During its meeting last Thursday, the School Committee voted to hire the Collins Center at the University of Massachusetts-Boston to support the superintendent search process.
The Committee also established an expedited timeline for the search, with the goal of selecting a candidate by July 1.
Rich Maronski, the new Committee Chair, noted that the Collins Center had performed well during the City Manager search several years prior. According to Maronski, the Committee plans to hold a retreat with the Center this week to establish search parameters and begin the process.
Supt. Mary Bourque announced in late December her intention to retire after one year, designating December 2019 as her final month in the position. She has committed to remaining through the search and transition period to help orient her successor through the following fall.
City Manager Tom Ambrosino expressed sadness about Bourque’s departure while expressing optimism about the Committee’s prompt decision to engage the Collins Center.
“Selfishly, I’m sad because Superintendent
Bourque has done a tremendous job as leader of the Chelsea School System, and
her and I had a very productive partnership,” he said. “However, she is
certainly deserving of her well-earned retirement. As for the search, I
was pleased to hear that the School Committee has agreed both to hire the UMass
Collins Center to help with the search for a successor, and to hire a Superintendent
for July 1 so that the person will be able to work together with Mary for the
first six months to establish a smooth transition.”
According to Maronski, additional details regarding the search timeline and procedures should be available by the following week.