Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 9/8/2020
WESTHAMPTON – Hampshire Regional school committees hosted a joint meeting on Sept. 3 with representation from Southampton, Westhampton, Chesterfield-Goshen, and Williamsburg to discuss an acting interim superintendent and issues they are running into now that they no longer have a superintendent.
Southampton School Committee Chair Jon Lumbra was selected as moderator of the meeting during this meeting.
“On behalf of the joint committees, I would like to state from all of us that we completely understand everyone’s concerns that have been expressed over the past two weeks and we truly appreciate everything that all our district employees are doing to get through these difficult times. We commit to you all that we will continue to work tirelessly in our efforts to find a permanent solution that works for the whole district,” said Lumbra.
The committees decided each of the five principals will be the acting superintendent for their school and each will be compensated at a rate of $200 per week until they have appointed an interim or permanent superintendent. This should not exceed more than 60 days.
The committees voted to approve Bobbie Jones, the district’s business administrator, has the power to manage and supervise all central office staff in the absence of a permanent superintendent. Jones will also be compensated at a rate of $200 per week until they have appointed an interim or permanent superintendent.
Jones will have to work with the legal counsel and building principals to come up with a game plan on who will be answering people’s emails that are sent to former Superintendent Aaron Osborne’s email address. She will have to report this plan to the joint committee.
The subcommittee will meet and discuss the hiring of an interim for the remainder of the school year. They will be looking for an experienced or recently retired superintendent who can come in and help the district and keep everything on track while the committees focus on hiring a permanent one. After they establish an interim, they will then launch a larger search for a new superintendent with a three to five-year contract.
The committee’s next joint session is Sept. 30.