Mark Hardy, a School Committee member for seven years, announced at the school board’s June 25 meeting that he would resign from the board as of July 1. Hardy told the board that he had planned to leave earlier, but then decided it was important to “stay on to finish” the fiscal year 2008 budget and the contract settlement with the teachers’ union.
Hardy said that he had enjoyed his time on the board, especially during the most recent search for a new school superintendent. “You have to do some soul searching,” he said, to determine what sort of leader the schools need. He commented on how pleased he had been when the board selected Tom Jefferson as superintendent of schools.
Board Chairwoman Willie Wickman and the other members thanked Hardy for his years of service and said they would miss him on the board. Wickman agreed to contact Selectwoman Lucy Wallace to start the ball rolling to find his replacement. The selectmen will need to advertise the opening on the board, and the school board and selectmen will then jointly interview and choose from among the candidates. The new appointed member will serve on the school board until the next regular town election in the spring, at which time voters will decide who should fill the one year then remaining in Hardy’s term of office.
In an interview late last week, Hardy reflected on his time on the board, and said he hoped people would come forward to volunteer for the job. “It’s an unbelievable opportunity,” he said. Hardy had some advice for his replacement: “It’s best for a newcomer to sit back and watch the show for a little while … before jumping right in.”
When asked if there are differences in the schools from when he first joined the board, Hardy said that “we have a better handle” on the administrative needs of the schools. He said he was skeptical at first that the school department needed all the administrative structure it currently has, but came to realize that with so many state and federal mandates, the administrative burdens are huge, even on a small system.
One constant during his service on the board has been his concern over the school budgets. “I still worry about the frailty of the finances—that we can’t afford the school system that we want,” he said. However, Hardy said he was very grateful and rather surprised that both overrides passed last spring. “I’m glad we have people who are willing to be activists for the schools,” he concluded.
