LENOX — The search for a new principal at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School has hit a snag, prompting the district to reopen the position.
Interviews with three semifinalists by the School Department’s 23-member screening committee had been set for Wednesday, Superintendent William Collins stated in a public announcement on the eve of the sessions. But at the 11th hour, two of the candidates accepted positions elsewhere.
The third seeks to remain under consideration as part of the next candidate pool, Collins said. Only six potential candidates had applied.
The withdrawal of two candidates who made it through the initial paper screening “is not an unusual occurrence, but one I had hoped to minimize by getting our opening out ahead of the springtime hiring rush,” Collins said.
The opening for the position followed an early December announcement that Jeremiah Ames, the current principal, will be promoted to assistant superintendent of finance and operations, succeeding Melissa Falkowski. She’s retiring in September.
The new principal would begin work on July 1, collaborating with Falkowski during a two-month transition.
The position, advertised on schoolspring.com and other employment sites, pays $118,000 to $131,000, based on experience. The school's enrollment is currently about 440 students.
“We publicized the opening far and wide, it was a national search,” Collins told The Eagle.
“It was posted internally to our staff, advertised on our district's website and on social media pages," he said, "and I canvassed Berkshire County superintendents for potential candidates from schools in our region.”
The district also publicized the opening with the Massachusetts School Administrators' Association, along with outreach to the equivalent school administrator organizations in Vermont, New York and Connecticut.
The opening was advertised in The Berkshire Eagle, the Boston Globe, EdWeek, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Massachusetts Association of School Committees and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents.
According to the posted job opening, “The district is committed to the highest standards of academic quality; the creation of a safe, successful and inclusive learning environment; responsiveness to the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical needs of every child; and partnership with the broader community to ensure that students develop the lifelong skills necessary to thrive as contributing members of society.”
Now that the search has reopened, Collins plans to announce soon an updated timeline for the search and for a hiring decision.
In an email message, the superintendent urged the public "to help me spread the word and encourage any superlative candidates to apply. We won't settle; the job is too important!"
Eventually, when the search narrows down to candidates who pass the personal interviews, the finalists will be publicly identified.
A team from the Lenox district would visit their schools in the region for a site visit, Collins said. Then the candidates would meet with groups of Lenox school staffers, students and parents here.
The strongest candidate would be interviewed by Collins and if hired, contract negotiations would follow.
The fall 2026 leadership changes in the school district also include Morris Elementary School Principal Brenda Kelley's full-time transition to director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for the district. Holly Soules, currently assistant principal, will succeed Kelley at Morris.