Public input session scheduled for Newfield school district superintendent search

The Newfield Board of Education had a decision to make regarding the ongoing superintendent search.

The BOE members had the option to keep the superintendent hiring process confidential or allow Newfield Central School District’s stakeholders to have a say in the decision.

That’s when the BOE realized that they could both. This began a semi-confidential search to replace Eric Hartz, Newfield CSD’s current superintendent who is set to retire at the end of the 2024-25 school year.

Instead of rushing to replace Hartz, Lily Talcott – the TST BOCES District Superintendent who is leading the search – said the district was given enough time to find a worthy candidate.

“You gave this community the gift of time, which I commend,” Talcott said to Hartz at the Feb. 27 BOE meeting. “It’s helping to facilitate our time on the search and really do this well.”

The screening and vetting is being conducted by Talcott’s staff, and the final round of interviews will be done by the BOE.

“(The screenings) were about what they want to see in the next candidate and what was important to all sorts of folks – alumni, students and others,” Talcott said. “It is ultimately (the BOE’s) unpaid job to decide who the next superintendent will be and engage in contract negotiations.”

Community members will be given an opportunity to participate in interviewing final candidates. The public session will take place on Tuesday, April 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the district campus.

Talcott provided a letter in the Newfield’s March/April newsletter about how the community session will run and how people can get involved:

Dear Newfield Central School District Community,

We would like to share an important opportunity that helps to shape the future of the Newfield Central School District. We are seeking students, staff, families and community members to take part in a series of finalist interviews for the next superintendent. Your voice and perspective are essential to this process.

As part of this process, the board aims to ensure diverse representation across the organization and community for each of these groups. The groups will be facilitated by TST BOCES administration to ensure a smooth and productive process. Participants will be asked to prepare one interview question in advance and be ready to engage thoughtfully with the candidates.

Confidentiality is of utmost importance. All participants are expected to keep the content of the interviews private. Thank you for your commitment to the Newfield community.

Any community members interested in participating can fill out a form available in the newsletter. The deadline to submit a form is March 21.

Either Talcott or the Newfield BOE clerk will reach out to prospective community members by April 2 to provide an option to participate in the public session.

Talcott said at the Feb. 27 meeting that she expects about 40 community members to be involved in the session.

Born and raised in Enfield, Talcott said it’s important to bring on someone who loves the community and the region. 

“This is a really special place. This is my home and community as well,” she said.

Talcott also provided results from a Newfield CSD superintendent search survey that was available to the public.

The number of participants are as follows:

• Parents/family members – 123
• Community members – 68
• Staff members – 62
• Alumni – 22
• Students – 14
• Local government, business and industry partners – six

“The responses emphasize the need for a superintendent with strong decision-making skills, fiscal responsibility, and effective communication,” Talcott noted in her presentation. “They should have a rural background, support staff and teachers, and be business-minded yet community-focused. Key traits include honesty, integrity, inclusivity and empathy. The superintendent should focus on restorative justice, support extracurricular activities, and prioritize student safety and academic excellence.”

Talcott continued, “They must be proactive, transparent, and committed to the community, with a vision for long-term growth. Experience in education, strong leadership, and the ability to collaborate and listen are also crucial.”

The survey came with key themes – including strong decision-making skills, inclusivity and fairness, community and staff support, effective communication and transparency, strong leadership and accountability, and proactive and visionary thinking.

Talcott and the BOE thanked the Newfield community for its feedback, and will look forward to the questions for candidates in April.

A conjoined statement by Talcott and Newfield BOE said, “The board is dedicated to incorporating community insights into the search for the next superintendent and ensuring that stakeholders are kept up-to-date throughout this process.”

The anticipated appointment of a new superintendent will be sometime in the spring. Newfield CSD’s new superintendent is slated to begin July 1.

Newfield Notes appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Music bingo at the library on March 13

The Newfield Public Library will be holding a music bingo event on Thurs., March 13 at 6 p.m.

The event will work like regular bingo but, instead of letters and numbers, the host DJ plays one-minute clips of popular songs from the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

The participants mark the songs off on their cards.

For more information visit newfieldpubliclibrary.org, email newfieldlibrary@gmail.com or call 607-564-3594.