LYNN — The School Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to hire the Massachusetts Association of School Committees to aid in the city’s search for a new permanent superintendent of schools.
MASC is a Boston-based organization that supports Massachusetts educational leaders in their school policies, professional development workshops, and superintendent searches.
Mayor Jared Nicholson said that MASC was not only the lowest bidder, but the organization with which the School Committee had history.
“It’s recommended that we should select the lowest bidder, which is the organization with which we have prior experience anyway, which is the MASC,” Nicholson said.
He also said that the School Committee will be creating a search committee to work with MASC in the selection process and called on members to recommend potential persons to sit on the new committee.
“One of the next steps, as soon as we get MASC, we can put together a search committee. Like last time, we’ll ask, and are now asking members to put forward names if they have suggestions of folks they’d like to see on that search committee,” Nicholson said.
The need for a new superintendent comes on the heels of Dr. Patrick Tutwiler announcing his resignation, effective Aug. 12, at a June 23 School Committee meeting. Nicholson said in June that a comprehensive search for a superintendent would ensue in the 2022-2023 school year.
Earlier this month, School Committee members voted unanimously, under Tutwiler’s recommendation, to appoint Deputy Superintendent of Schools Deb Ruggiero interim superintendent. When asked if she would be interested in applying for the permanent position, Ruggiero declined, as she said she did not fit the longevity or diversity requirements the role calls for.
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected].
