HOLLIS – The district’s associate superintendent announced her resignation last week and will move on to a position as interim superintendent of the Mascenic Regional School District.

Betsey Cox-Buteau has been with the district since 2010, coming from SAU 53 in Pembroke, where she served as the director of curriculum, grants and data.

Superintendent Susan Hodgdon said Cox-Buteau will be missed, but her new role in a new district is a good step for her.

“This was sudden but it wasn’t unanticipated,” she said. “I’m supportive of Betsey and her career path.”

Hollis-Brookline Cooperative School Board Chairman Tom Solon expressed his thanks to the former associate superintendent at a meeting of the board last week, and wished her luck in the future.

Cox-Buteau had worked closely with that school board, Hodgdon said, but whoever replaces her will have a different job description.

Hodgdon said she is looking to fill the position not with another associate superintendent, but an assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction, professional development and assessment.

The change to the job description will give whoever replaces Cox-Buteau a much narrower focus, Hodgdon said, and will require that they work closely with all of the SAU’s schools to prepare for the changes that will come if the state applies for and receives a waiver of No Child Left Behind, as is expected to occur later this year.

That change would leave the school system with a lot of work to prepare school curriculums, assessments and professional development and training, and Hodgdon said she wants to have a staff member working solely on the coordination of those efforts.

“It will be quite a bit of work and will require quite a bit of time and attention,” Hodgdon said. “It will be important not to have someone who is trying to do that and also trying to work with the School Board.”

The assistant superintendent position has already been advertised and while there is no set time line to hire a new assistant superintendent, Hodgdon said there are a few options for the school system when going through the hiring process.

A current employee could simply be promoted to the position, she said, a full search committee could be formed to conduct interviews and advise the decision, or someone could be appointed to serve as an interim assistant superintendent and then be considered for the permanent position along with other applicants.

Hodgdon said she favors the latter two options and while it will be a big change for the district, having the change come during the summer is a blessing.

“It’s a busy time, but it’s a time when we don’t have students in the building and ongoing staff support,” she said. “If there’s a good time, this is a good time to be searching for someone.”

Danielle Curtis can be reached at 594-6557 or dcurtis@nashuatelegraph.com. Also follow Curtis on Twitter (Telegraph_DC).