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Ridge Road Principal Selected as New Superintendent of Schools

With current Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Cronin’s retirement becoming official on the first of the year, a replacement has been found in Ridge Road elementary School Principal Patrick Stirk.

The five-month search officially ended at a special meeting of the Board of Education (BOE) on Jan. 3 with a unanimous vote in favor of the appointment by the eight present board members. Stirk will officially take office on Monday, March 4.

“We as a board are just thrilled to have Patrick as our next superintendent,” said BOE Chair Anita Anderson after the confirmation.

Joseph Erardi, an outside advisor who helped guide the search process, said that the BOE chose Stirk from 27 candidates, 11 of whom were interviewed, and only 4 who were called for a second interview.

“The hiring committee was very deliberate making sure their pick was correct,” Erardi said. “Very rarely is it a consensus endorsement enthusiastically and that’s what you have this evening.”

He said that North Haven received candidates from a wide pool of applicants from a variety of locations. He and Anderson agreed that Stirk’s experience in North Haven did not play a major role in his hiring.

“We considered each candidate individually,” Anderson said.

Anderson said that the search committee hired Stirk following community forums as well as parent and staff input.

She cited “passion, humility, and drive to continually learn” as qualities that stood out in Stirk’s application and interviews.

“It’s still a little surreal for me, but I feel very blessed to still call North Haven home,” Stirk said. “I’m immensely grateful for being a part of [the Ridge Road] community for the past few years.”

Stirk came to Ridge Road in 2015 from an assistant principalship in Stratford.

“It gave me a strong foundation in building administration so I’m bringing it forward to increase my learning,” Stirk said.

He also has 10 years of classroom experience in the Bridgeport school system.

“Teaching 1st grade, you’ve got to be a jack of all trades,” he said. “It all builds on each other, so I’ll use all my experience over the years.”

Though no decision has been made yet, Anderson said the BOE expects to hire an interim principal for Ridge Road when Stirk leaves the position in March, with applications for the full position coming in this spring.

“As of today, that’s the plan, but something could change,” she said.

Cronin has agreed to stay on until March 4 and, afterwards, will remain available to Stirk during the transition period.

“The BOE is proud of the work Mr. Stirk has done as a school leader in North Haven,” Anderson said in a release. “We feel fully confident that his present performance will transition to central the office in a seamless manner.”