September 21, 2021 By Carol Britton Meyer
The New England School Development Council (NESDEC) is providing assistance in the search for a permanent Hingham Public Schools superintendent under an agreement with the School Committee.
NESDEC also conducted a search that resulted in the hiring of Dr. Paul Austin -- who resigned effective last July 31 -- for the superintendent position.
Dr. Gary Maestas is serving as interim superintendent of schools for one year while the search is carried out for Austin's replacement.
This is considered to be a follow-up executive search because the earlier contract with NESDEC was for a two-year period following the hiring of a new superintendent -- ultimately Austin, who resigned just shy of two years in that role.
As a result, NESDEC will conduct the follow-up search for the same position and will provide consulting and support services at no cost, except for expenses related to candidate and consultant travel and other search-related costs such as printing, photocopying, postage, and supplies. The fixed cost to be borne by the School Committee is $2,960.
Online national advertisements will be placed in various education job search websites.
"We'll be establishing a timeline and setting up a schedule," Chair Kerry Ni said during a remote meeting Monday night. "A superintendent search is a heavy lift, with salary negotiations taking the lead and the entire board involved in the process."