Laconia board extends superintendent search after committee questions consultant advertising
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Summary
The Laconia School Board agreed Jan. 6 to extend the application deadline for its superintendent search after the search committee reported that agreed advertising outlets were not posted and sought a consultant breakdown; the board declined to immediately fund additional newspaper ads and asked the committee chair to seek details from the consultant.
The Laconia School Board on Jan. 6 agreed to extend the application deadline for its superintendent search after search‑committee members reported that planned advertising had not appeared on several agreed outlets and asked the consultant for a posting breakdown.
Members of the search committee told the board they had asked for ads to run on platforms including EdJobs and several regional newspapers but could not find evidence that those postings had been placed. Jen Sautek, chair of the search committee, said she had written to the consultant, Michelle Munson, seeking a clear timeline and a list of where ads had been posted; the committee then asked for additional advertising options when the initial pool looked small.
The board discussed whether the consultant’s contract covered advertising. Speaker 1 (board chair) said the contract language could be read two ways — a flat fee plus expenses or an inclusive fee — and asked the board to decide whether to approve extra funds. Multiple members urged caution about allocating more money without seeing an itemized breakdown.
By consensus the board instructed the chair and search committee to request a precise posting timeline and cost breakdown from the consultant and to extend the application deadline by two weeks (to Jan. 21) to allow more applicants to apply. The board did not commit to paying additional advertising costs at the meeting; several members said they would ask the consultant or contracting firm to absorb costs if postings had been contractually required and not executed.
What happened next The board’s direction was procedural: extend the deadline, collect documentary evidence about postings and costs, and report back. No formal motion to allocate additional funds passed. The search committee is scheduled to meet again on Jan. 22 to review candidates.
Why it matters Extending the search and seeking more outreach could broaden the candidate pool for a district hiring a new superintendent. At the same time, the board flagged potential contract and oversight gaps with the search consultant that it wants clarified before approving extra funds.
Reporting note Quotes and attributions in this article come from statements recorded during the Jan. 6 meeting.