By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

SAU 15 Superintendent Armand LaSelva surprised the SAU school board when he recently submitted a letter of resignation, after only about a year and a half as the top administrator of the SAU's three districts - Hooksett, Auburn and Candia.

"Basically, we tabled the issue because I think people wanted some more information," SAU 15 Board Chairman Bill Zarges said of the board's Thursday, Nov. 30, meeting.

Specifically, said Zarges, "I think a lot of people need to digest this, and I know, from Candia's perspective, we hope he.ll reconsider."

LaSelva joined the SAU in July 2004, replacing longtime district employee Robert Suprenant.

In his letter, LaSelva wrote, "Recent events have changed things considerably for me, and the time has come for me to move on."

LaSelva, who's been a superintendent for more than 25 years, said he won't pursue a contract extension beyond the current contract's end date of June 30, 2006, though he said he will fulfill all current contractual obligations.

LaSelva reticently declined to make public the specific reasons for his departure. Instead, he said, in an interview, "As a superintendent, you get messages." LaSelva continued, "Some of the messages are subtle, and a no message or non-message is also a message."

LaSelva said he was "comforted" at the SAU 15 meeting when 12 of the 14 members present gave him a vote of confidence, while the other two abstained.

“I like what I do, I like my job, and I’ve got people from the SAU and the school board who support me,” said LaSelva. Zarges is one of them.

“I think a lot of us are very disappointed because Mr. LaSelva has done a great job as a leader,” he said. “We hope, should we have to replace him, that we get as good a quality person.”

LaSelva said he’s proud of the work done in the district throughout his short tenure, including a new program for content training for teachers in Hooksett and Candia, instituting the Northwest Evaluation Association test that helps local educators mark student progress on a yearly basis, and introducing DIBELS, a literacy program for kindergarten through second grade students.

LaSelva came to SAU 15 after five years as superintendent of Dover schools. Prior to that, he was a superintendent in Essex, Mass., for 10 years.

LaSelva said he has no immediate plans.

“I can’t tell you what’s going to happen in a week and a day,” he said.

LaSelva’s likely departure would be one of several from key members of the SAU 15 office recently. In July, Gail Kushner replaced Eric Wigode as assistant superintendent, who had been on personal leave for several months. Also in July, Karen Lessard replaced Sally Waterhouse – who was commuting to the Hooksett office from Lincoln – as the SAU’s business manager.