HUNTINGTON – Kristen Smidy, the principal of Hampshire Regional High School, has agreed to a contract with the Gateway Regional School District to be its next superintendent.
“I am ready for this next step,” said Smidy. “I feel really honored that they selected me.”
Smidy, who also serves as the principal for Hampshire Regional’s middle school, will officially start in the new job on Aug. 1 with her last day at Hampshire Regional on July 31.
“I hope to provide great support for the new principal coming in,” Smidy, 37, said. “My work is definitely not done.”
Smidy’s starting annual salary in her new, 3-year contract is $142,000 a year. In her second year, the contract provides a $5,000 raise as well as another $5,000 increase in her third year.
“I think it’s fair,” said Smidy, of her contract.
She said the salary is in keeping with what regional superintendents earn in western Massachusetts, with the yearly increases reflecting her gaining experience in the position. This will be Smidy’s first superintendent’s position.
Michele Crane, chairwoman of the Gateway Regional District School Committee, expressed happiness with the selection of Smidy.
“I think that Kristen Smidy is going to be a breath of fresh air for Gateway,” said Crane.
Crane said that she felt there was broad support for Smidy’s hiring, including amongst the staff. She also said that Gateway has had issues with student retention and that Smidy has ideas on how to address that issue.
“I’m just glad that the search process is over,” Crane said.
Smidy has worked in the Hampshire Regional School District since 2011 when she came on as the assistant principal at the middle school.
“I was 25,” she said. “It’s hard to process leaving.”
Still, she said that her sadness at leaving doesn’t take away from her excitement at joining Gateway.
Smidy said that while she had not been actively job searching she couldn’t “pass up the Gateway opportunity.”
“I am really looking forward to jumping in,” she said. “The community has a lot of amazing things going on already.”
Smidy is replacing longtime Gateway Superintendent David Hopson, who is in his 18th year in the position and retiring this summer.
Crane said that Hopson worked with Smidy to help craft the contract that was agreed upon, and that their tenures will formally overlap in the month of August. Hopson’s last day as Superintendent will be Aug. 31.
“I’m really happy that the school committee chose Kristen,” Hopson said.
He said that he will work with Smidy to acquaint her with the district and its needs of the next few months.
Hopson has a farm in Blandford and he intends to stay in Blandford and continue working in his position as town moderator there. Prior to his career as a superintendent, he taught agriculture for 22 years.
“It was a lot more fun to be a teacher of agriculture than it was to be a superintendent,” he said.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.