Pratt is the pick for Northeast Windham schools

By PATRICK ADRIAN
[email protected]
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – The Northeast Windham Supervisory Union school board named Chris Pratt as the Windham district’s next superintendent Tuesday night.

Pratt is currently the superintendent of the Windham Southwest Supervisory Union.

The school board announced his  selection at a special meeting in the supervisory union building after a non-public session to interview the candidates and deliberate.

“The board went through a rigorous, controlled process and upon discussion decided that Chris Pratt was the better fit with our district,” said joint board Chair Ed Banks.

Grafton board member Jack Bryar said Pratt is a passionate advocate for local schools and a leader for education.

An eight-member search committee narrowed the board’s decision to two finalists, Pratt and William Bazyk. Search committee members included Bellows Falls Union High School Principal Chris Hodsden, the district’s Business Manager Edie Cole, Saxtons River Elementary School Principal Nancy Erikson, teachers Justin Aube and Kellie Gouin, Westminster board member Molly Banik and community member John Turner.

Each candidate spent the day visiting with principals at each of the district’s schools. In the afternoon, Pratt and Bazyk met individually with district staff and faculty, and with parents and the community at a meet and greet reception.

The board interviewed Bazyk at 6 p.m. and Pratt at 7 p.m.

Banks praised the work of the board and search committee for meeting its goals in a timely mannerand leading to a proper result.

Pratt will officially take over the office on July 1 for retiring Superintendent Chris Kibbe. Kibbe has served six years as the Windham district’s superintendent and five years as the assistant superintendent.

Kibbe says his first action once in retirement is to sleep. The plan beyond that is to be determined.

The Northeast Windham Supervisory Union serves five communities — Bellows Falls, Westminster, Rockingham, Athens and Grafton – with a combined 1,225 students, including a pre-kindergarten enrollment of 132.