Hanover
School Board members from both towns last week interviewed a handful of candidates to replace Superintendent Frank Bass, who is retiring at the end of June.
The committee hopes to pick finalists this month and offer someone the job by February, search committee Chairman Justin Campfield said on Monday.
Once the committee has its finalists, those people will be invited to visit the district early in January, Campfield said. The top candidate each will spend a whole day in Hanover and Norwich, touring all four schools, meeting school officials and introducing themselves to the public.
“It’s a full day,” Campfield said. “It’ll test their stamina as well as their passion.”
Campfield said school officials were hoping that community members would attend the all-day events, which likely will take place in the first week of the new year.
“We’re seeking their feedback,” he said.
The new SAU 70 superintendent also will oversee all Hanover and Norwich districts, which include Marion Cross School, the Bernice A. Ray School, Hanover High School and Richmond Middle School.
Campfield declined to say how many finalists the committee would choose. Making the number public could affect the candidates’ approach to the process, he said, and the committee may choose to invite in more finalists later, anyway.
Dresden officials are conducting a national search to replace Bass, who arrived in 2011 and collects a salary of about $153,000, according to this year’s contract with the SAU.
The majority of superintendent candidates were from New England, Campfield said, but “we definitely have people from outside the area.”
As superintendent applications arrived this fall, the committee conducted focus groups with residents, district staff and other community members. District officials also formed a vetting committee comprising school principals, SAU staff, School Board members, faculty and residents to sift through applications, Campfield said.
“We really tried to get an idea of what the community was looking for in terms of a new superintendent,” he said.
Meanwhile, officials in the Hanover School District are looking for a new principal at the Ray School, which has been operating under an interim leader ever since former principal Matt Laramie left amid questions about his use of district money.
Although school officials this summer alleged that Laramie had “misused” funds, they said they would not pursue criminal charges against him.
Bass, the current superintendent, said School Board members and some teachers had encouraged interim Principal Kevin Cotter, a former School Board chairman and sixth-grade social studies teacher at the Ray School, to apply.
Late last week, Cotter said he had not yet sent in his materials, but said he was interested.
“It’s a very intriguing opportunity for me,” he said.
Since starting the interim job in June, Cotter said, “It’s been great. It’s been fascinating and educational, and the staff has been wonderful to work with and it’s just been a great experience.”
Hanover school officials put out a job advertisement on Dec. 9, Bass said, and are hoping to find someone to fill the permanent position by the time Cotter’s term expires, on July 1.
Rob Wolfe can be reached at rwolfe@vnews.com or at 603-727-3242.