Published in the August 1, 2018 edition

By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — The School Department’s search for a new special education director is drawing to a close.

In an email sent to the Villager, Superintendent Jane Tremblay announced she will be asking the School Committee to appoint Bedford, New Hampshire Assistant Special Education Director Roberta Keane as the next student services director. State law requires school committees to appoint special education directors if a school district has less than 4,000 children enrolled.

“Roberta comes to us from Bedford, New Hampshire, where she has enjoyed a very long and successful career as a special educator,” said Tremblay. “Most recently, she has held the position of assistant special education director.”

The School Committee will be discussing Keane’s appointment on Tuesday, Aug. 14, which will tentatively begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Al Merritt Center. If the school board votes to appoint Keane as student services director, she will succeed Kara Mauro. Mauro was recently appointed as Wakefield Public Schools’ assistant superintendent.

In a phone interview with the Villager, Tremblay said 19 candidates applied for the student services director job and a search committee interviewed five candidates last week. The search committee consisted of Tremblay, High School Principal Bob Cleary, Finance Director Tom Geary, middle school special education teacher Wendy Leone, middle school special education team chairperson Lydia Rundell-Gjerde, Huckleberry Hill special education teacher Lisa McNamara, board certified behavior analyst program director Derrick Munyon, preschool/elementary school parent Lauren Wolfe, high school/post-graduate parent Terri Farrell and elementary/middle school parent Becka Sargent.

“We were absolutely thrilled that Roberta Keane ended up at our table,” said Tremblay. “She has the skills and talent to continue to move our schools forward.”

Mauro will continue serving as student services director until Sept. 1.

“We are hoping to have Roberta signed on shortly after the School Committee meeting in order for her to transition and have time with our current director of student services before she starts her position,” said Tremblay.

Welcome to Wakefield

Mauro was formally introduced to the Wakefield School Committee on July 24. She was introduced along with new Wakefield Academy Director Matthew Carter.

“I could not be happier to be able to hire such talented people to be part of our executive team,” Wakefield Superintendent Douglas Lyons said.

Mauro told the Wakefield School Committee that her primary role in Lynnfield involved special education, but she was also involved in other areas like English Language learning, overseeing the integrated preschool, guidance, nursing, METCO support, data collection and grant writing for the district.

As a result, Mauro said she was able to see the district in a wide variety of ways. She said that the skills of collaboration and working with others that she gained in Lynnfield will translate well to her new position in Wakefield.

Mauro said that she was familiar with the Wakefield school system as a Wakefield resident and parent of two children.

— Mark Sardella contributed to this report.