With the new year approaching and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Cronin’s retirement set for Jan. 1, the Board of Education (BOE) has entered the interviewing stage of the hiring process.

“Hiring a new superintendent is the most important thing a BOE does,” said BOE Chair Anita Anderson.

According to consultant Joseph Erardi, a former superintendent himself experienced in the search process from other districts, the now-closed application process has resulted in a deep pool of applicants.

In a state where most districts receive between 12 and 15 applications, Erardi said North Haven received 27 completed applications, some of which come from highly regarded superintendents and assistant superintendents, as well as other high-level applicants coming from four different states.

“I’m pleased with your application and your applicant pool,” Erardi said at the Nov. 8 BOE meeting. “I sit here certain that the hiring committee has their next superintendent…to meet over the next couple of weeks.”

As interviews begin, Erardi has undertaken a listening and learning tour with North Haven schools faculty and parents to build a profile for an ideal candidate.

“The number-one thing is a superintendent who continues to put students first,” Anderson said.

Erardi spoke about his findings at the Nov. 8 meeting.

“The listening tour on my end were from very, very caring folks,” he said. “I think that serves your community well and it serves your applicant pool well.”

Erardi found that communication both within and without the organization was a factor many interested parties were concerned about. In particular, people wanted to see school-business partnerships continue.

He said that staff members in particular were looking for someone with the “strength to empower others.”

“They want somebody who’s confident enough in their skill set to be able to delegate appropriately and build capacity within,” he said.

This goes in conjunction with the desire, particularly on the part of day program staff and arts staff, for a superintendent with the patience to listen to teachers before asserting a personal vision.

Those who were surveyed also said that permanence was important to them.

“They want somebody who’s going to be here, they’ll have their vision, they’ll work together, and that person plans to be here for an extended period of time,” Erardi said.

The characteristics gathered in the survey will go toward building the profile of an ideal candidate who will be interviewed by the hiring committee.

Though there is not yet a deadline for the selection of a new superintendent, Anderson suggested that Assistant Superintendent Melinda McKenna is fully capable of taking on the position in the interim and that Cronin has said he would stay on until a replacement is found if necessary.

“We’re going to take our time with what we’re looking for,” she said.