Carpenter: Monomoy A Lot Like Lincoln-Sudbury

When asked what his fondest memory at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will be, outgoing Superintendent/Principal Scott Carpenter couldn't point to just one.

The soon-to-be Monomoy Regional School District superintendent instead spoke of the people he's come to know.

"It’s one of those things, (just) so many memories," he said. "My fondest memories will be the people in the communities of Lincoln and Sudbury. I got very close to them in the 13 years I've been here. Together we share many fond memories."

Carpenter was offered and accepted the Monomoy post last week, and is now in the process of preparing to transplant his family to Cape Cod. The job is pending a contract negotiation.

"I feel like the Monomoy school committee has done great job being transparent in search process," Carpenter said. "They understand what my hopes would be in a contract, and I understand what they hope. I think it will be a quick process."

Carpenter, who has been in charge of L-S the past three years, will begin work for Monomoy on July 1.

According to a Cape Cod Chronicle report, Carpenter was praised for his integrity, his commitment to life-long learning, and his district's strong educational performance.

"I'll be here till end of June, and I'll do everything I can to make a smooth transition for L-S," he said.

During the search process, Carpenter said he got a chance to know the community he will soon call home. And that that community is similar to the one he's about to leave.

"I couldn't stop listening to him. He was so excited, so motivated," Monomoy Chair Brian Widegren told the Cape Cod Times about an informal question-and-answer session with Carpenter during a tour of the Monomoy district schools. "They were responsive answers. He wasn't just telling us what we wanted."

"The parents and committee members at Monomoy that I met in the process, and the teachers and administrators, they all seem to be a community like ours," Carpenter said. "The people I met have high hopes for their schools and children ...  something I’m familiar with here."

Monomoy is in the process of building a new high school, helping bring the towns of the towns of Chatham and Harwich together at the high school and middle school levels.

"I think they’re two communities on the cusp of realizing the benefits what joining two small communities can have," Carpenter said.

Carpenter had been one of three finalists to take over Harvard Public Schools earlier this year. the Harvard school committee decided to restart the search, prompting Carpenter to withdraw.

"The L-S School Committee wishes to congratulate Scott and express its appreciation for his work on behalf of the District during the last four years," Chair Nancy Marshall said last week in a release. "During Scott’s tenure, the District has faced a period of fiscal challenges and lengthy contract negotiations. The Committee is grateful for how Scott rigorously and fairly addressed those challenges on behalf of our students."

He was announced as a finalist for Monomoy in late February.

Carpenter will replace Carolyn Cragin, who has been the superintendent since May 2011.