The School Department has found some temporary help for its business office and more permanent help may be on the way soon.
Superintendent John Moretti told the School Committee last night he has hired John McFadden to work in the business office three days a week until a new director of finance and operations can be hired.
The post was left vacant over the summer when William Hurley left to take a similar job with Natick Public Schools.
McFadden is a familiar face: he previously served as business manager for the Blue Hills Regional Technical School, of which Norwood is a member town.
Moretti said McFadden is working Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays to help keep up with the schools' business affairs, which will free Moretti up to begin working on the preliminary fiscal '10 budget requests, which are due by Nov. 28.
School Committee member Bill Plasko said he hopes one of McFadden's priorities will be closing out the fiscal '08 books, which Moretti told the committee last night still has money available that is encumbered to pay teacher raises.
Moretti said certain teachers need to provide proof of course work in order to get their raises, which have already been approved, and there is roughly $9,300 left in the fiscal '08 budget for those purposes.
Plasko said he's concerned that those funds might be lost soon as eventually any unexpended funds get turned back over to the town.
Meanwhile Moretti said he also received 11 applications for the permanent job, which he hopes to fill this fall.
"Quite honestly, I'm very impressed with the quality of the applicants and we got some from the school sector as well as the municipal sector," said Moretti.
The next step is to assemble the search committee, which will consist of members of the School Committee and Finance Commission as well as school administrators and a Town Hall official.
School Committee member Mark Joseph made a pitch to include Town Accountant Bob Thornton on the committee.
"Those two (positions) work so collaboratively together I think that would be helpful," said Joseph.
Moretti said he sent a letter to General Manager John Carroll asking for a Town Hall representative. He has also spoken with Thornton briefly about the committee that he hopes to have finalized for an organizational meeting next week.
Once the committee sifts through resumes, it will narrow down the field, conduct interviews and ultimately make a recommendation to the School Committee for appointment.
Daily News staff writer Brian Falla can be reached at 781-433-8339 or at bfalla@cnc.com
