Laconia School Board approves Kelly Carey as Pleasant Street principal effective July 1

The Laconia School Board voted 7-0 on Tuesday to hire Kelly Carey as principal of Pleasant Street School, with the appointment to take effect July 1.

Board members framed the decision as the result of a committee search that produced several candidates and recommended Carey. The assistant superintendent who chaired the search described Carey as having 36 years of experience in elementary education, a master's in educational leadership and a principal certification held since February 2007.

Carey currently serves as an assistant principal at a preschool-through-8 building and previously taught physical education for 11 years before moving into administration. The assistant superintendent said the committee of roughly 10 people followed an “aggressive timeline” and interviewed seven qualified applicants, four with extensive administrative experience and three with elementary administrative backgrounds.

At the meeting Carey addressed the board, saying, “I am excited to be coming on. I've already met a lot of great people, get the sense that it's a real good, welcoming community, really helpful to each other and so I'm looking forward to it.”

Board members congratulated Carey and invited brief remarks. The board recorded the formal motion to hire and carried it by voice vote, seven in favor, none opposed.

The superintendent and district staff will coordinate the transition and onboarding; the board noted a hire date of July 1 but did not specify an employment contract or salary in the public motion.

The board also moved other routine business through the meeting; the Pleasant Street principal appointment was presented and finalized in the same session.

Further personnel details, including contract terms and start-of-service events, were not specified during the public discussion.