By Max Bowen-max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
With strong support from the School Committee, John Antonucci was appointed as the next superintendent of North Attleborough, pending a successful contract negotiation.
Antonucci—superintendent of the Duxbury School District—was one of three finalists for the next North Attleborough Superintendent. The other finalists were Bellingham Superintendent Peter Marano and Uxbridge Superintendent Frank Tiano. Marano withdrew his name from the process prior to the finalist interviews with the committee, which were held on Thursday, June 3.
The interviews follow the work of a 14-member search committee chaired by School Committee Member Kathryn Hobbs, who led the review of 29 applications and presided over a 15-question interview with six candidates before narrowing down the field to the three finalists. The search was managed by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.
The process began in March when North Attleborough Superintendent Scott Holcomb announced his retirement to pursue a job in the private sector. Holcomb will remain until Aug. 26, though the contract terms run from June 30 through July 1.
Holcomb has been the school superintendent since 2017 and has also been assistant superintendent and principal of the town’s high school. Prior to his time in North Attleborough he was adjunct professor at Roger William University and assistant principal of the Seekonk High School, and taught at the Hopkinton and Bellingham high schools.
Following the interviews with the committee, members were strongly behind Antonucci, who has worked in Duxbury since 2017, and was the Westwood School Superintendent from 2005-2017. Committee member James McKenna made the nomination to appoint Antonucci, and felt that he would remain in North Attleborough for some time.
“He’s battle tested and he’s got courage,” said McKenna. “I see him as the fit for North Attleborough.”
Keith Lapointe, the Town Council representative for the committee, said that the process was to find the next leader of the operation of the town’s schools. He felt that both Antonucci and Tiano have their strengths, but in this case, the search was for an operational leader.
“John Antonucci is that person,” he said.
Committee Chair Ethan Hamilton felt that Antonucci really wanted the job, adding that being superintendent can sometimes lead to burnout. When faced with the issues that the schools are working through, Hamilton said that Antonucci seemed to have a plan in mind.
“He seems like the kind of guy who will give us that level of detail,” said Hamilton. “Antonucci is the right choice.”
