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Date: 2/16/2022
HAMPDEN/WILBRAHAM – The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD) School Committee met to discuss the first step in the superintendent search process – whether to look inward for talent or welcome outside candidates. It decided to do both.
During a training on Feb. 10 with Tracy Novick of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), the committee was told it has three options in moving forward in their search for a new superintendent. First, someone could be promoted internally. Novick said about a third of committees choose this method.
If the committee decided to do a search, it could perform a search on its own or hire a company to help, either the MASC or a third-party consulting firm. Search professionals bring experience, but that comes at a cost, which Novick estimated to be between $10,000 and $50,000. School Committee Chair Michal Boudreau later confirmed the MASC would charge $10,500 plus expenses.
If the committee conducted its own search, as a member of the MASC, it would have free access to help with posting the job, sample interview questions and other industry advice.
The last option would be to hire an interim superintendent to begin July 1 and stay until a permanent replacement is found in the next fiscal year. The MASC offers a list of about 50 interim superintendents, often those retired from permanent positions. The list is another no-cost benefit of MASC membership.
Transparency
There are only two legal requirements regarding hiring superintendents. One is that the new hire be licensed in the state, the other is that the appointment and deliberation are conducted in open meeting.
“Be honest and clear with the community about the intent of the committee,” Novick had told the committee.
“As long as we’re transparent and open and the community has some feedback, we should be in a good place,” Kennedy said.
Open Search
At a Feb. 15 School Committee meeting, the body decided almost immediately that it wanted to conduct an open search, rather than limiting themselves to internal promotions. Both internal and external applicants will be considered. A unanimous vote finalized that decision.
Timeline
A large portion of the meeting was spent discussing the timeline for the search.
A full search takes months to conduct, according to Novick. A search committee must be appointed, as the School Committee cannot act as the search committee.
Community surveys or meetings are hosted to get feedback. The job will be posted for a month or more to attract a wide field of candidates. Then, applicants are screened, at least two rounds of interviews are conducted and candidates’ districts are visited. Ideally, there is some transition time between superintendents. Novick said HWRSD would want to have the new superintendent “onboarded” between April and June. She estimated the district would not be able to conduct a full search if it did not begin before the end of the month.
School Committee member Bill Bontempi, who was involved in the superintendent search that resulted in Ganem’s hire, expressed concerns about the amount of time available to perform a search “correctly.” He said the applicants that are available at this point in the fiscal year are those whose contracts were not renewed, who haven’t been able to find a job or who want out of their current positions.
Bontempi “strongly advised” the district wait to begin the search for a permanent replacement in August or September. That said, he also expressed concerns that an interim may not be familiar with the area or regional districs.
School Committee member Lisa Murray discounted this and said the New Year is a common time for superintendents to announce plans to move on. She added that former superintendent Martin O’Shea had announced his departure at the end of December.
Ganem apologized to the committee for the timing and “putting you in a bind.” School Committee Vice Chair Maura Ryan told him there was nothing for which he needed to apologize. Ganem announced his departure on Jan. 20, citing family reasons. His exit date is June 30.
Kennedy suggested setting up a meeting with the MASC to get guidance on how to move forward, after which the committee can send out proposals and interview search firms after February vacation. Kiernan did not think anything additional could be gained by another meeting with the organization and said it will only delay finding a consultant, although the committee has not ruled out conducting the search in-house
Choice of firms
Boudreau is running point as the contact with the MASC and any other potential search firms in the area.
Having worked with MASC when Ganem was hired, Bontempi described them as “very accommodating” and “worth the investment.” He said third-party agencies pull in candidates from around the country, who would lack the “scope of understanding” about the area. An applicant need not live in Massachusetts to be considered, though they would need to be licensed in the state, Novick had told the committee.
Ganem said the MASC may know of candidates who would be a good match based on searches done for other districts. It was also noted that if the hired candidate leaves the district within one year, MASC will re-do the search process for free.
It was decided that Boudreau would reach out to the MASC and inquire with other area firms. The subject will next be discussed at the Feb. 17 School Committee meeting.