A Long Island, N.Y., consulting firm has been hired to conduct the search for the Princeton Public Schools’ next superintendent of schools.
School Leadership LLC was awarded a contract for $25,000 at the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education’s Sept. 11 meeting. It was one of five firms vying for the job.
The goal is to name a new superintendent of schools to take the helm on July 1, 2025, replacing former Superintendent of Schools Carol Kelley. She was granted a paid leave of absence in October 2023 in advance of her Aug. 31, 2024 resignation.
Interim Superintendent of Schools Kathie Foster has been leading the school district since then. Her contract expires June 30, 2025.
School Leadership LLC has led superintendent searches for many high-performing school districts in the New York metropolitan area for more than 20 years, officials said.
Martin Brooks and Rina Beder of School Leadership LLC will lead the search, said school board member Betsy Baglio. She is the chairman of the school board’s Ad Hoc Superintendent Search Committee, which was formed to oversee the logistics of the superintendent search process.
Brooks retired as the executive director of the Tri-State Consortium, which is an alliance of public school districts committed to advancing teaching and learning, Baglio said. Princeton is a member of the Tri-State Consortium, and Brooks worked with the Princeton Public Schools for 16 years before retiring.
Beder is an attorney. She served as a school board trustee in Mamaroneck, N.Y. for six years, Baglio said.
“We believe Marty and Rina know our district and have the experience to lead the search for our next superintendent,” she said.
Brooks and Beder will spend two full days in the school district conducting focus groups with stakeholders, Baglio said. Information will be shared about how students, staff, parents and the community can take part in the focus groups.
Also, a web page dedicated to the superintendent search will be launched on the school district website at www.princetonk12.org.
Baglio said the full school board will participate in all aspects of the superintendent search process by reviewing documents, such as a revised job description.
However, the school board, as it is presently constituted, will not appoint a new superintendent of schools, she said. The decision will be made by the school board that takes office in January 2025, following the Nov. 5 general election.
Two of the three incumbent school board members are not seeking re-election. There are six candidates for three open seats, so the makeup of the school board will change.
Baglio said there are timing issues involved in hiring a new superintendent.
Candidates do not wait until Jan. 1 to apply for a job that starts July 1, she said. The successful applicant would likely have to give 90 days’ notice to the current employer that he or she will be taking another job.
Given the 90-day notice requirement, it means the school board would have to approve a contract for the new superintendent by its March 2025 meeting, she said. The contract also must be approved by the Mercer County executive superintendent of schools.
