Divided Springfield School Committee picks new superintendent, district's first woman leader

Shortly after interviewing three finalists for superintendent, the Springfield, Massachusetts, School Committee on Thursday night chose Sonia Dinnall as the district's next leader.

Dinnall is the first woman and first Black woman to be Springfield's superintendent of schools, the district said.

Dinnall is currently the district's chief of family and community engagement. Before that, she was principal at the High School of Commerce. A lifelong Springfield resident, she began her career in the city, teaching science at Forest Park Middle School, the district said.

In her interview, Dinnall said her personal and professional experiences have prepared her for the job.

"I am determined to continue to use my career to level the playing field, champion equity and mitigate barriers to empower our students to achieve their greatest goals and their biggest dreams," she said.

Dinnall succeeds Daniel Warwick, who will retire at the end of this school year.

The School Committee voted 4-3 in favor of Dinnall, over Kimberly Wells. Wells is currently the district's chief schools officer and was the preferred pick of Mayor Domenic Sarno, who chairs the School Committee. Wells lost on a 3-4 vote.

There was no motion to vote on the third candidate, Rene Sanchez, superintendent of the Champlain Valley School District in Vermont.

The hiring of a new school leader in Springfield was rocky and delayed, with disagreements between some School Committee members and Sarno over the selection process and issues of transparency.

This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by New England Public Media.