WOODSTOCK — The Windsor Central Unified Union School District voted this week to negotiate employment terms with Interim Superintendent Sherry Sousa.
The board voted Monday to hire Sousa for the permanent job after the other finalist for the job, former Vermont Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe, withdrew her name late last week. Holcombe said she received another job offer that she felt she couldn’t turn down.
“(Windsor Central Supervisory Union) ran an excellent search process,” Holcombe said in an email Friday. “I was truly impressed by the hard work the communities have done to forge an inspired and unifying vision for their young people, as well as a strategic plan for getting there. They are working hard to think ahead and ensure a bright, shared future for their communities. We all can learn from this effort. It is also clear how well they have been served by the hard work of some of the people already on the ground through an incredibly challenging pandemic and challenging state policy context.”
Sousa has served as interim superintendent since July 1, when she replaced Mary Beth Banios, who left for a superintendent position in Massachusetts. Prior to that, she had served for six years as director of instructional support services.
Windsor Central board Chairman Bryce Sammel, of Barnard, could not be reached for comment Friday. Board member Adam Ameele, of Reading, who led the search committee, did not return messages left Friday.
Windsor Central Supervisory Union comprises the towns of Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading and Woodstock.
Alex Hanson can be reached at ahanson@vnews.com or 603-727-3207.
