Dr. Mike Martin, School Superintendent, to Retire at End of School Year

A quiet problem-solver, involved with many changes

September 26, 2013 • Saved under Committees
By Don Gould, Andover School Board
School District Superintendent Dr. Mike Martin has announced plans to retire next June.
School District Superintendent Dr. Mike Martin has announced plans to retire next June.

Superintendent Mike Martin will be retiring at the end of this school year, on June 30, 2014.

A quiet problem-solver always focused on results that advance the curriculum and the buildings to  national leadership positions in both areas, Superintendent Martin holds both a Doctorate in Education and a Master of Business Administration, a unique combination for a school superintendent. He has led the Merrimack Valley and Andover School Districts since 1999, making him the longest-serving superintendent in the area.

Superintendent Martin is also one of the best in the state, according to Ted Comstock, executive Director of the New Hampshire School Boards Association. In 2010, he was named New Hampshire Superintendent of the Year.

Consider the extraordinary strides made by the Merrimack Valley and Andover School Districts during Dr. Martin’s tenure:

  • Merrimack Valley High School (MVHS) has been fully renovated.

  • MVHS embraced the International Baccalaureate program as a way to increase academic rigor in its curriculum and increase advanced study opportunity.

  • MVHS opened the CSI Charter School.

  • The TEAMS Charter School was opened, which focuses on technology, engineering, math and science. These Merrimack Valley School District supported the start-up of these two charter schools, which run independently from the districts and are for students who drop out of high school and want to return to finish their degree.

  • Andover Elementary/Middle School has seen significant renovations over the past five years, including a new gym floor, corrections to meet Life Safety Code, middle school and gym roof repair, strengthening and drainage improvement to recover from storm damage that flooded the library, new floor covering in the middle school, and playground and athletic field improvements.

  • Curriculum changes have been developed to include all-day kindergarten in the Andover School District and to meet the Common Core Standards.

Superintendent Martin’s knowledge of school finances and advanced building technology is one of his strongest qualities as an executive, since he is always thinking about ways to reduce costs and the burden on taxpayers. During his tenure the high school, Merrimack Valley Middle School, and administrative building campus switched from an oil heating system to a wood chip furnace.

At AE/MS, a more efficient lighting system was installed, which has cut electrical costs for total pay-back in three years and that will, starting this year, yield significant savings.

He was also involved in negotiating a favorable 15-year tuition contract for Andover School District pupils to attend Merrimack Valley High School and making the charter schools available.

Thus, the search for a new superintendent in SAU 46, the Merrimack Valley and Andover School Districts, is a big challenge.

Many districts fail to be clear and fail to reach consensus about what they want to see in a candidate and are disappointed with the result of their search. The Andover School Board and its representatives to the Search Committee need your help. A public hearing to receive comment will be held at AE/MS on Monday, September 30, at 6:30 PM. Public comment and information is always welcome also at regularly-scheduled Andover School Board meetings on the first Tuesday of each month.