Dr. Ahern Approved for Barnstable Superintendent Post

Above, Mike Judge, Chair of the Barnstable School Committee, kicks off yesterday's special meeting that selected Dr. Sara Ahern as their new superintendent.

According to a report published late Wednesday in the Barnstable Patriot, the Barnstable School Committee voted by 3 to 1 to hire Dr. Sara Ahern, Franklin’s current superintendent. Ahern’s interest in taking a position in Barnstable had only become public a few weeks ago.

She will succeed Meg Mayo-Brown, who reportedly beat Ahern for the post six years ago.

Again, according to the Barnstable Patriot, “Within minutes of the announcement, Ahern accepted the job by phone, pending contract negotiations.”

During the hour-long Committee Meeting, Kathleen Bent, one of the Committee Members, explained her support for Ahern, noting:

“I see Franklin as being a district closer to ours. Looking at the student numbers, the facilities as well as the school budget. The town government is also aligned more closely with the town of Barnstable. They share a finance department. The town administrator, the town manager of Franklin spoke about how there just had to be a great partnership between the schools and the town and with the oversight of the budget and working together to benefit the students and get what the schools needed. The town administrator was crushed to see Sarah possibly leaving the district...[a] superintendent wears many hats. And that position requires a tremendous skill set. I have an even I have a better feel for the need for sitting superintendent coming to Barnstable than I had previous to my sitting as a school committee member. I can now see more of what I didn't see, as a parent, advocating for my children in a school district, that it requires a skill set of a person coming in with experience. To me that experience is what tipped tip the scale for my favorite candidate, who I think would best run Barnstable schools. Based on the leadership style, the collaborativeness, the wherewithal to come to quick decisions when needed; to pause for decisions on others. I found that Sara Ahern would be my first choice for a new superintendent Barnstable based on all the input that I have.”