Schools
School Board Likely to Name Barb Knudsen Lakeville's Interim Superintendent
Lakeville school's director of teaching and learning would serve until Amoroso's official replacement is found.
Barb Knudsen, the Lakeville Area Public School District’s director of teaching and learning, will likely be named as the district’s interim superintendent next week.
The School Board held a special work session early Tuesday morning to discuss naming a temporary who will be retiring from the district effective June 30.
School Exec Connect, the firm conducting the search for Amoroso’s official replacement, informed the board a new superintendent must be in place by July 1 according to state law. The district’s current schedule calls for a late July interview and hiring period for potential candidates with a possible August or September start date making the interim superintendent role necessary. Knudsen is not an applicant or candidate for the open superintendent position and she will not receive any compensation for her interim role.
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Knudsen has been in her current role with the district since 1998 and board members said in discussion that they felt she would be the right choice. The board will take an official vote at their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, June 28.
“Barb does have the proper credentials,” said board chair Judy Keliher. “This would be the least disruptive for the district.”
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Keliher said this would be a short-term solution and there would be no compensation attached to this role. Director of Administrative Services, Tony Massaros, and Director of Business Services, Mark Klett, would also serve in support roles during the interim period.
Board member Jim Skelly said he felt Knudsen was a “natural fit” for the position. “If it was a longer time period, I’d be concerned about Barb’s other duties,” said Skelly.
Board members agreed that Knudsen could provide a continuity of leadership due to her familiarity with the board and inner-workings of the district. While no major issues are expected in the next few months, board members noted that decisions would still have to be made and said they felt Knudsen would keep the district on their current charted course.
