New SAU 13 superintendent resigns

MADISON — On the first day of the school year, the SAU 13 Board accepted the resignation of new school superintendent Dr. Kathleen Scholand, who had been on the job for less than 40 days.

The board, made up of members of the Freedom, Madison and Tamworth school boards, held a special meeting Sept. 8. The lone agenda item was “a personnel matter.”

James Curran, chair of the Madison School Board and the SAU Joint Board, said by phone that at the meeting, the board voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Scholand, effective Friday, Oct. 2.

Scholand started work July 1. She took over the reins from Dr. Michael Whaland, who is the new superintendent of SAU 3 in Moultonborough.

Whaland served as the superintendent of SAU 13 for five years, from July 2021 to June 2026. Last year, he was named Superintendent of the Year by the New Hampshire School Administrators Association.

Curran said Schofield was resigning for “personal reasons.”

“She served our district with professionalism and dedication,” Curran said. “We thank her for that.”

Contacted Tuesday, Scholand confirmed her departure and also cited “personal reasons.”

Curran said a search committee will be established to find a new superintendent. “We’ll start working to find the right candidate,” he said. “We’ll put in the work to find the right fit.”

Classes started at Freedom Elementary and the K.A. Brett School in Tamworth on Sept. 8. Madison Elementary began on Sept. 9.

With the search process starting anew, members of the Conway School Board would like to see SAU 13 rejoin SAU 9, which covers Albany, Bartlett, Chatham, Conway, Eaton, Hart’s Location and Jackson.

The towns of Freedom, Madison and Tamworth had long been part of SAU 9. In 1991, the towns voted to form their own SAU.

“The time is definitely right for those towns to come back,” Randy Davison of the Conway School Board said on Monday night. Joe Mosca, chair of the Conway School Board, agreed.

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“I’m hopeful that we will have those discussions,” Mosca said. “I think we would all love to have that happen, but it’s obviously up to the SAU 13 towns to decide whether they want to do that or not.

“The offer has been made. Now with this superintendent giving her resignation, you know, maybe it makes sense to explore it again,” Mosca said.

In 2012, a proposal by the Madison School District to withdraw from SAU 13 failed to achieve a 60 percent majority by one vote.

Scholand, 62, who lives in West Ossipee, was hired by the SAU 13 Joint Board on June 4.

She was interim assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment for SAU 26 in Merrimack for the last school year. Prior to that, she was an interim assistant superintendent in SAU 1 (ConVal School District) in Peterborough.

She also previously held the role of director of curriculum in both Farmington and Northwood. Scholand also has an extensive background as a secondary mathematics teacher and department head.

Scholand earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Plymouth State University and also holds a master’s degree in mathematics and certificates of advanced studies in both gifted education and educational leadership.

Curran said Scholand had agreed to a two-year contract.

The superintendent search committee that chose her over several other applicants was chaired by Shauna Peterson, Tamworth School Board chair, and included three people from each district plus some SAU staff.

Tamworth was represented by board members Peterson and Siena Kaplan-Thompson and resident Katie Nelson. Freedom was represented by board member Sarah Groleau and residents Kareen Briggs and Josh Wilson. For Madison, it was Curran and Madison Elementary Principal Heather Woodward, along with resident Whitney Lockhardt.

In an interview with the Sun last month, Scholand said her job begins and ends with students. “I’m always about student outcomes,” she said, “being able to do work always with the lens of what’s best for students.”

That focus also includes the staff members who educate students and the communities that support the schools. “It always leads back to, or starts with students,” Scholand said.

“And that’s my true north, ensuring positive student outcomes and positive experiences for everyone along the way.”