The school board narrowed its search for a new superintendent down to two candidates. A new schools chief is expected to be named at the Jan. 11 meeting.
By:Lea Kahn Staff Writer
A new superintendent of schools is expected to be named by the Lawrence Township Board of Education at its Jan. 11 meeting, according to school board President Laura Waters.
The new superintendent will replace former Superintendent of Schools Max Riley, who left the district June 30 for the top administrative post in the Randolph school district.
The school board has narrowed the field of candidates to two finalists, Ms. Waters said Tuesday. Nearly three dozen applicants applied for the superintendent’s job, and the school board then narrowed it down to four before selecting the two finalists.
"These are two excellent candidates," Ms. Waters said. "We are very enthusiastic about them. We are starting to make arrangements to have one of the candidates visit the district Jan. 4."
Ms. Waters declined to release the names of the finalists.
In the meantime, school district officials are checking on the candidates’ backgrounds and seeking out references, she said.
Ms. Waters said she expects the new superintendent to begin working in the district by early April. The newly hired superintendent must give 60 to 90 days notice of his or her intention to leave the current job, she said.
The applicants were sought out by Hazard Young & Attea and Associates, which is a Chicago-based search firm. The search firm was awarded an $18,500 contract in September to find a new superintendent.
The pool of candidates included a mix of men and women, who ranged in age from 39 to 50-plus, said Mark Smith of Hazard Young & Attea. The candidates came from five states New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Ohio.
Based on a leadership profile distributed by the consultants in September, 140 people who filled out the form indicated they wanted the new superintendent to be someone who is honest and sincere, and who has good communications skills. That person also has the ability to create a climate of trust.
The 140 respondents included school board members, administrators, faculty, support staff, parents and community members. The survey was not a scientific survey, but just a conversation with many people, consultant Carol Conger said when the report was released to the school board in September.
School board members want someone with a passion for education, who has a sense of humor and who possesses humility. Administrators seek someone who values staff members and who makes decisions based on principles, not politics, the consultants wrote in their report.
The community, parents and students agreed they want someone who is a healer and who can bring the community back together, and whose focus is on the students and ensuring that they can achieve in school, according to the report.
After Dr. Riley announced his plans to resign, the school board hired Thomas Butler, a retired superintendent who lives in Martinsville, to serve as the interim superintendent. He was hired for a six-month term beginning July 1 and ending Dec. 31, but he has agreed to stay on until a new superintendent can take over.
The new superintendent will have several vacancies to fill, including the post of assistant superintendent for curriculum caused by the December 2004 retirement of Bruce McGraw and the newly created post of director of student services. The two posts have been filled on an interim basis.
The director of student services oversees the special education program, as well as the guidance counselors, nursing services staff and home instruction and English as a Second Language program.
The school district had a similar post administrator for pupil services that was eliminated by Dr. Riley in 2001 when former administrator Terry Rosenfeld retired.

