A school superintendent is among the most important jobs in any community because of the vast number of families that use the school systems.
That’s why the recent hires of new school chiefs Allison LeClair in Easthampton and Judy Rush at Hampshire Regional — in the same week during April — are so important for the communities those districts serve.
These new school leaders face significant challenges when they start their respective jobs on July 1. In Easthampton, a high profile investigation into racism at the high school still reverberates, while Hampshire Regional faces issues typical of rural school districts these days, chief among them financing challenges.
Winning the Easthampton superintendent job may end up being the easy part for LeClair, who was selected by the School Committee April 4 on a split vote. Four committee members preferred LeClair’s experience, while three others liked the enthusiasm and forward-thinking vision of the other finalist, Andrew Berrios.
While the committee’s final vote was unanimous in a show of solidarity for LeClair, the split speaks volumes about the job that lies ahead of unifying the school district and healing wounds.
Those wounds stem from incidents of racism at Easthampton High School during the 2016-2017 school year that led to an internal investigation by the superintendent and to a civil rights probe by the state attorney general’s office that found racial disparity in the disciplining of students. In response, retiring Superintendent Nancy Follansbee this school year implemented a 10-point, three-year plan for the high school aimed at improving the school’s climate and culture.
One of LeClair’s first tasks will be to examine the success of that plan after year one.
While we would have liked more opportunity for residents to provide feedback about the superintendent finalists in both districts — LeClair and Rush were both chosen on the same day that final interviews ended, giving the public little time to weigh in — the process in Easthampton was revealing in that it showed a variety of opinions about what committee members want in their next leader.
There’s little doubt LeClair, as assistant superintendent of Agawam public schools since 2012, has the experience to take the reins of the district’s day-to-day operations. She also had high marks in Agawam for handling polarizing viewpoints and for being parents’ go-to person when problems arose.
But LeClair also should strive to incorporate some of the qualities that members found so attractive in Berrios, including his long-term vision, his energy and his inspiration.
LeClair’s biggest challenge early in her tenure could well be blending her experience with a community craving for a fresh start, as one committee member put it.
But there are others. In addition to budget constraints and unfunded state mandates, the city faces a key vote May 22 on a new $109 million school that would consolidate the city’s three century-old elementary schools and structurally flawed middle school.
Meanwhile, Rush is set to replace Craig Jurgensen, who has been at the helm of the Westhampton-based system that serves five towns for a decade.
Committee members said they appreciated Rush’s administrative experience, especially when coupled with her collaborative style that she has honed most recently as the director of curriculum and instruction for the Pittsfield Public Schools.
That style will come in handy, explained Jan Gibeau, chairwoman of the joint Chesterfield and Goshen School Committee. “These days that’s especially important because we’re all subject to an environment that is divisive.”
Rush will need those skills as she navigates tight school budgets, declining school-age populations and large geographic areas, among other factors unique to many regional districts.
The funding squeeze is real. A report released last fall by state Auditor Suzanne Bump found that the state is underfunding the state’s 58 regional school districts by $17 million annually.
Rush touted her ability to build relationships and communicate the specific needs of the schools to outside parties — and to do so openly, quickly and efficiently.
We hope that’s true for the sake of the families, teachers and students she now serves.
We wish both new superintendents well as they take on the crucial job of leading the educational systems in Easthampton and the Hampshire Regional School District.