Watertown School Committee Needs to Replace Superintendent, Business Manager

The School Committee members will be seeking to fill two central office administrators after they learned that Director of Business Services, Allie Altman, will be leaving Watertown. The announcement comes weeks after Superintendent Ann Koufman announced her departure.

The district will have an interim superintendent, announced School Committee Chairman Anthony Paolillo, so a more thorough superintedent search can be conducted next year.

Interim Human Resources Director Ray Shurtleff told the School Committee that Altman was one of three people who announced their resignation, at Monday’s meeting.

Paolillo wished Altman well after her departure.

“You have served the district well,” Paolillo said. “Your services will be missed.”

After the meeting, Altman said she could not reveal where she will be going after Watertown because the hiring had not been announced.

The official announcement that Koufman was leaving was made at Monday’s meeting.

“I would like to thank Dr. Koufman for her years of service for the Watertown Public Schools,” Paolillo said.

Paolillo said the time was not right to find a successor to Koufman, who will is leaving to be a deputy superintendent in Newton beginning in July.

“We have determined it is not an advantageous time to search for a superintendent,” Paolillo said. “We hope to announce an interim superintendent as soon as possible.”

The person who will serve as interim superintendent will come from within the Watertown Public Schools, Paolillo said after the meeting.

When the full search begins, he said, the search process will include parents, teachers and community members.

“Watertown is a great district and we hope to attract talented candidates to lead the district,” Paolillo said.