July 2, 2021 by Carol Britton Meyer
In the wake of the recent resignations of Supt. of Schools Paul Austin, East School Principal Anthony Keady, and Foster School Principal Beth Wilcox -- who have all accepted positions in other school districts -- the School Committee shared an update with Hingham Public Schools families this afternoon (July 2) in an email.
"Searches are underway for all three interim positions, and we will share any updates as soon as they are available," School Committee Chair Kerry Ni told the Hingham Anchor.
Austin resigned last week for personal and family reasons and is moving back to Maine. The Hingham School Committee has begun the search process for an interim superintendent. This one-year interim position is posted, with an application deadline of July 13.
"We are actively working to recruit and vet interested candidates and will meet on Friday, July 9, to officially appoint a hiring committee," the email states.
Candidate interviews and deliberation about potential candidates will take place during open public meetings of the School Committee. Once an interim superintendent is appointed, the Committee will begin the search process for a permanent superintendent.
Keady resigned about a month ago to take a Central Office position with the Duxbury Public Schools, and Wilcox resigned yesterday to accept a position as interim assistant superintendent, also with the DPS.
"The search for an interim principal at East is well underway, and the search for an interim principal at Foster will begin immediately," according to the email from the School Committee. "We are sad to lose these talented administrators but wish them all the best during the next phases of their careers."
While these changes may feel unsettling, the School Committee stated, "it is important to know that this is not unusual. In the aftermath of the pandemic, leadership changes are happening in school districts across the country, and even in a normal year, summer is the time when they typically happen. The Hingham school district is comprised of talented, dedicated teachers and administrators, many of whom carry with them valuable institutional knowledge -- which is important for the stability of the district. Additionally, change can be healthy, leading to fresh vision and new ideas."
The School Committee and HPS district administrators will continue to keep the community informed during each step of the search process and will communicate opportunities for members of the community to be involved.