Finalists Announced For Barnstable Schools Superintendent Job

BARNSTABLE – The search for the next superintendent of schools in Barnstable is moving forward, with officials announcing the finalists for the top job at the Cape’s largest school system.

There are three finalists, all of whom are currently serving in school administration in Massachusetts: Sara Ahern, the Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Holliston, Kathleen Burnham, the Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Wilmington, and Meg Mayo-Brown, the Superintendent of Schools in Fall River.

The three were chosen from a field of eight semi-finalists. The search committee received 19 applications.

The school committee will interview the finalists in early December, with visits to the schools planned after that.

Officials expect to name a new superintendent by the new year. The start date for the chosen candidate will depend on contract negotiations and her current employment status.

The Barnstable school superintendent position has a salary range of $175,000 to $200,000.

Former superintendent Dr. Mary Czajkowski left Barnstable for Lexington at the end of June after four years on the job. Bill Butler, the district’s attorney, has been serving as interim superintendent.

The search committee includes School Committee members Margeaux Weber and Stephanie Ellis; Barnstable Town Councilors Sara Cushing and John Norman; Assistant Superintendent Kristen Harmon; Hyannis West Elementary School Principal Kathi Amato; Centerville Elementary School Principal Matt Scheufele; Barnstable West Barnstable Elementary School teacher Kelly Lawrence; Barnstable High School teacher Catherine Richards; parent Moira Bundschuh; parent and member of Special Education Parents Advisory Council member Kathy Bent; community member and town of Barnstable Community Services Director Lynne Poyant; and community member and former school administrator Sheila Burns.

The search has been led by the Cape Cod Collaborative and Glenn Koocher, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.