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BOE to hire an interim leader

By Staff | May 17, 2016

NASHUA – In a special meeting Monday, the Nashua Board of Education decided to pursue the hiring of an interim superintendent of schools to replace Superintendent Mark Conrad, who announced his resignation Friday.

Board member George Farrington said the board wanted to give enough time for a thorough vetting of candidates. "The district has a history of going through a fairly extensive process that involved a lot of community, and I personally don’t see that there’s time enough left to do it and give everyone an opportunity to share their views," Farrington said.

Board President Sandra Ziehm agreed, saying "The superintendent of our district is the leader of our district, and everyone should have a voice."

Ziehm said the district should also allow enough time to have a broader selection of candidates, "It is late in the process and we’re concerned at this point there might not be too many candidates out there."

The interim position carries a one-year contract, and Ziehm said it could potentially serve as a kind of extended interview. "The good thing about it is they know if they like it here, and it gives everyone a chance to see if it’s a good match," she said.

Nashua has employed a series of interim administrators in the past; some have moved into permanent positions, and some did not. Recently, Sharon Coffey transitioned from interim principal of Fairgrounds Middle School to the permanent position.

However, Ziehm said the selection process for hiring the district superintendent is particularly stringent. "We had a public forum last time – it was very inclusive of the community, because it’s the head of the district; he will be representing all of us. It’s a big decision," she said, adding the overall search and vetting process lasted at least a full year.

Ziehm has been on the board for more than a decade and she recalled the last round of hiring seven years ago. "We took all the candidates on a bus tour and showed them the district," she said.

After serving as superintendent for the past seven years, Conrad announced his plans to resign effective Aug. 12, giving a 90-day notice. After leaving Nashua, he will be taking on the position as Executive Director of the South East Regional Educational Service Center, commonly known as SERESC, based in Bedford. SERESC is a nonprofit consortium of consultants and programs that provide professional development and educational services in the region.

Conrad worked as the business administrator for the district from 1996-2006, and as the chief financial officer for the Bedford School District from 2006-09. He has been the superintendent in Nashua district since 2009.

"Obviously it’s a loss when you lose experienced people who have come to be loved, but it creates opportunity, too," Ziehm said.

The board of education will meet again 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, at Nashua High School North to discuss options for hiring an interim superintendent.

The Monday night meeting also included a nonpublic session to discuss candidates to replace the district’s two departing assistant superintendents, Jennifer Seusing and Karen Crebase. Both are leaving the district this summer. While no decisions were made, the board will meet in nonpublic again on Wednesday to continue talks.

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