CHAPEL HILL – The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education announced last week that Dr. Thomas Forcella, superintendent of Guilford, Conn., Public Schools, will serve as the next superintendent of the school district.
Forcella has served as superintendent in Guilford since 2005 and previously served as superintendent of schools in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
He began his career in public schools as a special-education teacher and later served as a high school principal. Forcella holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education, a master’s degree in special education and a doctorate in educational management from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.
“Under his leadership, student test scores have increased despite reductions in district resources,†board Chair Jamezetta Bedford said. According to a CHCCS press release, the Guilford school district outperforms other districts of similar socioeconomic status in statewide testing. The district includes seven schools serving a student population of 3,900.
Forcella said that he believes a positive culture that places an emphasis on all students learning is critical in a school system.
“Obviously, the current economic crisis does not offer much to assist districts,†he said. “The children who enter our school buildings keep us positive and provide the motivation for us to press on even in the worst times.
“None of us should ever be satisfied with the status quo. In public education, you are either moving forward or you’re moving backward.â€
At a meeting at Smith Middle School, the board voted unanimously to name Forcella as the district’s next superintendent and offered remarks welcoming him to Chapel Hill-Carrboro.
“One thing that’s clear is that achieving our high expectations for all students will require you recognize and draw upon all the resources our district has to offer,†board member Greg McElveen said, adding that Forcella has demonstrated he can do that.
“I was impressed with Dr. Forcella from the moment I read his application,†board member Jean Hamilton said. “Dr. Forcella is a great listener, and that’s something you’ll really need working with this group.â€
Forcella pledged to work to move the district forward.
“It is important that there exist a sense of ownership of the educational program from all of these groups, and I will do whatever it takes to facilitate this occurring,†he said.
Forcella will officially take on the superintendent role on July 1. He was selected from a pool of 27 applicants, of which 10 were interviewed in March. The board launched the search for a new superintendent in October following Superintendent Neil Pedersen’s July announcement that he would retire at the end of the 2010-11 school year.
The search process was uncharted territory for school board members, as Pedersen has served as superintendent since 1992 and is the longest-serving superintendent in district history.