BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

MASSENA — The search for a new superintendent for the Massena Central School District is underway.

Current superintendent Pat Brady announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2022-23 school year earlier this summer, prompting school officials to hire a consultant to assist with finding his replacement.

Brady is currently in his 35th year in education, having taught for many years before assuming the superintendent role with the Potsdam Central School District. Brady was hired as Massena’s superintendent in 2015.

Alan Pole, who works as an educational consultant for Castallo & Silkey in Manlius, has been hired by the board of education to assist in conducting the search for Brady’s replacement.

Pole previously worked with the district to hire Brady and oversaw a “Facility and Grade Organization” study with the district in 2017.

Pole had an initial meeting with the board of education on Oct. 26, during which time he shared a potential timeline for the hiring process.

As part of the timeline, the initial vacancy announcement was completed by Nov. 11, with the advertisement going to print by Nov. 25.

Candidates will have until Jan. 6 to submit an application, with a finalized list of candidates to be submitted to the school board by Jan. 27 following reference checks and preliminary interviews.

The first round of interviews will be conducted by Feb. 10 and finalist interviews will be completed by Feb. 24.

An offer will be sent to the successful candidate by March 3 with an appointment occurring by April 14.

During the initial meeting, board members agreed to first round interviews on Jan. 3, Feb. 1 and Feb. 2, with final interviews being conducted on Feb. 7, 8 and 9.

An initial survey was distributed to the board of education recently to identify the key qualities the board felt were necessary for the next superintendent.

Questions included a desired education level and experience, with eight of nine board members saying a doctorate was not important.

When asked about desired teaching experience, seven of nine board members said a five to six years minimum was preferred but no preference to grade level was offered.

Eight of nine board members also said they felt it was necessary the next superintendent should have experience as a principal.

The board split on whether or not an applicant should have experience as an assistant superintendent or in another central office position.

Six of nine board members said they felt it was necessary for an applicant to have experience as a superintendent, citing the need due to the size of the Massena Central School District.

Seven of nine also said they preferred applicants with experience teaching in New York, while five also said they had no preference regarding a rural or suburban background.

Pole said the superintendent search will be the 86th he has conducted during his career in education and as a consultant.

“Hopefully working together we can put a good search process together that you’re comfortable with and that ends up with Massena getting a quality superintendent,” he said.