Woodstock Academy Board authorizes president to negotiate head-of-school contract

The Woodstock Academy District Board of Trustees on Feb. 25 unanimously authorized Board President Christine Swenson to negotiate a contract with a selected head-of-school candidate following a closed executive session on contract negotiations.

Trustee Hans Rhynhart moved the authorization, and Trustee Brent Tuttle seconded. The motion stated that the president should "act on behalf of the Board and negotiate a contract with the head of school candidate under the terms and conditions discussed during executive session." The motion passed unanimously, according to the minutes.

The board entered executive session at 7:03 p.m. "to consider Contract Negotiations," with the minutes recording that Julie Woodland, the board clerk, was invited to attend. The meeting returned to open session at 7:47 p.m.; the minutes note no public details from the closed session beyond its subject.

There was no community participation at the meeting, and the board adjourned at 7:51 p.m. after a motion by Trustee Lauren Brown, seconded by Trustee Leisl Langevin; that motion also passed unanimously.

The minutes, signed "Respectfully submitted, Julie Woodland, Board Clerk," state they are for informational purposes only. The minutes list trustees present and those absent with notification; the recorded votes on motions are described as unanimous but do not list individual recorded dissenting or abstaining votes.

Next steps recorded in the minutes are limited to the authorization: the president was empowered to negotiate the contract terms discussed in executive session. The minutes do not specify the candidate's name, the contract terms, or a timeline for final approval; those details were not included in the public record of this meeting.