Gaylord Accepts Superintendent Job in Chester, NH

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Will Serve as Interim Superintendent

By Patrick Cronin

Hampton Union, Tuesday, June 15, 2010

[The following article is courtesy of the Hampton Union and Seacoast Online.]

HAMPTON -- Outgoing SAU 21 Superintendent James Gaylord was recently appointed to serve as the superintendent for another school district in New Hampshire.

"I'm looking forward to the new challenge," said Gaylord, who will become the interim superintendent for the Chester School District.

Gaylord announced last year he was retiring from SAU 21 — which serves the school districts of Hampton, Hampton Falls, North Hampton, Seabrook and Winnacunnet — as of June 30, 2010.

At the time, he was just starting year one of a new two-year contract that was approved by the SAU 21 Joint Board.

"I was ready to move on to some new challenges but I wasn't ready to call it quits," Gaylord said. "When the opportunity came open, I immediately applied and apparently they liked my interview and asked me to come on board."

Gaylord said he's looking forward to the upcoming school year.

"I think it's a means by which I can really do some good things for kids and take off a little bit of the stress," Gaylord said. "Instead of seven (school) boards there will only be one. I'm look forward to working with them and I think it's going to be a good year."

During his tenure, Gaylord has received praise for his job performance as well as criticism, including a vote of "no confidence" by teachers in 2005 when he tried to remove the school nurses from the collective bargaining unit.

Gaylord said some of the things he's most proud of that occurred during his tenure include the implementation of full-day kindergarten at Centre School in Hampton and the completion of a $25 million building and renovation project at Winnacunnet High School.

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