LAKEVILLE — The Freetown-Lakeville school district may be looking to hire a new superintendent. 

The Freetown-Lakeville School Committee met to “discuss strategies for possible superintendent transition,” in an executive session meeting on Monday, June 17. 

The meeting was held one week after current Freetown-Lakeville Superintendent Alan Strauss was interviewed as the only remaining finalist for the position of Hingham High School principal.  

Hingham Public Schools aims to replace current principal Rick Swanson, who recently announced his resignation.  

Strauss was questioned in a virtual community forum on Tuesday, June 11 hosted by Hingham Public Schools that drew an audience of over fifty people, as reported by local newspaper the Hingham Anchor. 

He became the remaining candidate for the position after the second finalist, Robert Shaw, withdrew his application. Shaw formerly served as the principal of North Quincy High School. He withdrew from the selection process after accepting an offer to become principal of Hull High School. 

During his interview, Strauss told a Hingham audience that he was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia last year. He announced his diagnosis publicly to the Freetown and Lakeville communities at the Wednesday, June 12 School Committee meeting. 

His diagnosis “changed everything,” he said, adding that he’s “in a really good place now physically.”

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a progressive type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It is not curable, but patients can live with it for many years, according to Cleveland Clinic Medical Center. 

During his interview, Strauss said that after some reflection earlier on in the year, he realized he wanted to return to his “real joy”— being a principal. 

“I love kids and working with staff and families, and that’s why I’m here,” he said, in reference to why he was interviewing for the job. 

Strauss has served as Freetown-Lakeville Superintendent since July of 2022. Before that, he was principal of Weymouth High School and eighth grade principal at Chapman Middle School in Weymouth. He also worked previously as principal of Gilbert School and vice principal of Windsor High School in Connecticut.