Camhi hired as next sup’t

Board’s decision to vote before community input draws criticism

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The Baldwin Board of Education made its pick for superintendent official on July 9, approving a three-year term for Dr. Shari Camhi in a 4-1 vote. Trustee Eric Harrison was the lone “no” vote after he unsuccessfully made a motion to table the resolution.

Camhi thanked the board, district and community at the meeting, adding that she was excited to “continue the excellence that exists already” in Baldwin.

The board announced Camhi’s selection in a press release on June 27, but approved her appointment just before the first public comment session at last week’s meeting. Harrison told the Herald that he moved to table the vote in order to give residents a chance to offer their input and then have the board vote on her appointment afterward. “I just felt that the community should have had a chance to speak before the vote,” he said. No other board member seconded his motion, so the vote proceeded.

Shortly after the vote, David Welsh, the first speaker during public comment, said that voting before hearing from the community was “slick.” Another resident, Jack McCloy, called the board’s action unfair. “I certainly hope that Dr. Camhi will do a good job now that she’s been selected without the input from the community,” he said, “but it’s a shame this school board has refused the residents of the community an opportunity to discuss this in more detail.”

Trustee Deborah Rebore explained that when the board-hired search firm, Hazard Young Attea & Associates, outlined the search process, it did not call for community input once the board made its selection, adding that the board and the search firm had been entrusted with finding the best candidate for Baldwin. “I didn’t feel the need to postpone the vote because we have who I really believe is a strong, ambitious new superintendent,” Rebore said. “I’m very excited for her to begin.”

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