HAMILTON-WENHAM — John Hughes, a retired educator who was hired in July as an interim principal for the high school, will stay through next year.
Interim Superintendent Peter Gray said the district applied for and received a waiver from the state to keep Hughes at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School through the 2012-2013 year. Hughes needs a waiver to work because he is retired from the education system, having worked 40 years in the Natick Public Schools.
Hamilton-Wenham's mid dle school is also being led by an interim principal this year, and Gray said he expects to make a decision about the position by the end of the month.
John Driscoll was hired in July and given a one-year contract as interim principal at Miles River Middle School. He was previously an assistant principal at a middle school in Revere.
Gray will host a teacher forum today to get feedback on Driscoll from staff and is planning a public forum for next week to get input from the community.
"Where this is a more permanent placement, we want to make sure we give everyone a chance to weigh in," Gray said.
Gray said he expects to make an announcement on whether Driscoll will stay after next week. If Driscoll leaves the district, a search for his replacement would be launched, Gray said.
Gray said this week that he's gotten positive feedback through the year about both Hughes' and Driscoll's work in Hamilton-Wenham.
Driscoll's salary for the year is $105,000, and Hughes is earning $67,000 — he is restricted by the retirement system on how much he can earn.
Hughes retired from the Natick Public Schools in June 2010, having worked 15 years as a classroom teacher and coach and 25 as an administrator, including eight years as principal of Natick High School.
"I'm very pleased with the job he's been doing," Gray said of Hughes. "I've received very positive input that he's a very stabilizing force."
Keeping Hughes at HWRHS for another year gives the district time to do a thorough search for a permanent principal that involves school staff and the community, Gray said.
The district is also evaluating the future of Gray's position. Originally hired as assistant superintendent, Gray is working as interim superintendent for the 2011-2012 school year; a search committee is expected to make a recommendation on whether to keep Gray as permanent superintendent later this month.
"I really want to do a thoughtful process (in searching for a new high school principal)," Gray said."This will give us some time, some stability (and) allows us to take the time to see where we're at."
The decision to hire a high school principal should be made by a permanent superintendent, Gray said, "whoever is in this role, whether it's me or someone else."
Matthew Fox, who worked as principal of both the middle and high schools in Hamilton-Wenham, left the district July 1, 2011, to become principal of Veterans Middle School in Marblehead.
Driscoll was one of the 45 people who applied when the district advertised for a permanent principal for Miles River Middle School last spring. The district ultimately decided to go with an interim leader for the middle school, and Driscoll was hired in July.
Driscoll has a master's degree in education from Boston College and previously worked at Susan B. Anthony Middle School for the Arts in Revere, a sixth- through eighth-grade school.
Staff writer Bethany Bray can be reached at bbray@salemnews.com and on Twitter @SalemNewsBB.
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