Hollis-Brookline superintendent’s departure shrouded behind sealed minutes

HOLLIS – In the last year, SAU 41 Superintendent Susan Hodgdon had numerous discussions with the SAU Governing Board about her goals, evaluation and working relationship with board members – a typical exercise for a school leader. But none of these discussions gave any insight, at least to the public, into what may have led to the decision made by Hodgdon and the board earlier this year to not renew her contract. Board Chairman Bill  Beauregard recently told The Telegraph that any discussion about a school official’s employment status would take place during a nonpublic session and would likely be sealed, but declined to comment on whether that was the case for the decision about Hodgdon’s contract. Meeting minutes that may provide some insight –  nonpublic minutes from December meetings and a January meeting – have been sealed by the board. A Right-to-Know request by The Telegraph for those sealed minutes was recently denied. Beauregard declined to comment on the subject of the meetings and its attendees, citing protections under the Right to Know Law. “The board’s action to seal is noted in the public minutes,” he said in an email Wednesday. “Therefore, a board member cannot legally disclose anything in sealed minutes, including the topic of discussion and attendees until and unless the board voted to unseal the minutes.” Unless the minutes are unsealed, community members will never know if the superintendent’s contract or  employment status was discussed during those nonpublic sessions, and will likely never know the full story behind the decision not to renew her contract.