Saugus Superintendent search narrows to 3

SAUGUS-The Superintendent Search Committee has narrowed its choices to three candidates and set tentative dates for final interviews.School Committee member Christine Wilson announced Thursday that the committee had whittled its choices from a total of 12 applications to three choices, all with ties to New England.A screening committee finished up March 20. Wilson said it was now up to the committee to make the final choice.While she currently hails from Texas, finalist Mary Dickerson holds a doctorate from Boston College and did her undergraduate work at Leslie College and Harvard University. Wilson said Dickerson has been heading up a private middle school in San Antonio, Texas but is ready to head back east.Brooke Clenchy of Bangor, Maine is an experienced superintendent, but Wilson said she has taken the last year off.The last finalist might get points for name recognition, although he is not a native Saugonian. Donald Ciampa is the High School Principal/-Assistant Superintendent in Tyngsborough.Committee member Frederick Doucette said he was very pleased with the final choices, especially given the somewhat inauspicious start to the search.When the ad for a superintendent first ran, only six applications came in. After learning other communities were receiving considerably more inquiries the committee decided to re-post the job, this time listing the minimum salary at $135,000.Initially the re-post didn’t have a huge impact, but Wilson said applications began to trickle in and there were 12 by the final count. Two, however, dropped out before being interviewed and three were not brought forward, leaving seven contenders.”I think we had a good applicant pool to chose from,” Wilson said.Doucette said all three candidates had support from committee members and, judging by their qualifications, he thought all three were viable options.”You have a doctorate from BC, an experienced superintendent and an experienced assistant from Massachusetts,” he said. “They all look exceptional.”The interviews are tentatively scheduled for April 3, 10 and 17. Wilson said the committee would likely make a decision either following the final interview on Thursday, April 17 or shortly thereafter.”We’ll see if one rises to the top of if we have to start again,” she said.