• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Kennedy School Seeking Assistant Principal; Post to Last 1 Year, Then Permanent Hire Will Be Sought

Posted on: Wednesday, 27 July 2005, 15:00 CDT

The Patriot Ledger

Kennedy Elementary School in Randolph will add a second full- time administrator this fall to assist with the transition of pupils from the now closed Devine Elementary School.

Superintendent of Schools Richard Silverman told the school committee Thursday night that he is looking to hire a full-time assistant principal. He hopes the administrator will come from the ranks of the Devine staff, but the position is open to other candidates.

The position would be for only the upcoming school year, and Silverman plans to do a search to fill the job on a permanent basis in the spring. The person who gets the interim post would not be eligible for the permanent appointment.

The interim job pays a salary of $65,000 to $70,000 for the school year, he said.

The position is called for under the transition plan for combining Devine and Kennedy.

The school committee voted to close Devine last month as a cost- saving measure. The pupils from Devine will move to Kennedy. The Devine building will be used for kindergarten and early childhood classes, and Tower Hill School will be closed.

Tower Hill had housed kindergarten classes.

Silverman and Assistant Superintendent Kathrine LeTourneau briefed the school committee on plans for the transition.

The superintendent said he met with a group of Devine parents and assured them "we will work diligently to ease the transition."

He said the work of moving the furniture and supplies from Devine to Kennedy is "a little ahead of schedule."

LeTourneau said activities are being planned to bring teachers, pupils and parents from the two schools together. Kennedy Principal Nancy Connelly will be inviting Devine parents to tour the school in August, LeTourneau said.

Silverman said that class sizes at Kennedy look to be "very reasonable," with 20 to 21 pupils in the lower grades to 25 per class in the upper grades.

School committee member Paul Meoni said he is happy to see the school administration "very involved in the human aspect of this thing."

Silverman replied, "We understand that closing a school is a loss that causes mourning in some people."

The purpose of all the planning is to "make kids comfortable in their new home," he said.

Fred Hanson may be reached at fhanson@ledger.com.

Source: Patriot Ledger, The; Quincy, Mass.

More News in this Category