Superintendent Search Site Coming, Salary Range Set

As Melrose enters 2012, the search for a new school district leader is ramping up.

On Tuesday night, the Melrose School Committee voted on several aspects of the search, including the advertised salary range for a new school superintendent and the documents required with the application, which will be available on a new website created for the search.

Committee member Christine Casatelli recommended a salary range of $125,000 to $190,000, based on what current school superintendents are earning. Mayor Rob Dolan opined that the floor should be raised to $140,000, an amendment unanimously approved by the committee.

"The fact is there’s two groups of people that there’s basically a war in the state for: One is town manager and one is superintendent," Dolan said. "You have to put a salary that’s going to make people bite. I think in we’re a very highly competitive environment. We have to show we mean business."

Superintendent Joe Casey, r, currently makes a , where his salary has been for the past two school years following a city-wide wage freeze last year and an agreement not to take a raise this year.

Casey added that while Melrose does not "necessarily have the wherewithal that some communities have," a reasonable and realistic salary range should be advertised with the understanding that the district does not necessarily have to pay at the top of the range.

Casatelli also said she spoke with Jorge Pazos, Melrose IT Director, and that Pazos' department will contract a web designer who will have a Melrose Superintendent Search website up and running by the end of this calendar year.

The site will contain all materials and information related to the search, including the documents—as approved by the committee Tuesday—required by the jobs applicants: A resume, letter of interest, at least three letters of reference, three additional references, transcripts and proof of licensure.

Also, promotional material that promotes the city would be included on the site, which Casatelli said is "for us to put our best foot forward." Brochures from each of the schools, from The Bridge: A School/Community Partnership and for the city as a whole will be available on the site.

Committee member Carrie Kourkoumelis also suggested the committee contact the Melrose Chamber of Commerce for promotional materials, while Dolan suggested video vignettes available through the city website are included and Casey recommended the committee contact local real estate agents as well.