Orford
Arbour’s last day will be June 30, and the School Board will establish a search committee to find her replacement, according to a letter from Marc DeBois, the board’s chairman.
“The superintendency is just not something I want to continue to do at this time,” she said in an interview on Tuesday. “I have some family things that are certainly impacting where I need to be able to put some attention right now, so I want to make sure I can do that.”
Arbour said many of her accomplishments have been “behind the scenes,” making changes to modernize the business office, draft staff policy and determine where schools should allocate resources.
But those who have worked with her say Arbour has played a bigger role, acting as an advocate for the district’s children and as a mentor for up-and-coming teachers and administrators.
“She’s really been supportive of me as a new-to-the-building administrator,” said Julie Donahue, principal of the Samuel Morey and Westshire Elementary schools.
“I thought Elaine was a very experienced and very competent superintendent, and I enjoyed working with her very much,” said Michael Foxall, the former principal of Samuel Morey Elementary.
Arbour’s budget process was clear and administrators found her very accessible, said Foxall, who retired last summer. She also showcased strong leadership and knew how to work alongside the School Board, he added.
“I’m a little bit surprised that she’s not going to be coming back,” he said. “I thought she did an outstanding job, really.”
Arbour was tapped to replace then-Superintendent Michael Harris in 2017, after a monthslong search by a 13-member committee of parents, teachers, administrators and students.
“We all thought she was the clear choice. She seemed to appeal to a very broad interest,” said Craig Tomlinson, a search committee member from Orford.
Arbour receives $115,000 a year and worked four days a week. As currently budgeted, that pay would carry over for her replacement.
Arbour was a good communicator who had experience throughout New Hampshire, he said. Committee members also hoped she could improve Rivendell’s curriculum and help students navigate the opioid crisis.
Arbour has worked for decades in the Upper Valley, starting as a special education teacher at Mascoma Valley Regional High School more than 20 years ago. She then went to work in Claremont as a director of curriculum and instruction before becoming assistant superintendent in 2012.
In 2014, she became superintendent of the Dover (N.H.) School District and spent the next three years commuting from her home in Sunapee to the Seacoast.
Before taking over in Orford, Arbour visited Rivendell’s school several times to meet with the community and school officials.
“I liked her very much. We got along quite well,” Harris said on Tuesday. “I think she had a good feel for the place and seemed eager to take it on.”
However, Harris, who is retired now, said there are some key challenges Arbour likely faced.
“No. 1 is that Dover is very different than Orford and Rivendell,” he said. “(Dover is) a city form of government and much bigger place, and well-entrenched and well-established.”
And he didn’t envy the commute from her home in Sunapee, where she continued to live after the switch to Rivendell.
“That strikes me as a tough haul on a regular basis,” Harris said.
Although Harris held top posts in Lebanon and Lyme, he said Rivendell’s status as an interstate school district could be challenging, as well. Having schools in both states means administrators are required to report to education officials in New Hampshire and Vermont, while following separate sets of regulations.
“I liked Rivendell tremendously, though,” Harris said. “I had a lot of support there from the board and I like the people there very much.”
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.