NORTHAMPTON — The School Committee has hired Roberta Jones as its permanent business administrator, ending a search that had become a top priority for district leaders as the new school year approaches.
The committee interviewed Jones, who goes by Bobbie, to replace Nick Bernier during a special meeting last week and voted to enter into contract negotiations with her. Jones is currently business administrator for the Hampshire Regional School District, where she has worked for 26 years; Bernier left the district in June for a job in Easthampton.
Jones explained how she manages the separate budgets of five school departments — two regional and three municipal districts — and works with others to ensure that special education and other programs apply for all available grant funding.
“I’ve been a lifelong learner,” Jones told the committee. “I started at the bottom in accounts payable, and then I moved to payroll and human resources,” then served as assistant business administrator for four years and took over the top job five years ago.
She said that because the district “doesn’t have a lot of personnel, I also wear the hat of supervising and managing our facilities department, our food service department and our transportation.” Jones acknowledged the “really qualified people in my cafeterias that are excellent” and keep her day-to-day involvement minimal.
The meeting was Jannell Pearson-Campbell’s first appearance before the School Committee since she was hired last month as interim superintendent. She previously said that filling the business administrator role was a top priority for her tenure, which lasts for up to a year until a permanent replacement is found for former superintendent John Provost.
Before Pearson-Campbell started work, Susan Wright served both as interim business manager and acting superintendent.
Reached by phone, Jones said her anticipated start date is Oct. 1.
“It’ll be quite the change and I’m looking forward to it,” Jones said.
“She’s got tremendous experience,” Gwen Agna, vice chair of the School Committee, said Monday. “I’m not saying it’s going to be a piece of cake, but it’s going to be a little bit easier than dealing with five different districts.”
Brian Steele can be reached at bsteele@gazettenet.com.