ATHOL — Northampton Public Schools Superintendent John Provost was not offered the top job in the Athol-Royalston Regional School District after an interview with the School Committee on Wednesday night.
The committee unanimously selected Matt Ehrenworth, assistant superintendent at Blackstone-Millville Regional School District. He will start work on July 1, pending the outcome of contract negotiations.
Provost, who sat for an in-person interview during the hybrid meeting held at Athol-Royalston Middle School, described his style as “servant leadership” with a focus on building community and “relational trust” in schools.
“I believe in making schools better for those who are least well-served,” Provost said in his opening statement before taking questions.
During a recent visit to the district, he said, he spoke to staff at all levels who “felt they were on the cusp of doing some really great things and that matches my assessment. … I would like to be a part of the success story.”
He spoke of the importance of social and emotional development, stress reduction and stress management strategies for struggling students, small-group support systems “and a way of identifying students for whom even that may not be enough.”
High-quality nutrition programs are critical, Provost said, because students “may be more focused on the experience of hunger that they’re having” rather than the learning environment.
The district should take an evidence-based approach to improving student motivation, he said, implement the plan “with fidelity,” train staff well and make physical learning spaces as attractive as possible.
“I believe that if a student is alive and in a classroom, learning is inevitable,” Provost said. “Sometimes, they’re learning to avoid the tasks you provide to them. … That’s a kind of learning. The question is, how do we get them to learn what we really want them to learn? And that’s really a question of motivation.”
In response to questions, Provost talked about his budget experience, improvement in Northampton schools and challenges that he has faced in his eight years as superintendent, and overseeing facility repairs and renovations. He described the district’s “blinding” of job applications to conceal personal identifying factors that are not relevant to choosing the best candidate.
Committee chair Mitchell Grosky read statements from Northampton school staff who praised Provost’s intelligence, collaborative approach to decision-making and his day-or-night availability to contribute to solving problems, among other attributes like contract negotiation skills.
“His only weakness is that he’s a Yankees fan,” one response read. “You will find no stronger superintendent than John Provost.”
“We were remarkably fortunate to get him. Look at all he’s done,” another response read. “How can we get him to sign on for another three years?”
The committee chose from four finalists: Provost; Ehrenworth; Cynthia Kennedy, the district’s director of intervention and acceleration; and Marlene DiLeo, superintendent of schools in Ware.
Athol-Royalston Superintendent Darcy Fernandes is leaving the job at the end of her current contract.
Provost’s contract with Northampton extends through June 2025 but can be terminated with notice. He has held the position since 2014; he was superintendent in North Brookfield from 2011-14 and director of special services for Agawam Public Schools from 2003-11.
Provost and DiLeo were both passed over for the superintendent job in Leicester last week. The School Committee in the Worcester County town chose Brett Kustigian, currently the superintendent of Quaboag Regional Public Schools, to lead the district.
Brian Steele can be reached at bsteele@gazettenet.com.