SOUTH HADLEY — The South Hadley School Committee will hold a special meeting Thursday to name an acting superintendent as current superintendent Jahmal Mosley remains out on paid leave.
On Tuesday, the School Committee posted an agenda that includes a vote on the “appointment of acting superintendent and acting assistant superintendent.” The vote comes amid the continued, unexplained absence of Mosley from the district.
Mosley, who started working for the district July 1, 2021, has been absent since at least March 17, when he did not attend a regular School Committee meeting. Since then, School Committee members and district officials have been tight-lipped about his disappearance, saying only that he was “out of the office.”
On Tuesday evening, Jackson Matos, who chairs the School Committee, said that Mosley is out on paid leave due to a “personnel matter.”
“We have a superintendent who is on leave for a personnel matter,” Matos said. “As you know, I’m not allowed to talk about personnel matters.”
On Monday evening, the School Committee held a closed-door meeting to “discuss complaints or charges brought against a public officer, employee, staff member or individual.” It is not clear if that executive session was connected with Mosley.
Efforts to reach Mosley on Tuesday evening were unsuccessful.
Before coming to South Hadley, he was superintendent of Nashua schools in New Hampshire.
Asked why school officials have been mum on the topic of Mosley’s absence, Matos said that they are following the advice of town counsel and a process that needs to play out.
“I know the public is frustrated that they’re not privy to the details but we have to respect the process and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Matos said.
Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.