At its meeting Thursday, the School Committee selected New England School Development Council as its consultant to help with the new superintendent search.

Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh is retiring in June 2025.

Chair Nancy Cavanaugh noted receipt of three “very comprehensive” proposals from New England School Development Council (NESDC), Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) and Hazard Young Attea Associates (HYA).

NESDEC’s cost of $16,600 exceeded MASC’s at $11,500 and HYA’s $14,000.

However, following discussion, the board decided to go with the consultants from the last two superintendent’s searches in 2011 and 2017. Both resulted in superintendents who lasted several years.

At first, committee members differed on timing regarding a decision on a search committee’s composition.

Nancy Cavanaugh said the last searches had 13-15 members, and it would not be feasible to increase that number. Two School Committee members provided representation on that board when Carol Cavanaugh was selected.

The chair was in favor of pinning down the search committee’s composition.

However, vice chair Jamie Wronka suggested letting NESDEC guide the School Committee through the entire process, including best practices for choosing search committee members.

Member Chris Masters said NESDEC had guided previous groups through the search process, and he is confident there will be “no shortage of strong candidates. … We need some guidance, and it will be money well spent.”

The chair outlined steps in a search including reviewing applications from community members who want to serve on the search committee, that committee reviewing applications from superintendent candidates, initial confidential interviews, a narrowing down of the field, recommendation for finalists presented to the School Committee, site visits to finalists’ schools/employment, community forums and the School Committee’s individual interviews with finalists before a final vote.

The process takes several months.

Adaptive playground moved to capital list

In the event the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) does not approve partial or full funding for an adaptive playground, the School Committee voted to add the $1.2 million request to its list of fiscal year 2026 capital items.

Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Susan Rothermich said it is “unlikely” the CPC will fund the project. She said feedback suggested the perception that the request “is a school ask, not an Adaptive Playground Committee ask.” After considering several locations, Marathon School was chosen, which may impact that perception.

Wronka noted that this type of project “is not an inappropriate use of CPC funds” and had been accomplished in several other communities.

While it is a legal use, Rothermich said, it is the CPC’s prerogative what projects to fund.

Members spoke about how strongly the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) feels about having a playground in town that allows access for children with disabilities to play side by side with their “typical” peers.

“A lot of time and effort has been put into this [proposal],” member Susan Stephenson noted.

Rothermich said the School Committee must “be prepared with a Plan B” to move forward.

She explained that after adding the adaptive playground to its capital requests, the next step is to appear before the Capital Improvements Committee (CIC), which “signals one way or another” if it wants to recommend the item goes to a Town Meeting vote.

A funding source, either free cash or debt exclusion, also is identified.

“We present to CIC, but there is no guarantee it will be approved by them,” Rothermich said. “It could get stopped.”

Masters said the adaptive playground is for children with disabilities but “really is a town playground as well.” During non-school hours and when school is out of session, families can make use of it.

He encouraged the School Committee to push the proposal forward, whether it gets partial or full funding from the CPC or instead moves over for the CIC’s consideration.

Nancy Cavanaugh agreed. “Advancing it forward means we really believe in this project,” she said.

Club stipends, trip approved

In other business, the committee voted to reallocate $6,116 in the high school stipend account as well as fund an additional $1,112 for new clubs. Eleven clubs are no longer running. And some clubs are running without a stipend.

The vote means $556 will be paid to each club advisor, and the $1,112 is for two additions last year.

The clubs impacted are: badminton, Bollywood dance, car, chess, French, Jewish Student Union, Make-a-Wish, Muslim Student Association, philosophy, Spanish, UNICEF, yoga and Model UN (assistant advisor).

The board also approved a trip for Model United Nations Club members to Boston University from Feb. 7-9. Along with chaperones, the students will take the commuter rail to Back Bay Station for the conference and participate in offerings such as public speaking, parliamentary procedure, diplomacy, in-depth research and more.

Hopkinton High School Principal Evan Bishop explained that students are given a role and topic to debate, and previously they have won awards competing at the national and international levels.

“I think the skills they are learning are amazing,” committee member Kyla McSweeney said.

The next meeting will be held jointly with the Select Board on Dec. 19 concerning the superintendent’s FY 26 budget recommendation.