GREENFIELD — The School Committee voted favorably this week to appoint Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Karin Patenaude as the district’s next superintendent, pending a public interview process and successful contract negotiations.

Patenaude would assume the role starting July 1, 2024.

“We have received tons of emails, phone calls, texts … and it has been unanimous that Karin Patenaude should be appointed as our next superintendent,” said School Committee Chair Amy Proietti.

The conversation at Wednesday’s meeting followed Superintendent Christine DeBarge’s announcement in August of her plans to retire at the end of the academic year. In a meeting last week, members of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees explained to the Greenfield committee that it has two paths forward: hiring a professional firm for a nationwide search (which could cost up to $60,000) or hiring an internal candidate.

“It was very clear in that meeting that if we have a qualified candidate that is internal, we should absolutely be looking internally,” Proietti said. “That is, I believe, the will of the committee as well as the will of the community, which is pretty impressive.”

DeBarge told the committee during last week’s meeting that she is “supremely confident” Patenaude could do the job. As others had done for DeBarge in her own career, DeBarge said she has worked with Patenaude in a manner so that she would be prepared if interested in pursuing superintendency at some stage.

Prior to serving as assistant superintendent of teaching and learning — a new role created in 2021 — Patenaude was principal of Greenfield High School. She started with the district as an English teacher. After about 14 years with the Greenfield School Department, Patenaude has said she’s “very interested” in progressing to the next step in her career.

However, with Mayor Roxann Wedegartner, who serves on the committee, and members Glenn Johnson-Mussad and Kate Martini absent from Wednesday’s meeting, member Elizabeth de Neeve suggested delaying the vote on appointing a new superintendent until next month when more School Committee members would be present.

“While I have nothing but respect for you, Karin Patenaude, and am looking forward to working with you in the future … I feel like this moment is very, very important,” said de Neeve. “It feels like not a good idea to make this decision when we’re missing three other committee members.”

The process feels rushed, de Neeve added.

Ultimately, her motion failed to receive a second. De Neeve abstained from the vote, with Proietti and members Jean Wall and Susan Eckstrom voting in support of Patenaude’s appointment.

Wall noted that the vote to appoint a new superintendent was contingent on a public process that would follow.

“That gives us a lot of time,” she said. “We have to vote on her contract; we have the interview process.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.