The Hicksville Board of Education appointed Marianne Litzman acting superintendent last week, as they begin the interview process to find an interim.
Litzman has been in the district since 1985 and was a natural choice, as she was the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
The board has started interviews for an interim superintendent and is hoping to have one in the next month. They are working with the firm, School Leadership, to find a permanent replacement.
At last Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting, the board opened the floor to the public to hear their comments on what they were looking for in a superintendent. School board president Phil Heckler said he was “pleasantly surprised” at the large turnout of residents who attended and expressed comments on a wide range of topics including budget, curriculum, ESL and high performing students.
The board also established a tentative calendar, saying that they would like to meet with focus groups comprised of administrators, building principals, community members, union officers, and anyone else who wants to voice their opinion, in September or October.
“We want a full range of input from anybody who wants to provide it. We want to get an idea of what people are looking for,” said Heckler.
They’re hoping to start negotiations with a new superintendent by February.
“Some of us wanted to do it faster, but if you do it too fast you eliminate a lot of potential candidates because they’re already committed to the schools they’re at. They’re not ready to consider moving in September or October, but by December they’re more likely to start thinking about it. You’ll miss a lot of good candidates if you do it too fast,” said Heckler.
The next board committee meeting is Sept. 10 and the next regular meeting is Sept. 17
