13 Candidates Vie for Two Vacant Whitman-Hanson School Committee Seats

Unique interview process set for October 1st; candidates to give 10-minute presentations before committee vote

HANSON, MA - September 11 - The Whitman members of the Whitman-Hanson Regional School Committee is set to interview 13 candidates, jointly with the Select Board, on Oct. 1 to fill two vacant Whitman seats, following the passing of Fred Small and resignation of David Forth. The interviews will take place at 6 p.m. at the Whitman Town Hall.

Committee Chair Beth Stafford outlined the process: "Each candidate will be given 10 minutes to present their qualifications and what they can offer to the school committee and students in the region."

The unexpectedly large number of applicants led to a streamlined interview process. "We figured we'd maybe get five or six," Stafford said.

Following the presentations, the Whitman members of the committee and Whitman Select Board members will vote to select the new members. The positions are temporary, lasting until May 2025 when the seats will be up for election. One for two years, and one for one year, in addition to the two seats for full three year terms already on the ballot.

In other business, the committee approved $434,760.55 in capital expenditures for various projects. Whitman's share is $248,330.05, while Hanson's is $186,430.50.

Projects include a High School chiller replacement and fire panel upgrade. Superintendent Jeffrey Szymaniak emphasized, "These are things that we need, they're necessities."

The funding requests will be presented at Hanson's October 2024 special town meeting and Whitman's May 2025 annual town meeting.

Committee member Dawn Byers expressed concern about the different timelines for the two towns. "Hanson's ending up spending more money on capital, essentially by passing stuff over in the spring," she noted.

The committee also filled several vacant positions due to recent resignations. Glenn DiGravio was unanimously elected as secretary, a role crucial for signing official documents.

Negotiations subcommittees were reorganized for various union contracts. Szymaniak stressed the importance of having committee members involved in negotiations, particularly for the teachers' contract.

"We would need two people, anyway. It should be two. I do a lot of the work with Stephen, giving you all the numbers and everything. It truly should be the negotiation," Szymaniak said.

The committee approved out-of-state field trips for girls volleyball, boys basketball, and girls basketball teams. Szymaniak clarified that these trips are self-funded and do not use district money.

At a separate meeting the night before, the Whitman Select Board also reviewed the School Committee appointment process.

Board Chairman Carl Kowalski stated, "It's going to be an important night for the people to let us know a little bit about themselves and what they plan to do."

Kowalski said, "I have always thought that one of the actually weakest parts of the search process is the interview. What's really important is paper, is resumes, because that tells us what we need to know about the person."

Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter will send letters to the candidates detailing the interview process. The board expects the entire session to last at least two hours.