Claremont
The board also voted to advertise for an interim superintendent while it conducts a search for a permanent superintendent.
McGoodwin, who has been leading SAU 6 since 2011, was informed in a May 22 letter from SAU 6 Chairwoman Sara Lowe, of Unity, and Vice Chairman Mike Petrin, of Claremont, that the board had “voted to pursue other leadership of the SAU 6 at the end of the current school year.”
No further explanation was provided by the SAU board, which met in a nonpublic session May 10 where it made the decision to terminate McGoodwin’s employment. However, the letter also gave McGoodwin, whose, three-year contract extension was to begin on July 1, the option of “voluntarily resigning,” and if he did, so the board would execute a settlement agreement under the provisions of his contract.
McGoodwin’s contract grants him six months’ severance pay and one year of health coverage regardless of whether the board fires him or he resigns.
The terms of the settlement were not announced at the meeting but Lowe said during the discussion the board would need to find the money in the SAU budget before July 1. McGoodwin, 71, was paid $127,000 annually.
The board scheduled another meeting for June 28, at which time it is expected to hold a public hearing on spending some of the projected fund balance of $123,000 from the SAU budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, including $55,000 that was to be carried over to offset set expenditures in the next fiscal year.
In addition to naming LeClair the acting superintendent — though the details of her job duties and pay still need to be worked out — the board will advertise for an interim superintendent with the expectation of filling the job by Aug. 15. He or she could be in the role for 24 months, which McGoodwin warned could hurt the district.
“An interim is a placeholder,” McGoodwin said. “They are not going to move the district forward.”
He suggested beginning the search in the fall with the goal of having the next superintendent on board next July 1.
The board also wants to hold a retreat-style meeting to discuss and agree upon what they are looking for in the next superintendent.
“It will help us get a definition of who we are looking for,” Claremont School Board member Steve Horsky said.
In his resignation letter, McGoodwin expressed his thanks to the parents, students and residents of Claremont and Unity for being allowed to serve them. He listed a number of accomplishments including clarifying academic expectations, the renovation of Stevens High School and building of a new school in Unity, establishing full-day kindergarten and leading the fight to establish a new criminal offense background check law.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
