NORTHAMPTON — The Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School board of trustees hired longtime technical educator Kevin C. Farr on Tuesday as interim superintendent for the 2016-17 school year.
Farr was hired for the one-year position at a special meeting and executive session, during which the terms of Farr’s contract were negotiated and a per diem salary was set, Michael T. Cahillane, board chairman, said.
“I think he will be a great person for the school,” Cahillane said. “He has voc-tech experience … he brings a lot to the table a normal person wouldn’t. It is advantageous for the school to have someone like him.”
Farr could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
At a July 13 meeting, the trustees voted 3-1 to offer Farr the job of interim superintendent. At that meeting, the trustees also interviewed James M. Laverty, former superintendent of Franklin County Regional Vocational Technical School in Turners Falls.
A vocational school veteran, Farr worked as the the superintendent of Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School in Bourne until he retired in 2012 after 33 years. Farr started as a biology/science teacher in 1979 and worked as a lead teacher, assistant principal and principal before becoming superintendent. Although retired in Massachusetts, Farr can legally take an interim position in the state.
Until last week, Farr worked as the superintendent of Killingly Public Schools in Connecticut starting in 2012. At the meeting last week, Farr told the Gazette he planned to resign from that position the following day.
The search for an interim superintendent began in June when former superintendent Jeffrey R. Peterson resigned after four years to take a new job at William J. Dean Technical High School in Holyoke. Peterson earned $114,660 in the last fiscal year. He is credited with starting athletic programs at Smith Voke and boosting student enrollment.
According to Cahillane, the board received 22 applications after advertising the interim superintendent position on the job-search website SchoolSpring.com. The trustees reviewed paper applications and ranked them through a point system. Three finalists were selected and invited for in-person interviews.
In October, the trustees will open a search for a permanent superintendent with a job posting on SchoolSpring.com, Cahillane said. The trustees hope to select a permanent superintendent before the end of the next school year to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.