WESTFIELD – The preliminary screening committee for the new Superintendent of the Westfield Public School district met last week to review applications for the position, and to determine the number of candidates to invite for interviews, according to chair Ramon Diaz, Jr. at Monday’s School Committee meeting.
Diaz said fifteen people applied for the position. The committee will conduct their interviews on Wednesday and Thursday, and by Friday, they hope to have the list of finalists. Once the finalists have been contacted, their names will be made public, and dates will be set for interviews with the School Committee, which will be made public.
“I’m excited about them,” Diaz said. “We have a very qualified group of candidates.”
Diaz said the process was very fair, and initially, all resumes were reviewed without names attached. Besides Diaz, members of the preliminary screening committee are parents Melissa Rutkowski and Amber Danahey, teachers Lori Lyncosky and Matt Wroth, administrator Denise Ruszala, special education representative Betsy Philpot, principals Kathy O’Donnell and Katherine Bourque, police captain Michael McCabe, and Ronald Sullivan of the custodial union.
Superintendent Suzanne Scallion gave a preview of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) audit report for the schools, which will be made public later this month.
Speaking about the executive summary, she said most notably the audit found that Westfield Public School District has evolved from a system of schools operating highly independently to a school system.
She said that the English language arts and math curriculums were found to be fully aligned to state standards. Among recommendations to the school are improvements to science facilities.
“Overall, the report is something that we should feel very proud of,” Scallion said. “It’s good to have them look at our programs and see where we can continue to grow.”
The School Committee also voted their approval of the Statement of Interest (SOI) for building programs for both the Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy which will be sent to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). The City Council also gave their approval last Thursday.
WPS Director of Business Services Ronald Rix said the SOIs are the first step of the process for building and renovation of school buildings. He said they are proposing a renovation to both schools, focusing on new science labs, enhancing technology, and securing entrances and exits.
“In reality, they won’t even approve the SOI until the elementary school is built,” Rix said, because the authority only allows one building project at a time. Rix said the SOI’s are submitted and updated every year, revising 2011 schematics for the high school, which would be the next project. Rix said there have been no major updates to the high school since it was built in 1973.
Scallion also said that she has posted the position of Administrator of Special Education and Student Support Services for the district, due to the upcoming retirement of Patricia Byrnes.
Scallion said there are a number of Special Education searches going on right now that are not filled. She said she is hoping that the new superintendent will be on board to meet the candidates for the position.
Scallion also reported on recent activity to the Anonymous Alert system which is online at www.schoolsofwestfield.org. Scallion said the schools have received at least 12 significant leads through this system for dealers, users and pushers. She said that students, parents and member of the community have used the system.
“We absolutely don’t have to know who you are,” Scallion said. “Our Internet is keeping our kids safe. This has been a very valuable tool of late.”
Scallion said the first thing that happens on a tip is that the parents are called.
“We had one officer escort a student last week,” she said. “As a result of the community forum, we found a bed.”
