Chariho committee declines one-year extension for Superintendent Gina Picard
Loading...
Summary
After extended discussion and public input, the Chariho Regional School Committee voted down a motion to extend Superintendent Gina Picard’s contract one year; members cited mixed community feedback, concerns about academic performance in some grades, and unresolved capital-planning questions.
The Chariho Regional School Committee voted against a one-year extension to Superintendent Gina Picard’s contract after more than an hour of discussion and a roll-call vote.
Committee members debated the motion during a regularly scheduled meeting. Supporters pointed to Picard’s community engagement, school-safety work and student-program outcomes; opponents and some undecided members cited constituent emails, concerns about lower elementary reading and math proficiency in parts of the district, and unresolved questions about capital planning for aging elementary facilities. Member Jessica Purcell, speaking during the roll call, recorded her vote in favor: "I vote yes." Several members who had received constituent complaints voted no or said they remained undecided prior to the vote.
Picard told the committee she had solicited and received performance feedback and that she had "no reason to believe my job performance is a concern," but she also agreed that the committee could request additional discussion when properly placed on an agenda. Some members said they had received hundreds of emails from residents both for and against the extension. One member warned that not extending the contract could prompt a superintendent search and potential costs associated with recruiting and contract payouts.
The chair declined requests to open the item to unscheduled public comment, saying the discussion risked turning into a performance review and could expose the committee to an open-meetings complaint. After debate, the motion to extend the contract did not receive enough affirmative votes and failed on a roll-call vote.
The meeting record shows committee members debated follow-up priorities such as creating a capital improvement plan for elementary buildings and continued focus on K–12 academic progress. The committee took no further personnel action that evening.
What’s next: The superintendent’s current contract remains in effect through its existing expiration date; the committee did not adopt a new extension.
