Acton-Boxborough committee hires Collins Center to run superintendent search

The Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee on June 4 voted to hire the Collins Center for Public Management to run the district's superintendent search and authorized the chair to negotiate and execute a contract.

The committee heard presentations from three finalists — the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), the New England School Development Council/NASDAQ (NASDAQ/NESD), and the Collins Center — before a wide-ranging discussion of cost, outreach networks, and capacity to facilitate community engagement. After questions and deliberation, Committee member Adam moved to select the Collins Center; Glenn seconded the motion and the committee approved it.

Collins Center representatives Mary Flanders and Monica Visco told the committee they would center the search on an evidence-informed candidate profile built from surveys, focus groups and targeted stakeholder interviews and would help the committee form and train a screening committee. “It is your marketing tool,” Flanders said of the profile, and the firm emphasized its HR expertise for public-sector hiring and its facilitation capacity for contentious or highly engaged communities.

NASDAQ consultant Carolyn Burke urged deep community engagement and an inclusive, data-driven candidate profile, saying community input “is absolutely necessary” to ensure a successful hire. Alicia Malin of MASC described MASC’s no-fee technical-assistance option and full-service paid search alternative, and outlined how screening committees are trained to score and advance applicants.

Committee members debated trade-offs. Supporters of Collins said the firm’s larger staff and HR expertise made it suited to facilitate many stakeholder meetings and finalist forums in a district that has recently completed major reorganization work. Others cited cost and the reach of the other firms as advantages. The motion passed in public session; the chair will finalize contract details and return to committee for any approvals required by the procurement process.

Next steps: the selected consultant will begin planning a stakeholder-engagement calendar, draft the candidate profile for committee review, and help form a screening committee. Committee members said they expect the search will include both online surveys and multiple focus groups and will require substantial summer and fall meeting time for the screening committee and public forums.

Votes and motions: Adam moved the selection motion and Glenn seconded it. The committee approved the Collins Center as the search firm and authorized the chair to negotiate and execute an agreement.

Context: The search follows the committee’s AB Forward reorganization and arrives as the district seeks leadership to implement that plan and navigate budget and program transitions.