Pittsfield restarts superintendent search

PITTSFIELD – After being unsuccessful in finding a permanent replacement for former Superintendent Howard J. Eberwein last school year, the Pittsfield School Committee is pressing the restart button.

This summer, Pittsfield hired Gordon L. Noseworthy as interim superintendent until a viable candidate is found.

Pittsfield Public Schools Business Manager Kristen C. Behnke presented a request for proposals (RFP) from superintendent search firms to the school committee at a recent meeting.

The RFP includes a loose timeline that includes March 1 as the proposed date when the school committee would hire the new superintendent.

The committee approved the RFP. The school committee is looking to pay a maximum of $20,000 to the search firm.

SBNC meeting wanted

The school committee also discussed the plans of the Pittsfield School Building Needs Commission (SBNC), which has not had a recent meeting. Concerns were raised by School Committee Member James Conant.

“We need to make a decision about the renovated high school or building a new high school,” Mr. Conant said. “I hope the commission sets a date and has a meeting soon.”

Last school year, the SBNC started to look into the future of Taconic High School and growing Pittsfield Public Schools’ vocational programming through renovations to the school or the possible construction of a new school.

Kathleen Amuso, who is the school committee’s representative on the SBNC, said that progress was still being made.

“There are things moving along,” Ms. Amuso said, adding the SBNC members were looking to the end of September or beginning of October for the next meeting.

Chairman Barbalunga welcomed public comment on the superintendent search at upcoming meetings through January. The next school committee meeting is Thursday, Sept. 27 in the Pittsfield High School library.

Posted by Catherine M. Krummey on September 13, 2012. Filed under Education News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry