CLAREMONT — One of the finalists chosen by the School Board for the position of SAU 6 superintendent will be available to the public on Monday, board chairwoman Candace Crawford said Wednesday.
Crawford, who read from a prepared statement at Wednesday’s board meeting, said the candidate, whom she later identified as Tim Broadrick, will spend the day meeting with staff before the forum, which is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Teal Room in the Sugar River Valley Technical Center.
Following the forum, which will be broadcast on CCTV, the board will meet to decide the next step and give the public an update at the April 15 board meeting.
“It is important to keep in mind that all options are on the table,” Crawford said. “If we have to reopen the position, we will.”
Of the nine candidates who applied by Wednesday’s application deadline, some were either removed because they lacked the required credentials or chose to withdraw on their own, Crawford said. That left two candidates who had interviews before the full board, she said.
Reached Thursday, Crawford declined to provide more information about the second candidate.
Members of the public had criticized the selection process at the board’s meeting on March 18 because the process was led by a committee of three School Board members away from public view.
Crawford defended the approach and the decision not to open the process to SAU 6 staff members or residents. She noted that hiring committees used to hire two of the last three superintendents included board members, teachers, administrators and community members and yielded “mixed results”: Middleton McGoodwin, whom the board fired in 2018, and Michael Tempesta, whom the board fired in 2024.
“The past superintendents selected this way, a full community search, haven’t been what Claremont expected or needed,” she said.
The strain of a $5 million budget shortfall that was uncovered last summer and the subsequent departure of key administrators have made for a tumultuous school year, but it also has made clear what attributes are needed in the next superintendent or executive director, Crawford said.
“We are trying to move quickly and decisively and felt strongly the way forward was clear,” Crawford continued. “We need someone who can focus on operations, and setting Claremont schools on the right path. We didn’t need a large community effort or long process to figure that out.
“We need someone who has experience in operations. Someone who can clearly and quickly earn the confidence of the Claremont administrative and educational team and who has the strength to make difficult and strategic decisions while understanding the ultimate goal: putting our students on a path to success.”
Crawford acknowledged that the board, which has been focused on the deficit and budget, has not done a good job keeping residents informed on the search for the district’s next leader but promised to be more open as the process continues.
“We are working to be sure important information is shared with you sooner rather than later but in a thoughtful, responsible way.”
Residents unable to attend the public forum but would like to ask a question, can email their question to Crawford at candace.crawford@sau6.org.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
