School Board Prepares for SAU Withdrawal

After a vote of approval from Windham residents on March 13, the Windham School Board is starting its preparations to move away from Pelham, withdrawing from SAU 28.

Starting on July 1, 2013, the district will be designated as SAU 95. But in the interim, there will be a full transition year where the two towns will figure out how to split resources and Windham will need to find a new superintendent.

Henry LaBranche, who is currently serving as superintendent for both districts, will soon be replaced.

According to LaBranche, he is supposed to be finished with his duties in June 3. The board will have the opportunity to take action during a May meeting to keep LaBranche on for the extra year while it finds somone to replace him.

"We diecided giving my willingness to come back for another year (that) this was the best solution to use th full school year to conduct a search," LaBranche said.

A withdrawal committee that has since formed after the warrant article was passed by voters has decided that assets will be divided between Pelham and Windham.

One option would have been for one district to buy the other out, but school board and committee member Stephanie Wimmer said that it would leave the district being bought out in a tough situation, as the assets they would be selling have depreciated in value.

Also still to be decided is the space that will be designated in the building for each district.

Staffing for SAU 95, according to Wimmer, will feed right into the budgeting process.

The town will need to hire an assistant superintendent, special services director and other staff members to call its own.

Adam Steel, who serves as the business administrator for the district, said that with there is flexibility with the default budget, because there is no precedent to match.

"As you establish your staff, supply budgets (and) whatever other particular budgets, whatever budget that is that's going to be the default," he said.

The cost for the withdrawal will be just around $300,000.

Right now, utilities are shared between the two districts, but Windham foots 56 percent of the cost.

The search for a new superintendent, according to LaBranche, typically takes about 120 days. The board indicated that it would like to start that search as soon as possible, and it will begin to be conducted sometime after September and no later than the beginning of October.

LaBranche said that maybe a couple dozen candidates would be seeking a superintendent position. A consultant would likely vet out 12 candidates.

"The school board generally sees the top three with which you make your choice," he said.

The goal for the board is to announce the appointment in March 2013.