Superintendent search is under way

Brian Conboy, superintendent of Seaford Public Schools, announced that he would retire next summer. The Board of Education is now tasked with finding a new leader for the district — and the trustees asking for the public’s input. 

Bruce Kahn, the board’s president, said that Conboy told the group in September that he planned to retire at the end of the 2016-17 academic year. Conboy, 55, is an alumnus of Seaford schools and has worked in the district for 33 years. 

“I have enjoyed a 51-year relationship with the Seaford School District that began as a 5-year-old in kindergarten at the Seaford Avenue School,” he said. “As a student, a teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent, I have a lifetime of memories that I will cherish as I end my professional career at the conclusion of this year.”

Kahn said he was not surprised when Conboy, who is now in his seventh and final year as superintendent, decided to retire, because he had only signed a two-year contract extension rather than the typical three-year deal in 2014.  However, Kahn said he was still saddened to hear the news. 

“We had gone through bad times in our early years together where we had to make cuts to both program and staff,” he explained. “However, in recent years, under the board’s direction and Brian’s leadership, we have been able to restore program and staff, expand educational opportunities and improve our schools’ wants to spend more time with his family.”

Kahn and the rest of the board are now leading the search for a new superintendent. The group hired District Wise Search Consultants earlier this month to help facilitate the process. 

Throughout November, representatives of District Wise have worked with the board to create a profile for the job, place ads and recruit candidates through their network. This winter, Kahn said, they would collect and screen applications, vet them and present the board with at least six strong candidates for the position.

“While the board may delegate some aspects of the search to a search firm, it is ultimately the board’s role and responsibility to select who is interviewed, conduct these interviews, make a final selection and negotiate a contract with the selected candidate,” Kahn noted. “The selection of a new superintendent is no small matter, and may be one of the most important tasks a board is faced with.” 

The board is inviting all residents to describe the qualities that they believe Seaford’s next superintendent should possess at a community forum on Nov. 30. The meeting, which members of the search firm will run, will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in the middle school cafeteria. 

If residents cannot attend the meeting, the board encourages them to contact District Wise by email (seafordsup@districtwisesearch.com) or regular mail (District Wise Search Consultants, Seaford Profile, 217 Woodbury Road 183, Woodbury, N.Y, 11797). Kahn added that community members might also reach out to the board at comments@mail.seaford.k12.ny.us with their ideas. 

Students, faculty members and building and district administrators will also separately meet with members of the search team on Nov. 30, Kahn said. He added that everyone’s input is valuable — including residents who do not have school-age children. 

Kahn said that all of the board trustees agree that the new superintendent should possess strong leadership, communication and technology skills, an “understanding of our Seaford community pride” and a “vision for the future.” Kahn would like a seasoned educator who has plenty of classroom experience to lead the district. “We’re looking for someone who’s not looking to spend a year or two here and move on,” he said. “That’s the big thing. You want someone who has some ownership of what’s going on.” 

The search team aims to hire the new superintendent by April. He or she would start on July 1. The board also established a Web page (bit.ly/SeafordSuperSearch) dedicated to the search.