement for the position will go out sometime in March. A regional search will take place, however, and if applicants from other regions want the position and are well qualified, the committee will consider them.

"Our big issue is we want someone who is able to deal with the current economic crisis and is still able to move everything forward educationally. They will have a difficult job ahead of them," Chapman said.