The Auburn School Committee on Aug. 20 approved a job description for the next superintendent and set an application deadline of Oct. 31, 2025, beginning a search to replace Dr. Chamberlain, who is retiring.

Committee members said the district will use a community-informed process and may seek assistance from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) if needed. The committee voted to post the position with the amended deadline after discussing survey results gathered from parents, staff and other residents.

The job posting, which committee members said will include a position summary, key responsibilities and required and preferred qualifications, will emphasize experience with school finance, collective bargaining, municipal collaboration and knowledge of Massachusetts school law as preferred but not required. Committee members said compensation will be negotiated as part of a contract if a candidate is hired.

Meg (School Committee member and chair of the superintendent search committee) described the community survey results during the meeting, saying the most desired qualities were "strong communicator and listener" and "a collaborative, approachable leadership style." Meg told the committee that 91% of respondents rated strong communication at the top of a five-point scale and that other high priorities included academic excellence, student mental health and recruiting and retaining high-quality staff.

Survey details presented by the search chair included respondent demographics and school connections. Committee members said about 80% of respondents identified as parents or guardians, with teachers and staff and administrators also represented; the presenter reported raw counts for individual schools (for example, Auburn Middle School accounted for the largest single-school response in the survey results shown). The search chair said respondents' top three priorities, when asked to select three items, were academic excellence and growth, student mental health and well-being, and recruiting and retaining high-quality staff.

The committee described the planned hiring committee composition intended to represent stakeholders across grade levels. The search chair said the hiring committee will include representatives from the high school, middle school and elementary grades (with separate representation for K–2 and grades 3–5), two principals, teachers or staff selected by lot in some categories, a volunteer from applied behavior analysis (ABA), family/parent representatives, administrators and a student selected to provide candid input. The presenter said MASC recommended including a student who is likely to be affected by the next superintendent, such as a freshman or sophomore.

Committee members said they are not rushing the search but want to begin recruiting early because finding superintendent candidates in Massachusetts can be challenging. If the pool is insufficient, the committee said it will consider securing additional support from MASC.

The committee approved the job description and the amended Oct. 31, 2025, application deadline by voice vote.