Oct 23, 2012 3 min read

McMURRAY – Although Monday’s personnel committee meeting of Peters Township School Board to discuss plans to hire a new superintendent was initially scheduled as a closed meeting, the board changed its mind and permitted the public to attend.In the one-hour meeting, the district decided to solicit interest from outside firms to assist in the search.Superintendent Nina Zetty accepted an offer from Gateway School District with Nov. 30 being her last day at Peters Township. Immediately after accepting Zetty’s resignation Oct. 15, the board appointed Joseph Dimperio to assume the role as acting superintendent at a rate of $500 a day until a new superintendent is hired.An inside search was essentially ruled out as the board does not feel there is sufficient expertise within the district to conduct an extensive search.As for a timeline to find a new superintendent, Dimperio said once the process begins, at least one month will be needed to advertise for the position, then another month to conduct interviews of potential candidates. Once a candidate is selected, that individual will need to give notice to the previous employer.A new superintendent may not be in place until July at the earliest.”This obviously will take time,” said board member David Hvizdos, chairman of the personnel committee.Dimperio told the board a decision on the outside search firm could be acted on in December or January. The board, in agreeing to hire an outside firm, did not announce a possible a financial limit.Board member Ronald Dunleavy referenced an article he read recently that listed the average cost in the state of New York to find a new superintendent is $100,000.Dimperio suggested the board ask for interest from search firms that are experienced in superintendent searches as well as those in the corporate sector.Board member Lori Cuervo said the school district has a large budget and could be compared to running a business. The 2012-13 budget exceeds $50 million.Focus groups, including meetings with residents, parents, PTA groups and teachers and staff, is a priority, with the suggestion the outside firm hired could conduct the meetings, collect the data and report back to the board. Dimperio told the board selecting a superintendent will be “your biggest and most important decision,” adding the search needs to be very efficient and thorough.Thomas McMurray has been a member of Peters Township School Board since 1983 and has been part of several superintendent searches.”Every search will be different,” McMurray said.