After recent turmoil, Winchendon school officials are optimistic about future - what's changed?
It’s been a turbulent past few months for the Winchendon School District, but it seems that things have turned a corner.
Former Superintendent Thad King’s separation agreement was voided over the summer, leaving his employment status uncertain, and the makeup of the school committee was quickly reshuffled after two members resigned by walking out of a meeting before it was over.
These events followed months of residents expressing their concerns about a controversial reorganization plan, the alarming number of teachers and administrators leaving the district, and a general lack of transparency between school officials and parents.
But the new school year has gotten off to a smooth start and officials are optimistic about the district’s future, according to Karen Kast-McBride, chair of the school committee.
“I think we had a great opening; I think that everything is turning the corner, and everything is more positive,” Kast-McBride said, adding that there were a few minor bumps in the road, the kind that are experienced every time schools open for the year – things like bus delays, miscommunications, and last-minute personnel changes. “But I really think we’re off to a great start.”
All open administration positions have been filled, according to officials, including the principal of Murdock High School. David Fredette has taken the reins at the school following the departure of Mary Jane Rickson, who accepted a position as assistant superintendent in the Hampshire Regional School District.
Fredette comes to Murdock from the Ware Public Schools; he was previously a school principal in Gardner.
Interim superintendent bringing 'positivity' to district
Following King’s departure, Dr. Ruthann Petruno-Goguen was announced as interim superintendent for the 2023-24 school year. Petruno-Goguen, a retired school superintendent who worked most recently in the Webster Public Schools, started in her new position on Aug. 14, just weeks before classes began.
“We’re very, very pleased with Dr. Goguen at the head of the Winchendon Public Schools,” Kast McBride said. “She’s been able to come in and bring a steady, calming presence to the whole district. She’s been able to place principals and interim principals into positions, and get more procedures and protocols in place, (which) were sadly lacking for a long time.”
A fifth member of the school committee, Jake Catlin, was recently appointed, Kast-McBride said. Catlin, the owner of Smith’s Country Cheese, joins Kast-McBride, Adam LeBlanc, Anthony Findley, and Vice Chair David LaPoint on the committee.
Officials to outline goals for district, superintendent and school committee
One of the first items on the committee’s to-do list was an organizational meeting to set the district’s goals for the year, Kast-McBride explained. The meeting, which is typically held in August, had to be delayed until the board was fully staffed with five members, she said, and to give Dr. Goguen time to familiarize herself with what was going on in the district.
“It’s important to collaborate with the superintendent because we’re setting both district goals and the superintendent’s goals for the year, so we wanted to give her a little time to get her feet on the ground, obviously,” Kast-McBride said, adding that she intended to outline objectives for the school committee during the organizational meeting. “Because it’s not just our job to hold the district and the superintendent accountable, but it’s our jobs to hold ourselves accountable. And that has never been done by the Winchendon school committee before, and that is one of my biggest goals as chair.”
A search for a permanent superintendent should begin within a few months, Kast-McBride said.
“Honestly, we kind of had to recover from the interim search and getting schools opened first,” Kast-McBride said.
There was plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the district’s future, she said.
“I think Ruthann brings a lot of positivity to the district – I have a lot of faith in her,” Kast-McBride said, adding that transparency between school officials and parents and students was a key objective going forward. “I want students and staff feeling like they’re safe and feeling like they’re heard, and that they know we’re all about the students and their success.”
Educators the 'unsung heroes' of Winchendon schools
Kast-McBride said she was grateful to all of the district’s staff members who stayed focused on their students during the turmoil of the past few years.
“It shows their dedication to the district because I know how traumatized they are,” she said. “I think they are the unsung heroes of Winchendon’s public schools because they stuck through it all, and I think they need more recognition and I’m trying to figure out how to do that without being too sappy about it. I’m trying to find more ways to show them how much I appreciate them.”
“I want to figure out how to heal their souls and make them feel better about what they’ve been through and bring them forward with us into the future,” she added.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Winchendon Public Schools begin new year with interim superintendent
