The 2024-2025 school year is going to see large changes for Hastings High School and the school community with the retirement of beloved longtime principal Mr. Louis Adipietro. Mr. A has been in the district for nearly 20 years and has always taken a deep passion in his job as a school leader.

As he leaves the district, a decision he describes “bittersweet,” in what he thinks is in better shape than he found it, the upcoming hiring process is one of large stakes, but superintendent Dr. William McKersie and the district are making sure the process is comprehensive and fits Hastings High School’s needs.

The job opening was sent out in October and closed on December 6th which allowed them to receive around 70 applications, which Dr. McKersie said was a solid number for the current times.

The 70 applicants were screened to zero-in on 16 candidates which were then narrowed down to three semi finalists, which is where the process currently stands.

The decision between the semi finalists is being aided by an advisory committee which is a group of different teachers, administrators, parents, students, and clerical and custodial representatives. One of their jobs is to settle on set questions for interviews and share feedback with Dr. McKersie on candidates.

Dr. McKersie said that while they play a large role in the process, “at the end of the day they are only advisory, so I need to make the decision.” Along with making the final decision, Dr. McKersie has been doing all the reference checking himself: “I want to do it personally and very thoroughly, spending 30 minutes for each reference typically by phone.”

When asked about the values they are looking for in a new principal, Dr. McKersie emphasized “great interpersonal skills, excellent ability to interact with faculty, and someone who works well with parents.” He later added that they hope to find someone “who is attentive to all of our students.” Hastings is a community of diverse learning styles and levels, so an ability to manage all of this is key.

They are also looking for someone with experience in high school environments, specifically as an administrator. Coming into Hastings, a high level and successful district, Dr. McKersie highlighted that along with an appreciation for Hastings High School’s intellectual achievements, he also hopes to find someone with a “great valuing of our premier extracurriculars.” Maintaining a robust extracurricular community is one of utmost importance when looking for a candidate. All of these values and more can be found at Dr. McKersie’s roundtable notes at this link: https://docs.google.com, which were held for students, staff, and parents.

While Mr. A has no participation in the hiring process, which is standard in education, Dr. McKersie added that he will assist with helping the new principal adjust to the new environment once he is hired. The goal is to make the hire in February, giving Mr. A plenty of time to meet the candidate before the year ends, but the December 6th cutoff for applications gives them a cushion to take more time if needed.

With such an important role to fill, Dr. McKersie and the administration are making sure to look at the hiring process holistically and with great detail to pick the right candidate to fit the Hastings community.