By MATT LINDSEY

PARISHVILLE -- St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES District Superintendent Thomas Burns will assist Parishville-Hopkinton Central in their search for a new superintendent.

Burns said it is common for BOCES to help with searches for superintendent, citing that he has participated in about 20 similar searches for various St. Lawrence County schools.

“There is the option for private searches or consulting – but nothing is real local with Syracuse being the closest,” he said.

Also, the search comes with a cost. “It isn’t free,” Burns said.

Burns said all 18 county school districts pay in toward an administrative budget which funds searches such as this.

“We offer this to all districts,” he said “It is a shared cost which is minimal when done this way.”

“I work for state education and BOCES and this is part of my state education role,” Burns said.

Burns says his office will provide advertising materials, brochures, recruiting materials and provide sample questions for interviews.

Burns will present the Board of Education with a plan and process at a Feb. 13 meeting to determine the qualification desired. The board will also approve or ask for modifications to brochure and application materials.

“The Board of Education is made up of volunteers who have day jobs,” Burns said, noting the time involved in the process.

“It’s typical for North Country districts to want an educator, classroom teacher and building principal,” Burns said. “It is a critical asset to have building principal experience.”

Burns said the pool of applicants is often building principals.

“The building principal position is a great way to cut teeth as an administrative educator,” he said.

Burns says building principals handle academics, sports, parents, busing and gain leadership experience. “It’s a logical precursor to becoming a superintendent,” Burns said.

Burns said applications and employment brochures will be printed and mailed out around Feb. 24. It will be posted on websites such as BOCES and the PHCS website. Others will be mailed to North Country Superintendents, New York State District Superintendents and New York State Council of School Superintendents.

The deadline for applications is March 24. The BOE will review applications March 28 through April 3. A paper screen by the BOE and Burns will be held April 3.

Interviews of candidates with the BOE are slated for April 10 and 11. The goal will be to interview two or three candidates each night for about an hour. Group interviews will be held May 8 with administrations, teacher groups, students, non-instructional workers and community members.

The Board of Education will announce the new superintendent May 15 at their meeting. The new superintendent will take over the position on July. 1.

Anyone interested in the position is encouraged to contact Burns at 386-4504 ext. 10121.

“I was succeeded at Parishville-Hopkinton by the current Superintendent Darin Saiff and they have been an outstanding little school district over the years with notable academic achievement,” Burns said.