NEWPORT — SAU 43 Superintendent Cindy Gallagher has worn a lot of different hats during her 12 years with the Newport School District, a few of which had the title of interim and many were administrative. Now she hopes to move to a role that allows her to return to working more closely with children.
Gallagher will step down on June 30, after more than four years as superintendent.
Beyond her desire to engage more with students, Gallagher said she does not have a position lined up but to be fair to the district wanted to give the School Board enough time to hire a replacement so she announced her resignation now.
Her son, Ben, is graduating from Newport Middle High School in June.
“I don’t have a job right now so it is a leap of faith,” Gallagher said on Monday.
Gallagher, originally from Pittsburgh, came to Newport in 1999, and was hired by the school district in 2007 as the assistant principal at Newport Middle High School. That was followed by a principal position at the middle school, associate principal for grades 6-12 and then director of At-Risk Services for three years.
She has also served as interim director for the technical center, for special education services and during her tenure as superintendent was also the district’s interim business administrator.
“This year completes my twelfth year in the district. I intend to pursue jobs in public schools and higher education that will allow me to have greater opportunities to work directly with students,” Gallagher said in a statement announcing her resignation on Sunday.
The School Board anticipates hiring a business administrator for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
Gallagher oversaw the departure of Croydon from the SAU and helped to negotiate a tuition agreement with Goshen.
The School Board praised Gallagher, 53, for her work on behalf of students and said her accomplishments include developing business partnerships for the schools and leading the transformation of the school curriculum toward a competency-based model.
“Under Dr. Gallagher’s leadership, Newport Schools were pleased to be chosen to be part of the second year of the New Hampshire Department of Education’s PACE initiative,” School Board Chairwoman, Linda Wadensten said in the release.
Gallagher said one of the toughest challenges she faced each year as superintendent was working to gain voter approval for budgets that supported the district’s staff, including teachers and paraprofessionals. Without regular pay increases, teachers trained under the new competency-based model, would often leave the district, she said.
“When they left, we had to train new people,” Gallagher said. “Being able to sustain the new education model is really important for the district.”
In March, voters approved a three-year teachers’ contract.
The board said it will begin the search for a new superintendent immediately.
“The Newport School Board is grateful for her years of service in our community and wishes her well in her new endeavors,” the board said.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com
