The joint committee discussed the current status of the superintendent position and a community advisory board the school committee appointed to advise on a potential superintendent search.

School Superintendent Anthony Soto told the joint committee the school committee decided to appoint him “for up to a year, essentially,” so the district has operational leadership while a community advisory board and consultant consider the scope and timing of a full search. Soto said state guidance and best practice favor starting a competitive search in November for a July 1 start date the following year to attract a larger pool of qualified candidates.

Soto described the advisory group as a large cross section of participants — he referenced lists of roughly 27 to about 40 people who applied to participate — and said the district contracted with the Lower Pioneer Valley Planning Commission as the primary vendor; that organization subcontracted part of the work to Great Schools Partnership. The advisory group’s role, he said, is not to vet candidates but to advise the school committee on whether to conduct a search and what qualities the community wants in a superintendent. Soto told the committee he expects the advisory group’s report in April and the school committee will use that input to decide whether to run a search for a superintendent who would start in summer 2026 if a search is pursued.

The committee voted to receive the communication from the Holyoke Teachers Association and to record the district update as received. Committee members asked for clarity on the advisory board’s timeline and membership; Soto said the group is being facilitated by a paid consultant and will report back to the school committee.