NEW IPSWICH — The search is on for a new superintendent to take the helm of the Mascenic Regional School District, and the school board has decided to bring in some professional help to manage the vetting process.

Chad Gibson, chairman of the school board, said the decision has been made to hire the New Hampshire School Boards Association to find a permanent replacement for former Superintendent Leo Corriveau, who left the district at the end of the last school year. Corriveau is now serving as superintendent of the Monadnock School District.

At Mascenic, which includes students from New Ipswich and Greenville, Dr. Betsey Cox-Buteau, formerly an associate superintendent at SAU 41 in Hollis, is currently serving as the interim superintendent.

Gibson said the New Hampshire School Boards Association (NHSBA) will widen the pool of candidates, though it will cost the district some money up front.

“NHSBA has the ability to produce a much larger and more qualified pool of candidates than we could do on our own,” Gibson said. “I anticipate that the cost will range from $10,000 to $20,000 depending on if the finalists chosen are all from within New Hampshire or not.”

Gibson said the district hasn’t nailed down exactly what they’re looking for in a superintendent, but he said that conversation will start next week.

“The board will be meeting on Monday night at 6 p.m. to start the discussion about exactly what types of qualities are going to be important to us in our next superintendent,” he said.

In terms of timing, Gibson said the school district will likely begin advertising for a search committee sometime in October so that the committee can be in place by November. Ultimately, the board would like to have a chance to interview finalists for the position by January to ensure that a new superintendent is on board before the next school year begins.

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