Board Statement

Shrewsbury Borough School District
Board of Education

 

 

With the retirement of our current Chief School Administrator effective June 30, 2026, the Board of Education has spent the past several months evaluating what leadership structure best serves Shrewsbury’s students, staff, and families.

 

We’re genuinely energized by this moment. Shrewsbury has exceptional staff, strong traditions, and a community that cares deeply about its school. This search is an opportunity to strengthen what is already strong and move forward on the priorities the community identified.

 

 

The Board reviewed 362 community survey responses and worked with a professional search firm that conducted focus groups and interviews and produced a comprehensive Candidate Profile.

 

We discussed multiple leadership configurations, including the combined role and a two-role model, evaluating against the priorities identified in the Candidate Profile and within the fiscal constraints of the 2% tax cap.

 

We explored alternative leadership arrangements, but concluded that they could not currently work with Shrewsbury’s operational priorities.

What We Heard

 

On the leadership-structure question from the survey, 43% (128 of 295 respondents) preferred two separate roles. We take that input seriously.

 

At the same time, when asked about priorities and competencies (respondents could select multiple), broader survey results and stakeholder feedback consistently emphasized:

The community clearly wants a leader who is in the building, accessible, and engaged in instruction and culture day-to-day.

Budget and Trade-Offs

 

Adding a second full-time administrator would increase annual costs by at least $150,000-$200,000, depending on structure and compensation. Under the 2% tax cap, that would require trade-offs that could put pressure on classroom staffing and programming.

 

Budget alone did not determine this decision, but fiscal realities reinforce what the community priorities suggest: in a single-building district of our size, a combined role most directly aligns with the leadership profile Shrewsbury described. And this combined structure provides clear lines of responsibility between the Board and the leader you see in the building each day.

Looking Ahead

 

Working with our search firm, we expect to conduct interviews over the next two months, with a goal of finalizing an employment agreement in April. We will provide updates as the process moves forward.

Read the Board’s full statement.

View supporting documents:
Community Survey Results
CSA Candidate Profile

Shrewsbury Borough School District
Board of Education