NEWMARKET — After a more than two-month absence, SAU 31 announced Junior-Senior High School Principal Chris Mazzone will return to work, though not in his previous capacity, and the district will begin a search for his permanent replacement in the coming weeks.
Mazzone and Superintendent Susan Givens released a "joint statement" Thursday morning intended to clarify any "misunderstanding" related to his absence from his post dating back to at least Nov. 1. The statement says the "circumstances" at the center of his leave have been "resolved," and that both parties acted in "good faith" while the matter was ongoing. Mazzone, who became principal in 2016, has a one-year contract that expires June 30.
Elementary School Principal Sean Pine was assigned to take over the Junior-Senior High School post Jan. 2, and his assistant, Debbie Roffo, was elevated to Pine’s position, also on an interim basis.
The statement goes on to read because of the upcoming resignation of the town and school facilities director, Greg Marles, effective Friday, Mazzone will step in as the school half of the facilities director until the end of the year. However, Marles was an employee of the town and not SAU 31.
In addition to his facilities administration, Marles was SAU 31’s construction manager for the renovation projects at both the Junior-Senior High School and Elementary School. The statement says Mazzone will also serve in that function, "given (his) familiarity with the construction project, as well as school operations systems, security protocols. The statement also highlights Mazzone's "prior construction experience."
"We regret any confusion that exists and any uncertainty this situation has created for members of the public staff and students," the statement reads. "The superintendent, School Board and Mr. Mazzone will continue to work together in the best interest of our students."
Parent James Nigro, whose son is in ninth grade, said Givens’ handling of Mazzone’s leave was a stain on the community.
"In a six-month period, she has single-handedly corrupted an entire school system and community," Nigro said. "My son has been in the school system for 10 years, and we’ve never heard of this level of distraction from the schools than what she has caused."
A group of about 50 students walked out in support of Mazzone Nov. 22 and called for an explanation for why he was not in school.
Givens is in the first school year of a three-year contract as superintendent. Calls to her Thursday were not immediately returned. Mazzone also could not be reached comment.
Mazzone's contract with SAU 31 states the school district reserves the right to reassign his position as long as the School Board deems such a move to be, "in the best interest of the district," and he is reassigned to a position he is qualified for or certified for by the state.
School Board Chairman Mike Kenison declined to comment if the School Board determined Mazzone's reassignment to be in the best interest of SAU 31. He referred questions about Mazzone's construction experience beyond being in the building while the Junior-Senior High School expansion was ongoing to Givens.
"All personnel decisions below the superintendent are made by Dr. Givens," Kennison said. "Mr. Mazzone has experience from working with folks on the construction project.”
Emails to the other School Board members seeking comment were not returned.
On Thursday morning, Town Administrator Steve Fournier issued a memo to town councilors and department heads intended to clarify the Givens-Mazzone statement, noting Mazzone was not officially becoming the town facilities director and was remaining an employee of SAU 31.
Fournier wrote after Marles tendered his resignation, he met with Givens, Town Council Chair Toni Weinstein and Kenison in December to gather consensus to continue the memorandum of understanding between the district and town to share a facilities director who is an employee of the town.
Fournier emphasizes no town officials were a part of the decision-making process to have Mazzone serve as a facilities administrator for the schools. Fournier said he was not notified of the pending statement until Givens called him Wednesday night. He wrote the town will go ahead and conduct a search for a new full-time facilities director. He said he was unaware of any of Mazzone's past construction experience and was under the impression he will be hiring a new facilities director to oversee both town and school buildings.
Fournier said it may be difficult to hire a fulltime facilities director if there were conflicting statements between the town and school district over what the job responsibilities would entail if a candidate thought Mazzone would be responsible for the school side.
"While it is the school district’s prerogative to determine how to utilize Mr. Mazzone, it concerns me that it was stated he is taking over the day to day supervision of (school) facilities," Fournier wrote. "The town/school relationship over my time in Newmarket had been improving ... Recently communications have been strained, but we still worked together as best we could."
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