Saugus super search board member quits

SAUGUS – School Committee Chairman Joseph Malone said the search for a new Superintendent of Schools is going smoothly, but one unhappy search committee member disagreed.Town Meeting member and former School Committee member Ellen Faiella has stepped down from the Search Committee. Faiella said she preferred not to comment on the issue at the moment, but confirmed she resigned from the committee last Friday.Malone said he was unclear why Faiella chose to resign and said he felt the committee was probably too far into the process to replace her.Malone said the committee has interviewed a number of what he feels are good prospects to fill outgoing Superintendent Keith Manville’s shoes and there are still a few interviews to go.”We’ve done a couple of second interviews too and I think we have some good quality people,” he added.Malone said he is beginning to feel the pressure to get Manville’s replacement in place because the committee also has to find a replacement for Judy Masucci, director of pupil personnel, who is also retiring.”We would like to get someone in place so they could pick (Judy’s) replacement or at least have input,” Malone said. “That’s going to be a tough position to fill, though.”Not only does Masucci wear a lot of hats within the administratively thin department, but Malone said she also has a quick mind that will be hard to match.Malone said given the town’s financial predicament and the School Department’s struggles with financial devastation, he is a little surprised at the interest he has seen in Manville’s job.”I’m only speaking for myself,” he said. “I can’t speak for the rest of the committee but I think we will choose from the candidates we have. We have some good candidates I think could handle this job.”The committee has several interviews left to conduct before it whittles choices down to the final interviews.