Pelham School Board Hires Illinois-Based Firm for Superintendent Search

The Pelham School board is contracting with Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates Rosemont, Ill., to help the district conduct a nation-wide search for a new superintendent of schools.

The board voted to hire the firm during Tuesday's meeting. Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates  will receive $17,500 for its services. Another $12,500 has been budgeted for advertising, travelling and any other expenses that may come up during the process.

 Debbie Raizes, former president of the Scarsdale school board, and John Chambers, former superintendent of the the Bronxville and Byram Hills school districts, will be the associates representing the firm in Pelham superintendent search.

"Collectively, what I heard, is that the board really liked the experience of these two and thought they really did work together," said Robert Eicher, president of the school board.

Dennis Lauro, the district's current superintendent,  to take a post with Southern Westchester BOCES as the executive director of the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center.

Charles Wilson, who served as the district's superintendent prior to Lauro's appointment in 2008, until a permanent replacement is found.

Eicher said the board knows the next steps it needs to take in terms of beginning the search and getting input from community stakeholders. But he said the board is still in the process of setting up firm dates for each step in the process.

According to their Web site, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates has handled more than 900 searches school district administrative leaders since it was formed in 1987. A list of the school districts the firm is currently assisting can be found here.