Interim Superintendent Interviews Scheduled for May 15 At High School

The five candidates being considered for the position of Interim Superintendent of the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District will be interviewed by school committee members next Tuesday, May 15 in a marathon 5-hour meeting. Public interviews will take place in the G-DRSD High School library beginning at 4:00 p.m. with Malcolm Reid, followed by Paul Livingston (5:00 p.m.), Mary Athey Jennings (6:00 p.m.), George Frost (7:00 p.m.), and Anthony Bent (8:00 p.m.). As noted on The Groton Line Wednesday, the interviews themselves are public but the Committee members will be the only ones asking questions.

The candidates are touring the district this week to meet with administrators and directors. The School Committee reviewed and agreed on a feedback form for staff members who meet the candidates to fill out; the forms will be completed, collected, and given to the committee to review as part of the search process.

The late addition of Jennings on the list of finalists is sketched in the draft minutes of the May 5 school committee meeting. The committee entered into executive session under MGL Chapter 30A, Section 21a (1) to address a complaint by Chairman Jim Frey against Committee Member Berta Erickson. When members emerged from the executive session, the committee considered rescinding the interim superintendent search and re-opening the screening process, but subsequently voted it down (1 in favor, 3 opposed, 1 abstention). They then voted 3-1-1 to add “the subject candidate” to the list of finalists, thus including Jennings, who is not specifically named in the notes. The accusations of misconduct that led to the votes have not, apparently, led to any formal complaints being filed with either the county district attorney or state officials. It is also unclear if the actions of the committee will serve as a sufficient remedy to that the complaint, should it be filed.

Questioned about the May 5 meeting this week, Committee Member Jon Schoberg pointed out that “It is important to note that no accusation was made with respect to the handling of any of the other candidate’s candidacies.”