Bedford board narrows principal search timeline; committee to interview candidates March 19–20

The Bedford School Board on March 10 reviewed and confirmed an accelerated timeline for the Bedford High School principal search. The hiring committee reported it received 10 applications (one withdrew) and planned to present a shortlist of three candidates on March 12. The committee will hold full-day, multi-constituent interviews on March 19 and bring a recommendation back to the board on March 20.

Why it matters: The board will nominate a new high school principal before the end of March; the schedule is compressed so strong candidates are not lost to other districts. The process includes staff, parent, student and Leadership Team input as part of a multi-station interview day.

Process details provided

Superintendent Mike Fournier, who presented the hiring schedule, said the committee includes two board members, a cross section of 24 professional staff volunteers, two support staff members, parents selected via the PTG randomizer and administrative liaisons. He said 10 applicants applied, one withdrew, the committee expects to provide six full resumes to the panel and reduce to three candidates for the full-day interviews on March 19; if four candidates are advanced, an alternate, earlier schedule would be used.

The March 19 format is a rotating, round‑robin schedule: each candidate stays in one location while staff, parents, students and leadership teams rotate through; facilitators (for example Betsy Doyle for the parent block) will collect feedback and present consolidated feedback to the hiring committee at the end of the day. The superintendent said parents, staff and students will be asked for consent before participating and staff drop-ins will be available so board members who are not on the committee can visit parent or staff blocks if desired.

Community surveys

The committee shared survey results used to prioritize candidate qualities. The community survey (174 respondents) prioritized motivation, collaboration and empathy among top traits and placed academic rigor and a positive inclusive environment high among principal responsibilities. The staff survey (90 respondents) prioritized clear communication and a collaborative culture; staff also prioritized approachability and consistency in the top qualities. The superintendent said raw survey comments can be published to the website.

Outcome and next steps

If the committee confirms three finalists on March 12, March 19 will be the interview day and the committee will recommend a candidate on March 20; the superintendent has until March 24 to negotiate a contract. Board members were invited to attend portions of the March 19 process (parent block or staff drop-in blocks preferred) but were cautioned to avoid unduly influencing staff-led conversation blocks.

Ending

The board will receive the committee’s shortlist after March 12; a public schedule will be posted if three finalists are selected.