By SANDY McGEE

BLACKSTONE — The Blackstone-Millville Regional School Committee is currently in search of the district’s next superintendent.

The interim superintendent, Herbert Levine, was hired last year to serve as head of the school district for one year until a permanent candidate was found. The previous superintendent, Everett B. Campbell, stepped down last year from the district’s top post to become the principal of John F. Kennedy Elementary and Augustine F. Maloney Elementary schools.

“I’ve enjoyed my time here very much,” Levine said. “I’ve worked with wonderful people. This is a terrific place to work. Leaving here was always the understanding. This was a one year job.”
Levine, 60, is currently one of four finalists applying to serve as superintendent for the Manchester, N.H., school district. He previously served as superintendent of the Salem, Mass., school district for seven years.
The Blackstone-Millville school district recently created its own search committee to find a permanent superintendent.
The search committee consists of 13 members, including parents, teachers, a student, a principal, an administrator and four School Committee members.
This committee is planning to review 22 current applications and interview potential candidates. They will then narrow the field to the top candidates and send their recommendations to the School Committee.
All members of the School Committee will interview the top candidates, introduce the semi-finalists to the community and then make its final selection. The School Committee plans to have the entire process completed by the end of March.
“That’s the goal,” said School Committee Chairwoman Toni Harvey. “We want someone who is knowledgeable with Massachusetts education and someone who is interested in sticking around for some time and becoming an active member of the community.”
The regional school district consists of one elementary school in Millville, two elementary schools in Blackstone, one regional middle school and one regional high school.
The School Committee is also beginning the process of creating a school budget for the next fiscal year.
“We continue to work diligently on the school budget in order to bring a budget to the towns that is both reasonable and meets the needs of the district,” according to the School Committee’s announcements on its Web site, www.bmrsd.net/school_committee/index.htm.
Levine said he is currently working on a proposed budget, which will be presented to the School Committee in the next coming weeks.
Several meetings are also planned to discuss the school budget before its certification.
The next Community Resources for Education Meeting will be held on Thursday, March 6, at 7 p.m. at the A.F. Maloney Elementary School, 200 Lincoln St.
A joint meeting of the School Committee and members of the Blackstone and Millville Boards of Selectmen and Finance Committees will be held on March 11. Senator Richard T. Moore and Rep. Jennifer Callahan have been invited to this meeting.
The School Committee will hold an open hearing to discuss the budget on March 13 starting at 7 p.m. at Blackstone-Millville Regional High School, 175 Lincoln St. All residents are welcome to attend this meeting and ask questions regarding next year’s proposed budget.
The School Committee plans to meet on March 19 at 7 p.m. at Frederick W. Hartnett Middle School, 35 Federal St., to certify the school budget. The members will also hold a regular meeting at this time.