SAUGUS — The search for a new superintendent of schools is down to four finalists, the Saugus School Committee announced.
On Thursday, the Committee voted, 5-0, to accept a screening subcommittee and the New England School Development Council (NESDEC)’s recommendations of four applicants, one of whom will go on to replace current superintendent, Dr. David DeRuosi, following his retirement June 30.
The finalists are Dr. Margaret Ferrick, deputy superintendent for Southbridge Public Schools; Erin McMahon, senior advisor to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education commissioner; Dr. Frank Tiano, superintendent of Uxbridge Public Schools; and Eric Tracy, principal of Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School.
“I was very pleased at the dedication all 15 members of the search committee exhibited throughout the search process,” School Committee and Superintendent Screening Subcommittee member Dennis Gould said. “We had an excellent, diverse committee, with parents from elementary, middle, and high school, teachers and admins from Saugus and other towns who live in Saugus.
“I can’t thank the members enough for all the time they spent in meetings, interviews and their own time researching other candidates.”
The board voted unanimously in January to hire NESDEC after hearing pitches from the Marlborough-based firm, as well as from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, and McPherson & Jacobson, a recruitment agency based in Nebraska.
Part of the search included reaching out to stakeholders through focus groups, interviews, and surveys to create a candidate profile. The School Committee then reviewed the data with NESDEC to determine which skills and characteristics the ideal candidate would possess.
In total, NESDEC reviewed 25 applications for the job and interviewed nine candidates before settling on Ferrick, McMahon, Tiano, and Tracy.
“We had a terrific screening committee that was very well-balanced and represented the concerns of the entire community,” School Committee and Superintendent Screening Subcommittee member Ryan Fisher said. “They worked tirelessly over the past few weeks to put together a list of four outstanding leaders and we’re excited to introduce them to the community this week.”
DeRuosi, who was first appointed in 2016, is a 34-year veteran of public education, has served alongside two Saugus school boards, and overseen the district’s ambitious middle-high school project that was completed earlier this year.
He is the town’s fifth superintendent since 2012.
The finalists’ resumes are available for viewing at https://www.nesdec.org/SaugusSuptFinalistResumes/.
Virtual public meet-and-greets with the candidates will be held via Zoom April 27 and 28. The meeting ID is 935 8548 7558 and the password is uHm4is.
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
