Focus Group Scheduled In Natick Superintendent Search

NATICK, MA — Natick officials have scheduled a November focus group as the latest step in their search for a Superintendent of Schools.

This meeting is set for Natick Town Hall on Nov. 9 at 5:30 p.m., and is meant for community members. Other focus groups for parents of students in the school system will be set at a later date, officials said.

This comes after the Natick School Committee published a call for applications for the open superintendent role.

District officials and the New England School Development Council published a notice online of the call, citing the appeals of the district and community.

This comes after a task force was created in the spring — and completed a listening tour soon after — once it became final that former Superintendent Anna Nolin would be leaving for Newton at the end of last school year.

NESCD was hired as the search firm for the ongoing superintendent search, and a screening committee has been established to screen the eventual first round of candidates.

School committee officials said they will be working with NESCD "on a plan to engage the community through a survey and series of focus groups that will take place later this month and into November."

Anna Nolin's Departure

Natick Superintendent Anna Nolin was selected by the Newton School Committee as their next superintendent by a unanimous vote in February according to a news release from the district.

“We are thrilled to invite Dr. Nolin to join the Newton Public Schools as our next superintendent. Her values as a data-driven leader focused on improving outcomes for all students align perfectly with the mission of the Newton Public Schools,” said Tamika Olszewski, Chair of the Newton School Committee.

“We deeply appreciate her commitment to developing a strategic vision for our district that articulates the strength and skills we want for both our staff and our students.”Nolin is expected to join the district on July 1, which is conditional on "successful contract negotiations," the district said.

Nolin served as interim superintendent in March 2018 before the interim tag was removed in December of that same year.

During her tenure, she acquired grant funds for the district and guided Natick through the COVID-19 pandemic. She was also named the president of the New England Association of Superintendents in 2018.

In 2021, she was also at the helm when the School Committee voted to close Johnson Elementary School by 2025.

Read more: Natick Superintendent Chosen For Same Role In Newton