By Times Staff
NEWBURY — Gloucester's superintendent of schools was to find out last night whether he landed a new job with the Triton Regional School District.
As a press time last night, the Triton Regional School Committee was still discussing the merits of Farmer and fellow finalist Kelly Clenchy of Glenburn, Maine to become the next superintendent for its district, which serves Newbury, Rowley and Salisbury, although it was expected to make a decision.
Farmer's bid for the Triton superintendency marked the second time over the last month in which he was named a finalist; in fact, he and Clenchy were both among the four finalists for the superintendent's post in Andover, where the School Committee last week chose former Andover assistant and current Hamilton-Wenham superintendent Marinel McGrath.
The two finalists brought different advantages in terms of experience for the Triton district.
Farmer has worked within Massachsuetts for seven years; Clenchy was the only candidate out of seven initially interviewed for the Triton post who has had experience leading a regional school district; she is the superintendent at Rural School Unit No. 26, which covers Orono, Veazie and Glenburn, Maine.
Farmer visited the Triton district and met town officials, school parents and community members there on Thursday; Clenchy was to do the same yesterday afternoon.
Farmer, 66, has served as Gloucester's superintendent of schools for the past seven years, where he and he district have often faced a variety of challenges — from a series of budget cuts to dealing with a bid by a group of local residents to launch the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School.
Prior to taking the Gloucester post, Farmer served as principal of Redwood Middle School, part of the Saratoga Unified School District in Saratoga, Calif., for six years.
He was also superintendent of schools in Coventry, England, from 1987 to 1994, and taught geography, English and history in his native England. He received a bachelor of arts degree and master of arts degree in geography, archaeology and anthropology from the University of Cambridge in England.
Triton's superintendent search began in September after Superintendent Sandra Halloran announced her retirement as of this October.
A 17-member superintendent search committee, consisting of five teachers, five parents, three town officials and four other district representatives, narrowed down the number of candidates to three in February, but the third finalist had already accepted a new position in a different district.
