LYNNFIELD — The School Committee voted unanimously to appoint Adam Federico as the new assistant superintendent of Lynnfield Public Schools at its meeting Wednesday.
After negotiating his contract in executive session, the committee reconvened and unanimously voted to approve Federico’s contract with a salary of $175,000 until June 30, 2026.
Federico previously worked for Lynnfield Public Schools as the assistant principal at Lynnfield Middle School from 2008-12. Most recently, he worked for Danvers Public Schools as the principal of Holten Richmond Middle School for nine years and the principal of Danvers High School.
Superintendent Thomas Geary said the Assistant Superintendent Search Committee initially received nearly 40 applicants. He said he reviewed the resumes with School Committee Chair Kate DePrizio and School Committee member Jim Dillon and presented four options to the search committee. The search committee then narrowed the search to two candidates and Geary recommended his finalist to the School Committee at its meeting Wednesday.
The search committee was made up of DePrizio, Dillon, Geary, Lynnfield Middle School Principal Stephen Ralston, Elementary Curriculum Director Maureen Fennessy, Lynnfield Middle School Special Education Teacher Donna Pantazelos, LMS/LHS Multilingual Learners Teacher Meg Valentine, and parent representatives Amanda Sheehan and Chris Mattia.
“I firmly believe that Adam will thrive as our (assistant) superintendent… I truly feel Adam is an ideal fit for the assistant superintendent role at this crucial juncture. As we continue to build, he’ll help to ensure that we attain a culture that combines high expectations, honesty, and respect,” Geary said. “I’m excited, and relieved, that we found a candidate of Adam’s caliber. And I’m thrilled to recommend him.”
During public participation, LMS sixth-grade teacher Cynthia O’Neil spoke to endorse Federico for his new position. She said she had the “pleasure” of working with him during his time as the LMS principal.
“During this time, I found Adam to be extremely approachable, knowledgeable, and able to efficiently handle the unpredictability of middle school students and staff. It’s my opinion that he and Tom will make a fantastic team,” she said. “His only flaw is… that he left.”
During Federico’s public interview with the school committee members, he said he is looking forward to joining a new team in Lynnfield Public Schools, including Geary and other recently-hired staff.
“Somebody once told me that assistant superintendent is a fantastic job,” he said.
This is “an opportunity to get that job in a great community,” Federico said.
