CLAREMONT — In the middle of an unprecedented fiscal crisis, three more of the city’s school administrators have resigned.
Human Resource Coordinator Samantha Miller, Human Resources Director Patrick O’Hearn and Assistant Superintendent Mike Koski all voluntarily resigned from SAU 6 this month.
Miller’s last day was Oct. 1, O’Hearn will depart Oct. 17 and Koski’s last day is Oct. 20, said Adam Brown, a public relations contractor recently hired by the SAU.
The employees received prorated payments for any unused vacation time, but were not paid for unused sick time, nor did they receive severance, Brown said.
Claremont schools are trying to climb out of a $5 million deficit. So far, cuts have included laying off a number of staff members and rescinding contracts for new teachers who were hired over the summer. The district did not state if the administrators’ departures this month were related to cost-saving measures or done for other reasons.
O’Hearn briefly served as interim superintendent after Superintendent Chris Pratt — who resigned last month — was placed on paid administrative leave in August, not long after the School Board told the public of a large deficit and cash flow problem.
Claremont Middle School Principal Kerry Kennedy has been serving as interim superintendent since last month. The district hired her in June, a few months after she resigned from the Central Elementary School in Bellows Falls, Vt.
Mike McCosker, director of student services at the SAU, resigned in late August.
Rick Elliott, SAU 6’s director of curriculum, resigned last month after details of a misconduct investigation that prompted his resignation from a previous job in a neighboring school district came to light.
Mary Henry, the SAU 6 business administrator, remains on paid administrative leave. In her absence, the SAU hired Matt Angell in August to handle the district’s finances.
To help alleviate the cash crunch, the district’s leaders are hoping the New Hampshire legislature will approve a revolving loan fund that would allow the district to borrow against future adequacy aid payments from the state.
The Senate Education Committee will discuss, and possibly vote, on an amendment to an existing bill with the revolving loan fund language when it meets on Tuesday in Concord.