BOE Provides Update On Superintendent Search For Princeton Schools

PRINCETON, NJ — The Princeton Board of Education has initiated a search for a new superintendent to succeed Kathie Foster starting July 1, 2025.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the BOE adopted a motion to establish an ad hoc superintendent search committee.

BOE member Betsy Baglio, the chair of the ad hoc committee, gave the community an update on the superintendent search and said the process officially launched on July 29.

“The selection of a superintendent is one of the most significant decisions a school board makes, and a systematic process requires months of careful planning, well-organized steps and screening the most qualified candidates. So this process is now underway,” Baglio said.

During the closed session of the BOE meeting on July 29, members discussed two topics - the hiring of a search firm and the creation of an ad hoc superintendent search committee.

Giving more details about the ad hoc committee, Baglio said the purpose of the committee is solely to handle the logistical aspects of the search.

“The full board will participate in all aspects of the search by reviewing documents, such as a revised job description. But we can only have five members of the board working without a notice meeting at any time,” Baglio said. “We always ask members of the board to sit in when a member is unavailable, just as we do with our other committees.”

Members of the committee are Dafna Kendal, Eleanor Hubbard, Mara Franceschi and Rob Christopher.

Since many sitting superintendents have a 90-day notice clause in their contracts, the Princeton BOE wants to get the most of the job done in the first few months of 2025.

For Princeton to have a new superintendent by July 1, 2025, the executive county superintendent needs to approve the contract in time for March 2025, Baglio said.

A request for proposals (RFP) for a search firm was issued on Aug. 1, with applications due Sept. 4. An announcement on the same is expected on Sept. 11.

The board has also drafted a revised superintendent job description and is preparing interview questions.

The BOE will provide monthly updates, and a dedicated webpage will be created in September regarding the superintendent search.

“We look forward to engaging all members of our community in the process in forms of surveys and focus groups, and with this final goal of identifying a wonderful new leader for our schools,” Baglio said.

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