2 finalists tapped for superintendent at Hampshire Regional Schools

WESTHAMPTON — From an original pool of 10 candidates, two candidates for superintendent of Hampshire Regional Schools have been chosen as finalists to replace Dr. Craig Jurgensen, who will retire at the end of the school year.

The finalists are Judy Rush, director of curriculum and instruction for the Pittsfield Public Schools, and Aaron Osborne, business manager for the Palmer Public Schools.

Public interviews of the finalists will be held in the Hampshire Regional High School auditorium on April 6 beginning at 5:30 p.m. 

The finalists have been informed of their selection and are committed to accepting if offered the position, said Carl Schlerman, chairman of the superintendent search committee.

Schlerman said in a press release that the search committee, which includes School Committee members, administrators, teachers, and parents, nominated six semifinalists to be interviewed. From the five who were interviewed — one person withdrew from consideration — Rush and Osborne were selected as finalists. 

Over the next two weeks, the finalists will visit the schools of the Hampshire Regional School District, and the Administrative Advisory Committee will visit the finalists’ districts.

The committee will make a decision after the public interviews on April 6 and the job's salary and benefits will be established by the five school committees, according to Taffy Bassett-Fox, assistant to the superintendent for the Hampshire Regional School District.

The Hampshire Regional School District includes the William E. Norris School in Southampton, Westhampton Elementary School and Hampshire Regional High School and contains four single-school elementary districts and one secondary school district. The superintendent is responsible for five schools, 1,689 students and 250 staff members, with an overall budget of $23.2 million.