Superintendent Survey Results

Westhill Central School District

Update on the Superintendent Search Process

Dear Westhill Community Members:

As you know, the Board of Education of the Westhill Central School District is in the process of searching for a new superintendent to succeed retiring superintendent Stephen Bocciolatt.  To assist us in the search, we solicited input from community members, parents, staff, and students about the characteristics desired in the new superintendent. 

The survey was available on the Westhill Central School District website from late June to early September.  Information about the availability of the survey was shared through a variety of means including district newsletters, email, word-of-mouth, and the media. 

The response to the survey was strong with more than 140 people responding.  The majority, (47%), of the respondents were community residents – 40% identified themselves as parents of a child(ren) in the district and another 7% were community members without children in the district currently. Staff of the districts represented another 41% of the respondents (31% were teachers, 10% were non-instructional staff). Almost 13% of the respondents were students. 

The respondents were asked to rate how important certain characteristics were in selecting the next superintendent of schools.  The top ten characteristics selected were:

1.	Can inspire and motivate faculty, staff, and students
2.	Understands current curriculum issues in New York
3.	Exhibits a great deal of integrity
4.	Has demonstrated leadership skills on the job
5.	Is visible and accessible
6.	Has strong recommendations from current and previous employers
7.	Can explain educational issues in plain language without talking down to people
8.	Makes other people feel at ease when talking to him/her
9.	Will make a long-term commitment to our district (at least five years)
10.	Has teaching experience
11.	Has experience with school finance and budget in New York

The Board of Education will utilize the information from the survey as the search process goes forward.  We are in the midst of the interview process and plan to have identified a new superintendent by the beginning of November.

Doreen Bronchetti
President
Board of Education