Milton Public Schools will host three community forums the week of Sept. 28 so residents can weigh in on what they want in the district's next superintendent.
The forums, announced Tuesday, Sept. 22 on the district's website, are the first public step in the search to replace Interim Superintendent John Phelan. The district is asking families and community members to share what qualities, experience and priorities matter most in a permanent hire.
Here is the schedule:
- Wednesday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m.: Milton High School Auditorium
- Thursday, Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m.: Virtual via Zoom
- Friday, Oct. 2, 9 a.m.: Katherine Haynes Dunphy Conference Room, 515 Canton Ave. (the former fire station building behind Town Hall)
All three sessions are open to anyone in the Milton community.
The district published the same announcement across pages for Milton High School, Pierce Middle School, Tucker Elementary and Cunningham Elementary, a broad push to draw parents from every grade level.
Milton is one of relatively few Boston-area districts with growing enrollment. The student population has risen by about 200 over the past decade to more than 4,350, the Boston Globe reported in June. That growth is one factor the next superintendent will inherit.
The School Committee appointed James F. Jette as permanent superintendent in January 2021 after a process that included community surveys and listening sessions, according to a Milton Times report at the time. The circumstances of the current vacancy have not been publicly detailed.
No search firm has been named.
A Superintendent Search Committee is listed on the Milton town calendar as meeting at the Dunphy Conference Room, though no timeline beyond the Oct. 2 forum has been announced. The district said residents' input will help shape the search.
Families who cannot attend in person can join the Oct. 1 Zoom session. The link is available on the Milton Public Schools website.
