WILBRAHAM – After more than a month on the job, new Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD) Superintendent Albert Ganem Jr. is looking forward to the start of the school year.

Ganem told Reminder Publications during the past month he’s visited all of the schools in the district and has met with principals, selectmen from both towns, as well as the fire and police chiefs from both communities.

“I really feel that an important part of being superintendent is really being there in the community,” he added. “I’ve really had the opportunity to be out there and getting to know people from the very beginning.”

When school starts Ganem said he plans to visit the district’s schools from 8 to 10 a.m. almost every morning.

“I really feel that I have to be out at these schools,” he noted. “I really feel that I need to be visible there and talking with the teachers and principals and having those organic conversations come up. That’s going to be one of my goals.”

He added he considers working in central office to be a “vacuum” and noted that starting his day seeing the work of students and teachers puts things into perspective.

“This work will be here, but I might get sucked into this work and the kids go home and I miss this opportunity,” Ganem said.

He said he also plans to host a breakfast with students at least once a month to gain input from students.

When asked whether he would work toward helping defuse tension between residents in Hampden and Wilbraham due to the ongoing middle school unification issue, Ganem stated he is gathering information about the issue and plans to have an open ear on the subject.

“I can tell there’s a lot of hurt feelings on both sides,” he added. “And I really want to be able to listen to people and truly make the best decision … Everything that we do in this district; everything that happens in this district has to revolve around that child. That’s going to be the center of everything we do here.”

Ganem addressed the district’s ongoing decline in enrollment at the middle school level, by stating enrollment declines are happening across New England and is a common issue many districts face.

“Every superintendent in the state is feeling that as well,” he explained. “It’s not something that’s just isolated for Hampden-Wilbraham.”

When asked to discuss a new enrollment study, Ganem declined, noting the information has yet to be shared with the School Committee.

He added the fiscal year 2017 (FY17) budget is solid at this point and the district should be able to finish the fiscal year with no problem.

During the past several years HWRSD has experienced budgetary shortfalls ranging from more than $500,000 in FY17 to more than $1 million in FY16.

“When I talk about the budget, as I talk about anything else, we have to remember how it’s going to impact children and that’s exactly how we’ll do that,” Ganem said. “I have a great team in this district to work with.”

Ganem said he plans to work with the district’s leadership team and principals to gain input about budgetary decisions.

Some of his goals as superintendent include maintaining safety for the district and a commitment to providing the highest possible quality of education for students.

“We really have everything in place to take this district, which again, is a really good district to become a really great district,” he noted.

Ganem, who has been in education for 23 years, said he started as a teacher at the elementary school level, has served as a principal for 13 years, and worked at the district level for three years.

He added his family is also involved with teaching – his wife is an English as a second language teacher, his daughter is a teacher, and his mother in law was also a principal.

Ganem said he has a passion for education.

“My core value is children and making sure children get the best education they can possibly have,” he explained. “I love being in the schools. I love being in the environment of a school.”