The School Committee welcomed two representatives from the New England School Development Council to its Friday morning meeting, seeking assistance in the hiring process for an interim superintendent of schools.
While Michelle Cresta was named acting superintendent after the resignation of Dr. John Buckey, the committee now plans to hire a different person to serve as interim superintendent, before eventually embarking on a search for a permanent replacement as well.
NESDEC Executive Director and former Saugus Public Schools Superintendent David DeRuosi explained the services his organization can provide to help the committee find the right candidate.
“We would post the positions for you on our websites,” DeRuosi said. “We gather all the applicants, we’ll do all the checks on if they’re certified and qualified.”
A NESDEC screening committee would bring some finalists to the School Committee to make the ultimate decision. DeRuosi also noted that this assistance would be complimentary as a result of Marblehead’s NESDEC membership and good standing with the organization.
Committee Chair Sarah Fox asked whether expediting the search process would limit the field of applicants the committee could choose from. DeRuosi assured her that in his experience, that has not been the case.
Search and Planning Staff Associate Carolyn Burke is NESDEC’s liaison with the School Committee. She explained that the School Committee is ultimately responsible for assembling the screening committee, which is typically not solely composed of School Committee members. Fox and her fellow committee members tentatively agreed on what the screening committee should look like.
“The recommendation would be ideally to have two School Committee members, an admin, a teacher, and a parent,” Fox said. “And I think that is absolutely appropriate.”
Fox said that it would be best if Cresta served as acting superintendent through the end of October. In turn, DeRuosi informed the committee it could have its interim candidate hired and ready to start by Dec. 1. Burke then said that the committee would need to inform NESDEC by Feb. 1 if it wants to have a permanent superintendent start during that calendar year. Fox said that the applicant pool for interim superintendent will determine how quickly the committee will begin its permanent superintendent hiring process.
“If who we place is a retired superintendent, that’s our answer to me that we may want to look sooner,” Fox said. “I think it really is going to matter on what our applicant pool is and what the intent of the person we’re choosing is long-term.”
The committee does anticipate some cost for a permanent superintendent candidate search, and members expressed their desire to have that permanent candidate identified by the start of next year.
Friday’s meeting took place just days after the minutes from two separate executive sessions on July 21 and July 31 were released on the district’s website. One week ago at the committee’s last meeting, members met in executive session to vote on releasing the executive-session minutes, which concerned contract negotiations with Buckey.
The minutes do not disclose information pertaining to the committee’s decision to hold a vote last month, before it was ultimately canceled, on exercising the early-termination clause in Buckey’s contract. They do, however, give some insight into why both parties entered contract negotiations.
In the minutes from the July 21 meeting, the committee went into executive session to “conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel, or to conduct collective-bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel.” In the meeting agenda, “superintendent” was listed next to the reason for entering executive session.
The discussion summary notes Fox clarified that the committee was planning to enter executive session under reason one of the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, which is “to discuss the reputation, character, physical condition, or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual, or to discuss the discipline or dismissal of, or complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member, or individual.”
This was in reference to an investigative report given to the committee by Buckey regarding a bullying allegation on a Marblehead High School athletics team, along with “other concerns brought forth to the committee on other matters in recent weeks.”
School Committee Counsel Attorney Colby Brunt then advised the committee that it should enter under reason 2, as it would allow Brunt to explain all possible options available to the committee in regards to Buckey’s contract.
The minutes also state that Buckey’s attorney, Mike Long, had been informed that the committee was meeting in executive session and the reason why. Brunt said that she would contact him with the results of the meeting immediately following adjournment.
Brunt had heard “significant concerns” from four out of five members of the committee, except for one, who was labeled “irreconcilable.”
A number of committee members then stressed that they wanted to find a solution that would allow Buckey a chance to negotiate his exit and “write his own narrative.”
Committee member Alison Taylor warned against agreeing to a non-disparagement clause, as it would keep committee members from being able to correct misinformation being spread to the public.
The committee then authorized Brunt to offer the full amount of the early-termination clause listed in Buckey’s contract, while allowing him to resign on his terms.
The committee also agreed to issue a “mutually agreeable” joint statement with Buckey, while encouraging Brunt to look for ways to negotiate savings for the town.
A motion was made to authorize Brunt to speak with Buckey’s counsel in order to find a separation agreement that was mutually beneficial. Meagan Taylor was the only member who voted against the motion. Committee member Brian Ota recused himself due to his open complaint against Buckey.
Before adjournment, Fox asked to take action in appointing Michelle Cresta as superintendent designee. Brunt, after hearing concerns put forth by Taylor, stated that the committee was required to have a designee while Buckey was on leave.
The committee then met in executive session under reason 2 again 10 days later. Brunt informed the committee that after negotiating with Buckey’s attorney, she found that the offer Long presented was not acceptable.
Included in the offer was the full amount of Buckey’s contract, ending June 30, 2025, in addition to a 5% pay increase for each year, full benefits, and a joint statement.
Brunt also informed Buckey’s attorney that if an acceptable offer was not made before July 26 at 7:30 p.m., the committee would exercise his early-termination clause that night. Brunt was contacted at 7:12 p.m. by Long with an offer that was deemed acceptable. Brunt subsequently advised Fox to open the meeting and adjourn to allow for negotiations to continue.