By Rebecca Danvers

It has been announced that the members of the Somerville School Committee will hold neighborhood meetings throughout the city from December 5 through December 8, seeking post-interview community input on the three finalists vying for the Superintendent of Schools position.

The School Committee anticipates making a final decision on Somerville’s next Superintendent of Schools on Monday, December 8.

Community members are invited to meet and learn about the finalists during their daylong visits to Somerville on December 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Opportunities to meet the finalists include:

• 3:00-4:30 p.m. Somerville High School – Open forum for all staff, parents, guardians, and community members. This is an opportunity to ask questions of the candidate directly.
• 6:30-7:30 p.m. City Hall, 2nd Floor – Open meet-and-greet session. This is an informal opportunity to talk with the candidates one-on-one.
• 7:30-9:30 p.m. City Hall Aldermen’s Chambers – Formal interview with the Somerville School Committee, open to the public. Public interviews will be televised on Somerville’s local cable television stations (Channels 15/16). Community members can email Paul Bockelman (Pbockelman@k12.somerville.ma.us), chair of the Superintendent Search Committee, with candidate questions for consideration. Interviews will also be posted on the Somerville Public Schools website (www.somerville.k12.ma.us) the following day.

Community members are encouraged to register their opinions on the three candidates following the formal interviews with the School Committee, and can do so in one of three ways:

1) Online at www.somerville.k12.ma.us/school_committee. Superintendent Candidate Input Forms can be accessed off the left side menu. A separate form should be completed for each candidate.

2) Send an email to members of the School Committee to share your opinion about any of the candidates. School Committee email links are available at www.somerville.k12.ma.us/school_committee.

3) Attend any of the announced School Committee neighborhood meetings.