By James Lomuscio
After a nearly six-month, nationwide search for a new principal of Westport’s Staples High School, the search committee has narrowed the field to “one extraordinary candidate,” committee members said Monday in an email to parents.
Now, the finalist, who was not identified, will have to pass the parent test at a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, at 9 a.m. in the Staples cafeteria, school officials said.
Written feedback from Staples parents will be solicited and provided to the Board of Education before a final decision is made, the administration noted.
The search committee for the replacement of Principal John Dodig, who is retiring after 11 years at the helm, consisted of teachers, parents, students and administrators.
Meanwhile, the school board will be conducting a search of its own to replace Schools Superintendent Elliott, who will retire after 17 years at the end of the 2015-16 academic year.
At Monday night’s school board meeting, the board voted to create the legal status of it serving as the search committee.
“And we did unanimously approve a raise for Elliott for the next school year,” noted Michael Gordon, school board chairman.
The salary bump up for Landon’s last year will be a 2.63 percent increase, up $7,704 from $292,937 to $300,641.
