A newly-formed group in town is calling for Barrington School Department administration to stick to its word when it hires the next high school assistant principal.

Specifically, the group "Barrington Collective for Equity and Inclusion" is urging the school district to follow closely its own recent statement and "prioritize the hiring of diverse candidates at all levels of our organization." Barrington school officials began searching for a new BHS assistant principal in mid-August after Nicole Varone resigned from Barrington schools and took a new job at St. Luke's School principal. 

In its own statement, BCEI leadership wrote: "We urge the administration to act in accordance with this commitment in the search for and hiring of a new assistant principal at the high school."

The BCEI leadership team is comprised of four people: Amy Hogarth, Jack Van Leer, Katherine Quinn and Mariana Silva-Buck.

The group's statement called for school officials to recognize that in order to attract a diverse group of candidates for the BHS position, administrators should advertise in diverse publications, "specifically publications aimed at people of color, and promoting the position within a variety of professional networks."

The Barrington Collective for Equity and Inclusion also called for the district to hire an interim assistant principal if the search for a "racially and ethnically diverse group of candidates" requires more time.

"In addition, we call upon the administration to be transparent in the search and hiring process and to ensure a comprehensive search, targeting applicants from underrepresented populations, that up to now have not been represented adequately in our school system," stated the BCEI release. "We ask you to follow through on your commitment to diversity and inclusion."

The BCEI leadership team declined a request to be interviewed.