King Philip Principal Search Timeline Set

The search for a new principal for King Philip Regional High School continues, with the district looking to create a search committee.

Current Principal Charles Flahive gave a status report on the effort at Monday night's KP School Committee meeting. He said a timeline for the search process has been set.

"We will have members of the school board and the public on the search committee," Flahive said. "Quite a few parents are willing to serve [as part of the search]."

Flahive said the district would likely set up a lottery to determine who would be on the committee.

"I would like to see everyone on the committee read all the applications and select four to six to interview," he said. "They'll bring that down to two or three, and bring those candidates to the school committee."

District Superintendent Elizabeth Zielinski said the search committee would present a sizable time commitment to those who wish to serve.

"The would have to be present for all the interviews," she said. "We have at least six people from the community who are willing to serve."

She said, though, that those people would not be the only ones with input on the process.

"If [a candidate] makes the final interview, it's our intention to have them come in for a day," she said. "They would walk around the school and meet with focus groups."

Flahive said he thought the ideal candidate would be looking for a long-term position.

"My feeling is we want someone who's in it for the long haul, not using it as a stepping stone," he said.

Flahive was hired last year on an interim basis.

Zielinski had said earlier that, when she took the superintendent position last year, the school saw its principal and vice-principal leave. She said she was somewhat leery of bringing in a completely new principal, as she was new herself.

Therefore, she said, Flahive was chosen after a search process.