WILMINGTON, MA — At its August 30 meeting, the Wilmington School Committee provided the public with an update on its search for the school system’s next superintendent.
After holding a workshop in June to discuss the search, the Committee — with the assistance of the district’s Human Resources Director Ken Stolarzzi — sent out an RFP to a number of search firms this summer.
“We received responses from all but one. And that one firm wasn’t taking on any new projects,” explained School Committee Chair Steve Bjork. “Now that we have these proposals, I’d like to form a subcommittee of 2-3 school committee members who will go through them, weigh the pros and cons, analyze the differences, and come back to the full committee with a recommendation on who to engage.”
School Committee members Julie Broussard, Jennifer Bryson, and Manny Mulas volunteered to serve on the subcommittee to review the search firm proposals.
Bjork asked the subcommittee to report back with a recommendation at the School Committee’s next meeting on Wednesday, September 13.
“Regarding due diligence, I’d like [members of the subcommittee] to talk with School Committee members from other communities who have previously worked with these firms,” added Bjork.
“I would expect a real in-depth search where the selected firm sources candidates and goes into districts that have superstar superintendents and entice them to be our candidates,” said School Committee member Julie Broussard, who served as the point person for the Committee’s last superintendent search. “[Even with hiring a firm], all School Committee members need to be involved and give their time…. This will take a tremendous amount of time… We all have to commit to being involved in the process . We can’t just rely on one or two members.”
MJ Byrnes was particularly interested in the financial implications of selecting a firm. Tom Talbot signaled his preference to use a search firm based in Massachusetts or New England as a cost-saving measure.
According to Broussard, four years ago, the School Committee took a similar approach to selecting a search firm. A subcommittee of three members (Julie Broussard, Manny Mulas, and Leslee Quick) was created. An RFP was issued. The subcommittee reviewed the three proposals it received. The subcommittee then made a recommendation to the full committee, which took a public vote to select the subcommittee’s choice as its search firm.
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