The SAU #46 Board representing the Merrimack Valley School Board and the Andover School Board is pleased to announce the selection for the Superintendent of Schools position presently held by Dr. Michael Martin, who will retire on June 30. After a nationwide search, the committee has selected the Assistant Superintendent for the Kearsage Regional School District, Mr. Mark MacLean.
Mr. Mark MacLean is presently the Assistant Superintendent for the Kearsarge Regional School District serving Bradford, Newbury, New London, Springfield, Sutton, Warner, and Wilmot. Mr. MacLean received his Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership from Plymouth State University in 2012. Prior to coming to Kearsarge, he served as the Dean of Academics at Alvirne High School. From 1996 to 2007, Mr. MacLean was a business/computer teacher and coordinator at Merrimack Valley High School.
The SAU #46 superintendent search process began this past summer with the formation of a search committee whose membership was appointed by both boards of the SAU. The search committee worked with the consultation of Bill Lander of the New Hampshire School Boards Association. The position was posted nationally.
Thirteen candidates applied for the position. Five were selected for semi-finalist interviews, and three were moved forward as finalists. Community forums were held at the schools of all of the towns of the district to collect public feedback. All school board members were surveyed regarding qualities and qualifications. Finalists were chosen in December.
The finalists visited all of the SAU schools in Boscawen, Webster, Salisbury, Andover, Loudon, and Penacook and met the public at a community forum in January. The SAU board then collected feedback from all of the schools and the community forum. Visits were made by representatives of each school board to the finalist schools.
The board members felt all three candidates could bring valuable skills to SAU #46 and were impressed by the quality of all of the candidates destined to be future superintendents of schools in New Hampshire. After two and a half hours of discussions, the SAU board voted unanimously to select Mark MacLean, citing technology and business skills, candidate responses to interview questions, and central office experience. The SAU will begin planning meetings with district employees and the community to meet the new superintendent when his contract begins on July 1.