Danvers School Superintendent Search Focus Groups Start This Week

DANVERS, MA — The Danvers School Committee has scheduled a round of public forums where students, staff and other stakeholders are encouraged to provide their input on the search for a new superintendent.

The School Committee plans to pick a superintendent within a little more than four months, according to a timeline laid out at last week's School Committee meeting.

The search is to replace Lisa Dana, who officially retired in August after taking a medical leave of absence in December 2021. Assistant Superintendent Mary Wermers has been serving as either co acting superintendent or acting superintendent since that time.

The first forums are set for Sept. 28 with Danvers High faculty and staff asked to provide their feedback at 2:15 p.m. in DHS Room 213, and families of middle and high school students asked to do so at 7 p.m. in DHS Room 213.

The Holten Richmond Middle School faculty and staff can provide feedback on Sept. 29 at 2:15 p.m. in the HRMS multi-purpose room, elementary school faculty and staff can do so on Oct. 3 at 3p.m. in DHS Room 213, families of elementary school students can do offer input on Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. in DHS Room 213, Danvers administrators can provide feedback on Oct. 4 at 3 p.m. in DHS Room 213, and the Danvers community is invited to share thoughts on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. in DHS Room 213.

Families, residents and other stakeholders can also provide their input via an online survey here.

Applications are set to be due on Dec. 2 with a screening committee identifying semifinals and finalists by Dec. 20, the finalists presented to the School Committee by Jan. 9, 2023, and a vote to make an offer to a chosen candidate scheduled by the end of January.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)