Dr. Stephen Zrike has reportedly agreed to enter into contract negotiations to become the next superintendent of the Wakefield School District.

According to a statement from Wakefield School Committee Chair Tom Markham, he and committee Vice Chair Anne Danehy spoke with Zrike on Thursday morning for an hour.

“Zrike informed me that he is excited about the prospects of coming to Wakefield and is honored to accept the school committee’s offier to enter into superintendent contract negotiations,” wrote Markham, adding that the parties agreed to keep their existing March 22nd deadline to conclude negotiations.

“In each of the three telephone conversations held in the past few days, Dr. Zrike has expressed his sincere interest in Wakefield and the honor he feels at being the School Committee's top choice to be the next educational leader,” said Markham.

Zrike had also been a finalist for the New Bedford superintendent’s position but that city reportedly opted for another candidate on Monday. At Tuesday’s Wakefield School Committee meeting, members rejected a proposal that would have given Zrike 48 hours to respond, despite some concern that he had been slow to accept the job.

However, Markham addressed this in his statement as well, saying that Zrike was “grateful for the patience and understanding granted to him by the community” adding that “a family’s relocation from Chicago to greater Boston and a shift in career cannot be taken lightly and “I am frankly pleased that Dr. Zrike has given it the thought that such a move deserves.”

“While the School Committee and the community were anxious to get an answer and begin our next steps, in the end, I believe that Wakefield's schools will be better served by a new superintendent who has fully, personally and professionally thought it through,” wrote Markham, adding that “Wakefield will welcome his energy toward improved student achievement, his thoughtful impact as a change agent, and his experience with educational excellence.”