Interviews for Union 28 superintendent set for Friday

NEW SALEM — Public interviews for the three finalists to become the next superintendent for the Erving School Union 28 will take place Friday at Swift River School, with a possible selection by the Joint Supervisory Committee later that evening.

The interviews begin at 4:30 p.m. at the 201 Wendell Road school, with Deanna LeBlanc, Gateway Regional School District’s director of curriculum, first up, followed at 5:45 p.m. by Christine Shea, Westfield schools’ director of assessment and accountability, and then closing at 7 p.m. with Shannon White-Cleveland, the Athol Community Elementary School principal.

The finalists are vying to succeed Jennifer Culkeen, who is retiring at the end of her ninth year in the position that oversees the school union made up of four elementary schools serving preschool through sixth grade students in Shutesbury, Leverett, Erving, Wendell and New Salem. The union’s four elementary schools have a combined enrollment of around 525 students.

Social time with candidates will take place between interviews as time permits

The Joint Supervisory Committee meeting follows the public interviews, at which representatives from the five towns will review public input, have discussions and deliberations and take a final vote on who to offer the job to and begin contract negotiations with.

— SCOTT MERZBACH