By Clarence Fanto - The Berkshire Eagle
LENOX — The School Committee has voted unanimously to keep schools Superintendent William Collins in charge through June 2029.
The committee approved a two-year extension to his initial four-year contract — and a 6.4 percent raise for 2025-26.
"Lenox feels like a nice fit for me,” said Collins, 60, who is nearing completion of the second year of his contract. “I am pleased that the School Committee feels the same way.”
in July 2023 following several years of administrative turmoil in the district, including the sudden departure of previous Superintendent Marc J. Gosselin Jr., in December 2022, just 18 months into his four-year contract.
That followed the officially unexplained resignation of Lenox Memorial Middle and High School Principal Salvatore Frieri in September 2022, two months into his three-year contract and just a few days after the start of the school year.
“When I first arrived, I said that I hoped to be able to reestablish leadership stability and make this the place where I could finish out my career in education,” Collins said. “That is still my hope.”
As for postponing his potential retirement in mid-2029, Collins explained that “I never say never, if the town is still happy with me, and I’m happy.”
At the televised School Committee meeting Monday night, Chairman Oren Cass, who negotiated the contract with Collins, stated that “we’re incredibly grateful for the exceptional job that Dr. Collins has been doing, and certainly want to compensate him fairly.”
Referring to the committee’s goal of stabilizing the district’s leadership, Vice Chair Veronica Fenton credited Collins for “a fabulous leadership team.”
“My understanding is it’s very collaborative, the conversations are open and show there’s a lot of trust and a lot of support,” Fenton said.
For the 2025-26 year beginning this July 1, his base salary will be $180,000, a 6.4 percent increase over the current year, plus $3,000 rolled in on top of that covering his car and phone allowances as part of his total compensation of $183,000, plus benefits.
In the 2026-27 school year, the salary rises to $188,950, with the following two years of his contract to be negotiated later.
The contract also includes an option for successive one-year renewals following the expiration of the newly extended agreement.
“The superintendency has become an increasingly demanding and stressful job, as witnessed by the high annual turnover of superintendents across Massachusetts,” Collins said. “While no place is without its challenges, I feel immensely fortunate to work in a community that places such high value on quality education and recognizes the positive impact that education can have on the trajectory of students’ lives.”
“These are values witnessed in much of the student body,” he added, “so there is a culture here where students are engaged learners, which jazzes teachers to go the extra mile.”
Collins also cited his collaboration with leaders of the Lenox Education Association, the union representing the staff. He praised the faculty as “some of the best not only in the county but throughout the state.”
The School Committee's formal annual evaluation of the superintendent’s performance is being compiled and is expected to be released at a future meeting.
Collins praised the committee’s work as “thoughtful and intentional, which makes it easier for me to do my job.”
He also complimented the district’s administrative team, noting that “individual players, no matter how talented, don’t win championships, teams do.”
With keen anticipation for the next four years, Collins predicted that the Lenox Public Schools have “all the ingredients to become truly extraordinary.”