By Amanda McGregor
SALEM — Interviews are under way for most of the open principal positions in the Salem schools, and the superintendent said he expects to have a list of finalists for the Nathaniel Bowditch School job sometime this week.
The district is interviewing assistant superintendent candidates this week, and the search for a new special education director has been extended for two weeks to attract additional applicants, Superintendent William Cameron said.
"We got an impressive number of applicants, actually," Cameron said of the various searches. "There are many people who, based on the materials they submitted, are very well-qualified."
There are set to be principal vacancies at four schools: Carlton Elementary School; Horace Mann Lab School; and the city's two K-8 schools, Bowditch and Saltonstall.
The district has not advertised the principal job at Horace Mann. Cameron met with Horace Mann parents this week and said it's possible the district may close the school if there is a significant budget deficit for next year, although nothing is finalized.
Parents objected to the possible closure of Horace Mann, which is on Loring Avenue and serves kindergarten through grade five.
Cameron said that roughly 50 candidates applied for the Carlton job and that close to 40 applicants responded to the openings at Bowditch and Saltonstall. Some people have applied internally, he said.
"Some applicants have a great deal of experience," Cameron said.
The screening committees are composed of about a dozen people, including parents, faculty, representation from the special education parent group, special education staff and a School Committee member, Cameron said.
"We're trying to get multiple perspectives on each of the screening committees," Cameron said.
School Committee member Brendan Walsh is serving on the Carlton School screening committee, School Committee Vice Chairwoman Janet Crane is serving on the Bowditch School screening committee and School Committee member Kerry Martin is serving on the Saltonstall screening committee, where she is also a parent.
Carlton Principal Phil Burke, Bowditch Principal Ana Hanton and Horace Mann Principal Diane O'Donnell are all retiring at the end of the year. Saltonstall has a one-year interim principal, Robert Teel, who will also leave at the end of the school year.
Assistant Superintendent Alyce Davis is retiring, as is Karen Malio, the director of pupil personnel services, the department that oversees special education.
