Masconomet committee selects preferred superintendent candidate, moves to negotiate contract

The Masconomet Regional School Committee voted March 4 to extend an offer to Heather Galante as its preferred superintendent candidate and then moved into executive session to negotiate contract terms.

Motion and vote: Committee member Adrian moved to extend an offer to Heather Galante, subject to negotiation of mutually acceptable contract terms. The motion received a second and passed on a committee roll‑call vote; the chair announced the committee would enter executive session to negotiate and that it would not return to open session that night.

Why the committee chose a finalist now: Members described two finalists with complementary strengths. Several members praised Galante for strong interpersonal engagement during site visits — meeting staff and students in hallways, convening listening circles, and presenting a 90‑day plan that explicitly included school‑committee communication. Supporters said those strengths would help restore community trust and make engagement with towns and voters easier during an upcoming capital and budget cycle.

Experience vs. communication: Other members favored the alternate finalist for deeper district‑level administrative and instructional leadership experience and said that background would help with fiscal and operational challenges in the near term. The committee’s conversation repeatedly balanced those priorities: someone who can immediately build community momentum versus someone with a longer track record of district‑level operational leadership.

Next steps: The committee moved into executive session to discuss contract strategy with counsel and the human‑resources partner. Negotiations are subject to mutually acceptable terms; the committee said it would return with contract details as required by law and policy.