CAPE ELIZABETH — The School Board will begin advertising for a new superintendent this month with the hope of hiring someone by late March 2017.

School Board Chairwoman Elizabeth Scifres on Oct. 25 announced the time-line of the board’s second search for a superintendent this year.

The search to replace former Superintendent Meredith Nadeau, who announced her resignation in January, failed in April after both finalists backed out.

Steven Bailey, who heads the Central Lincoln County School System, withdrew from consideration first and was followed a week later by Craig King, superintendent of Regional School Unit 10 in Dixfield, who withdrew after the board met privately and did not immediately offer him the job.

Howard Colter was hired as an interim superintendent at the end of May. He started in the position July 1 and will stay with the district until June 30, 2017.

Scifres said the new superintendent search will be similar to the one conducted earlier this year. 

“In order to conduct an effective, transparent search with a high degree of staff and community input, we will keep the process and committee structures essentially the same as last time, with a few adjustments,” she said.

The School Board will appoint three committees to assist in hiring a new superintendent.

The advisory screening committee will review applications and recommend candidates to the School Board. The committee will include two parents, two residents, one teacher from each Cape Elizabeth school, one central office administrator, one building administrator, and three School Board members.

An interview committee will conduct the first round of interviews and recommend finalists to the School Board. The committee will consist of one teacher from each school, one special education representative, one central office administrator, one building administrator, and the entire School Board.

A visiting team will be established to visit the school districts in which the candidates work. Members of the team will include one central office administrator, one building administrator, two teachers, and three School Board members. The team will report back to the entire board.

Scifres said the School Board will start filling committee positions this month.

The opening will be advertised from mid-November to the first week of January. The advisory screening committee will review applications the first and second weeks of January, and the interview committee will conduct interviews over the following two weeks.

Finalists will be interviewed during the first two weeks of February, and the visiting team will make trips to districts in the last week of February and first week of March.

In the second week of March the finalists will be invited to visit Cape Elizabeth schools.

Kate Gardner can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 125 or kgardner@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter: @katevgardner.

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