Thursday, May 25, 2017

Winchester superintendent to leave next month

The Winchester School District is looking for a new leader.
Superintendent James M. Lewis informed the school board earlier this month that he’s resigning, effective June 30.
He has been with the school district for eight years, the first three as Winchester School’s principal, and then as superintendent.
Lewis, who lives in Hopkinton, said Monday he began seriously thinking about moving on from the Winchester School District in January.
The daily drive of 54.5 miles from his house to the parking lot of the Winchester School has been getting more difficult, he said.
“It takes me just over an hour one way to get there,” he explained. “Much longer in the winter.”
The recent debate over the future of the ACCESS before- and after-school program at the kindergarten through 8th-grade school has nothing to do with his decision to step down, he said.
In March, Lewis sent a letter to program officials saying the school district wasn’t renewing ACCESS’ agreement to operate in the school for the 2017-18 school year. He received heavy pushback for his decision from program supporters and families who rely on it for childcare. The issue has been resolved, with an agreement to let the program stay at the school as long as it meets certain conditions (see related article).
School board Chairman Kevin Bazan said Monday that Lewis’ resignation and the ACCESS program continuing at Winchester are unrelated.
Lewis said he makes $92,006 as superintendent. His duties also include being special education director, a section 504 coordinator and a homeless liaison, he said.
During his tenure, Lewis said he has enjoyed solving problems by analyzing data and has seen the positive effect of that in Winchester.
“I feel the current Winchester administration shares my ideas and philosophies, so I’m confident they will continue to do well after I’m gone,” he said.
The school board is interviewing candidates to fill the superintendent post and reviewing the job description, according to Bazan.
Board members haven’t determined if the position will be part-time or full-time, as it is now, he said.
An advertisement for the job posted May 11 on School Spring, an education job-search website, lists June 15 as a starting date for a new superintendent. It notes that the position is for 32 hours a week, but may require additional hours, with salary and benefits negotiable.
The advertisement says the school district would like the candidate to be able to work with the current superintendent through June 30.