WESTHAMPTON — Judy Rush, the unanimous choice for superintendent of Hampshire Regional schools, has declined the job, the search committee announced Tuesday.
In a press release, the committee said Rush withdrew her name during contract negotiations for personal reasons. The committee is now preparing to offer the job to the other finalist, Aaron Osborne.
The Hampshire Regional School District engaged in a monthslong search for a new superintendent to replace Craig Jurgensen, who will leave the position July 1. The search culminated in public interviews of two finalists, Rush and Osborne.
The finalists were chosen by a 19-person search committee representing a cross section of community stakeholders.
Rush, the director of curriculum and instruction for Pittsfield Public Schools, was selected unanimously for the position after the public interviews on April 6.
Osborne is the business manager for Palmer Public Schools.
The Hampshire Regional and Chesterfield Goshen school committees will vote on next steps for the position of superintendent in meetings scheduled over the next week.
Hampshire Regional includes the William E. Norris School in Southampton, Westhampton Elementary School and Hampshire Regional High School and contains four single-school elementary districts and one secondary school district. The superintendent is responsible for five schools, 1,689 students and 250 staff members, with an overall budget of $23.2 million.