01/12/2016

School Board accepts resignation of superintendent headed for new job in New Hampshire

The School Board on Jan. 12, 2016 accepted the resignation of Superintendent Meredith Nadeau, effective June 30. Nadeau is slated to begin a new job July 1 as superintendent of the Newmarket School District in Newmarket, N.H.

"Certainly the board knows this has been a bittersweet decision for me as well," Nadeau said following School Board member Michael Moore's reluctant motion to accept her resignation. "The district in New Hampshire happens to be the district where my grandmother and great-grandmother graduated from high school, which is a unique opportunity for me," she said.

Newmarket School Board Chairman Nathan Lunney announced Nadeau's appointment in a news release Jan. 12.

Nadeau came to Cape Elizabeth from the Oyster River Cooperative School District, Durham, N.H., in July 2011, a time when Common Core and proficiency based standards were being introduced to Maine schools.

During her five-year tenure, Nadeau oversaw development of a new mission and vision statement and accompanying statement of values for Cape Elizabeth schools, and a strategic plan to execute them. This work has included an implementation of full-day kindergarten, introduction of foreign-language instruction in first grade, development of project-based learning models, and long-term planning for capital improvements.

In 2015 she was among 27 superintendents to earn the first National Superintendent Certification from AASA, the School Superintendent's Association.

Elizabeth Scifres, chair of the Cape Elizabeth School Board, said the board would meet this week to establish a plan for the selection of a new superintendent, hopefully for a July 1 start.* "Community participation and input is a key component to finding the right fit for Cape's new school leader," Scifres said. "The great news is we have extensive survey data, from teachers, administrators, students, and parents from the past year that will be critical to shaping our search," Scifres said.

She said the board was disappointed by Nadeau's resignation, but also grateful for the accomplishments of the last five years, especially the mission, vision and strategic plan. "But we understand the strong pull of family and wish you success as you start a new chapter in the state of New Hampshire," Scifres said.

According its website, Newmarket is a school district of 1,180 students in two facilities: an elementary school for grades preschool-5; and junior/senior high school for grades 6-12.

Nadeau said she would hold a special place in her heart for Cape Elizabeth. "Teachers and administrators here have so much to be proud of in the work that this district does every day," she said. She said she would continue that work for the next six months and would do all she could for a smooth transition.

* Update - The School Board will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, in the William H. Jordan Conference Room at Town Hall to discuss the superintendent search process; and, to consider appointing a consultant and/or designate the board chair to enter into an agreement with a consultant to assist with the superintendent search.