BBP Speeds Up School Superintendent Search Strategy

The Bayport-Blue Point School Board of Education is speeding up the process of finding a new superintendent and will be interviewing interim candidates next week while mapping out a timeframe for the hiring search process.

Initially, after current Superintendent Anthony Annuziato announced he was leaving at year’s end to take the same post at Smithtown School District, board leaders stated they would hire an interim for the next school year while conducting a national search process much like the one facilitated seven years ago when Annuziato was hired to replace Richard Curtis who retired.

This week BOE President James March stated that the board is hoping to hire a permanent leader “significantly well before” the end of the 2012-2013 school year.

“We’re starting earlier and getting ahead,” said March, stating interviews for the interim role will begin next Monday.

“The board has decided rather than wait we will now initiate the permanent search and have appointed a BOCES service to move forward,” said March at this week’s BOE meeting held Tuesday.

The BOCES service is the same used in the previous search effort.

“We were quite pleased with the results of that,” said March, noting work is underway to develop a job brochure and advertisements.

“It will be very similar to what we did seven years ago when we involved all aspects of the community in the process to define the role skills the community wants,” he said.

In related news, the district is planning to appoint an interim superintendent of curriculum, to replace current administrator Glenn Eschbach who is leaving to take a similar role at Hauppauge School District.

That appointment could happen as early as next month as March said the board has already identified a “worthy candidate who is very familiar with the school district.”

Eschbach has served as the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at Bayport-Bluepoint School District for five years. He has previously worked as a building pricipal for five years, and assistant principal for three years for total of 13 years experience in school administration. Eschbach was also a special education teacher.

March said the board believes the future hired school superintendent should play a role in the hiring of a new permanent curriculum chief.

In a recent Talk Back poll, Patch asked local residents what qualities they would like in a new school leader.

The top skill cited was the ability to create stronger educational programs, which garnered 38 percent of the vote tallies. Strong financial and budget expertise landed second, with 30 percent of the vote, with a deep background in curriculum and program assessment taking third with 18 percent of the vote. Excellent communication skills received 12 percent of the 33 votes received.